UK Presidency of the EU 2005
From 1 July to 31 December 2005, the Presidency of the European Union was held by the UK.
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport chaired meetings of the European Culture and Audiovisual Council of Ministers.
We also took the lead in establishing priorities for two EU working groups – the Cultural Affairs Committee and the Audiovisual Working Group. Civil servants from member states take part in these working groups, which work for the Council.
DCMS activity during the Presidency focused around three main themes :
- Promoting access and entitlement to high quality cultural and sporting opportunities
- Encouraging the development of a more competitive regulatory environment for the European creative industries and broadcasting sectors, and identifying opportunities to increase their economic impact
- Proactive and positive engagement with the EU institutions and fellow member states
As President, we worked closely with the other 2004-06 Presidencies to ensure continuity of the Council work programme. (Each member of the EU holds the Presidency on a rotating, six-month basis. From 1 Janaury 2006, Austria is President of the EU.)
Important areas of business for the UK Presidency included:
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