i2010: digital libraries

The Council adopted conclusions on the i2010: digital libraries.

Considering that cultural heritage and cultural content and expressions embody and convey the European Union's common and fundamental values and demonstrate Europe's cultural and linguistic diversity and that they play a key social and economic role, the Council approves the underlying strategic objectives and main elements of the Commission Recommendation on the Digitisation and Online Accessibility of Cultural Material, and Digital Preservation.

As a first step and in line with the indicative timeline, the Member States are invited to:

• address the issues related to digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation identified in the Commission Recommendation, and in particular those aspects highlighted in these conclusions;
• reinforce national strategies and targets for digitisation and digital preservation;
• contribute to the European digital library, a multilingual common access point to Europe's distributed cultural heritage;
• improve framework conditions for digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation;
• reinforce co-ordination within and between Member States on related issues;
• contribute to an effective overview of progress at European level.

In line with the indicative timeline, the Commission is invited to:

• stimulate and co-ordinate work towards a European digital library as a common multilingual access point to Europe's distributed digital cultural heritage (2007-2008);
• contribute to improved policy co-ordination on the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation, in particular through the creation of a group of Member States' representatives to take forward the coordination work of the NRG within the Community's institutional framework, securing continuity – including effective transitional arrangements - and building on the experience and expertise gained (2007-2008);
• address framework conditions for digitisation, online accessibility and digital preservation (2008-2009);
• assess overall progress in the Member States on the relevant themes taking into account their different starting points; and to assess overall progress towards the European digital library and to report to the Council accordingly (2007-2008).