Concluding remarks

Concluding remarks by the Secretary General, Karl-Erik Norrman.

1. It was a great pleasure to hold the session in the Cultural Capital of
   Europe 2011 – Turku. Thank you, City of Turku and Åbo Akademi University for
   making it possible to convene so many interesting people! Thank you, Pär
   Stenbäck for mobilising and coordinating the Finnish supporters to the
   session!
   
   
   
2. We are proud over the ECP Lisbon Agenda Research Report on the strategic use
   of Culture in the European project. We will continue to present the messages of
   the report in the EU Commission, as well as in National governments.
   
   
   
3. We congratulate the organisers of NUROPE to a successful start of the new
   Nomadic University for arts, philosophy and Enterprise in Europe. We will follow
   and participate in coming “oasis”.
   
   
   
4. We have started a discussion on the conditions for Cultural freedom in
   Europe. This debate must continue. We are possibly in the middle of a shift of
   environment for Culture. One informal conclusion from the last debate on
   Politics and Culture was: “Politicians:  Hands off Culture! – Artists:
   Hands on politics!”
   
   
   
5. The ECP will start preparing for the European year of Intercultural Dialogue
   2008. Many projects are already there, the inter-artistic dialogue is there. But
   we have to see how this intra-artistic dialogue can also contribute to an
   inter-cultural dialogue. One interesting contribution may come from the
   architects/members of the ECP.
   
   
   
6. Inspired by the EU-Representative, Mr Mäkinen, the ECP will look into the
   possibilities of helping to communicate the European Idea.
   
   
   
7. The ECP will open an Internet Forum for continued discussion. The forum will
   be linked to the ECP website href="http://www.kulturparlament.com">www.kulturparlament.com.
   
   
   
8. All ECP-Members are invited to present the ECP and its messages, notably the
   Lisbon Agenda Report, in their home cities/countries, through interviews, press
   conferences or other media briefings. Every member is an ambassador or press
   attaché of the ECP.
   
   
   
9. The next session and other continued activities of the ECP will be discussed
   and prepared in the new ECP Internet Forum and also at meetings of ad hoc
   programme committees.
   
   
   
10. The Deputy Mayor of Sibiu, Romania, extended an invitation to the ECP to
    hold its sixth session in Sibiu, Cultural Capital of Europe 2007. The session is
    likely to be held in October.