- 1 -

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL FOR INTERNAL POLICIES- COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND EDUCATION -

DELEGATION TO TURKU AND TALLINN16–19 May 2011

REPORT

SUMMARY

Between 16 and 19 May 2011, the Committee on Culture and Education organised a successful visit to Turku and Tallinn, European Capitals of Culture in 2011. The delegation was led by Mr. Morten Løkkegaard, Vice-Chair of the Committee.

One of the aims of the delegation was to examine the philosophy behind the Capital of Culture year in both cities, as well as the implementation of the Capital of Culture programmes. It could be noticed that both Turku and Tallinn have set themselves, in particular, the following goals:

- to promote the significance of culture for the wellbeing of people and environment,- to combine culture, science and audiovisual media,- to raise awareness about the Baltic Sea region.

The delegation met, among others, the management of Turku2011 and Tallinn2011 Foundations, representatives of Turku City Council, members of the Cultural Affairs Committee of Riigikogu, (the Estonian Parliament) and several artists involved in the Capital of Culture projects.

Members of the delegation in Logomo, the main venue for the Capital of Culture year in Turku.

- 2 -

1. INTRODUCTION

Turku and Tallinn – Cultural cooperation and shared values

The Capital of Culture year 2011 is a unique opportunity for both Turku and Tallinn to present their history and culture, as well as their centuries-long cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. Not only located close to each other, Turku and Tallinn also share the same kind of history and values, and for centuries, both cities have been national gateways to the world via the Baltic Sea.In fact, already in the medieval times, both Turku and Tallinn were the capitals of culture of theregion.

The geographic, historical and cultural closeness has encouraged Turku and Tallinn to organise joint programmes, bridging over the 170 kilometres' distance between the two cities. There are nearly 20 projects involving artists from both Turku and Tallinn. Many of these projects focus onthe Baltic Sea and its future, and both cities are involved in developing the cultural dimension of the EU strategy for the Baltic Sea. They share the following goals:

- raising awareness about the Baltic Sea region - highlighting the cultures of both countries - increasing wellbeing - improving urban spaces - developing the activities of the creative industries - developing long-term cooperation.

The close proximity of the two cities also allows for an efficient cooperation in the field of tourism marketing. “Developing Cultural Tourism as a joint network in Capitals of Culture 2011”is a project built by The Centre of Expertise Tourism (OSKE) of Turku Touring together with Turku2011 and Tallinn2011 Foundations. The aim of the project is to bring together culture and tourism operators both in Turku and Tallinn and to create customer friendly services and product combinations.

Turku and Tallinn intend to continue their close cooperation beyond the Culture Capital year, with long-lasting operational models in the cities and between them. Both Turku and Tallinn also aim at creating a permanent impact on the cities' cultural life and their residents' wellbeing.

2. SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES

Monday, 16 May 2010 – Turku

18:00 – 19:30 Welcoming meeting with Turku2011 Foundation and a Guided tour

Once arrived at Turku, the members of the delegation were warmly welcomed by Mrs Cay Sévon, Executive Manager of Turku2011 Foundation. Responsible for leading the operational

- 3 -

work related to the Capital of Culture project, Mrs. Sévon has been actively involved in the preparations of the cultural year since the very beginning. Mrs. Sévon was very pleased to receive a delegation from the European Parliament and explained that José Manuel Barroso, President of the Commission, had visited Turku in March. In addition, Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner responsible for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, had attended the opening ceremony and the show held by the River Aura in January. Featuring breathtaking aerial performances, fire and fireworks, stunning choreography and music, the show had attracted 60 000 spectators, despite the weather (a lot of snow and almost minus 20 degrees).

The meeting was followed by a guided tour by bus through the city centre, along the River Aura.The members of the delegation could find out that the Castle and the Cathedral by the river are the two poles of historic Turku, between which just about every important site in the city can be found. The delegation also visited the harbour of Turku. Due to its location, Turku is a notable commercial and passenger seaport city with over three million passengers travelling each year to Stockholm.

Tuesday, 17 May 2011 – Turku

9:00 – 10:30 Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova

The delegation started the day with a short walk along the River Aura to Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova, Museum of History and Contemporary Art maintained by a private foundation. Aboa Vetus & Ars Nova is the Latin name for a combination of ‘Old Turku’ and ‘New Art’. Aboa Vetus houses the unique ruins of a town quarter and Ars Nova is one of Turku's three art museums.

Aboa Vetus tells of the long history of Turku, Finland’s oldest town, amidst medieval ruins. The members of the delegation could find out that in the Middle Ages when Finland belonged to Sweden, Turku was the second largest town in the Swedish realm, right after Stockholm. Turku was also the administrative and ecclesiastical seat in Finland for international trade, due to its location at the riverfront and by the sea. Although archaeological findings in the area date back to the Stone Age, Turku’s official founding year is recorded as 1229, and the history of Turku Castle also begins at the mouth of the river in the late 1200s.

Ars Nova began as a home for the art collection of Matti Koivurinta, and now functions actively as a museum of contemporary art. In the museum, the delegation encountered the gems of the collection and changing exhibitions of contemporary art in exhibition halls built in a private palace. Ars Nova hosts the European Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Art every alternate odd-numbered year.

10:30 – 11:15 Turku City Library

From the museum, the delegation continued by foot to the Turku City Library where the members were welcomed by Mrs. Inkeri Näätsaari, Director, and Mrs. Maija Karjalainen, Service manager.

Mrs. Näätsaari explained to the delegation that in Finland, every municipality offers their citizens library services free of charge and the library is an important part of the Finnish civilisation.

- 4 -

Turku City Library, like all Finnish libraries, is not only a place to borrow books; it is a common meeting point with art exhibitions, newspaper corners and children's story telling hours.

The tradition of providing and valuing cultural and educational services is thought to have significantly contributed to the sudden rise of Finland from an underdeveloped agricultural country to a leading innovative country with a high level of literacy and a low rate of school drop-outs. For the moment, Finland has the highest number of registered book borrowers per capita in the world; over half of Finland's population are registered borrowers. Mrs. Näätsaarimentioned that in Turku City Library, the amount of books borrowed increases with 10 % every month.

To Mrs. Badia's question on the digitalisation, Mrs. Näätsaari replied that the shift to digital libraries has greatly impacted the use of physical libraries; therefore one of the main goals of Turku City Library has been to meet up with the challenges of the future. The library can already now offer a lot of digitised material; however, the novels have not yet been digitised, as the necessary agreements are not ready.

Mrs. Näätsaari guided the delegation through the library premises. The building creates an interesting architectural milieu, the old part of the library dating back to 1903 and representingDutch late renaissance, and the new part being constructed in 2007 and designed by Mr. Asmo Jaaksi, a well-known Finnish architect.

11:15 – 12:15 Meeting with CIMO

After the guided tour, Mrs. Näätsaari led the delegation to one of the library’s meeting rooms for a meeting with the Finnish Centre for International Mobility (CIMO). Established in 1991, CIMO is an independent agency under the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture promoting cross-cultural communisation and mobility in training, education, working life, cultural field as well as among young people.

Mr. Mikko Nupponen, Assistant Director (Coordinator for EU Programmes), and Mr. Juha Ketolainen (Assistant Director Responsible for Higher Education and Lifelong learning programme) started the meeting with a presentation on the implementation of the Lifelong learning programme (LLP) and the Culture programme in Finland.

Mr. Nupponen explained that the LLP is very well attended in Finland. For the moment, 23 % of university students are mobile, and 30 % of post secondary schools and 10 % of primary schools in Finland participate yearly in the Comenius programme. As regards vocational training, 13 % of students have been participating in cross-border mobility through Leonardo.

According to Mr. Ketolainen, Finland has also become a very popular destination for Erasmusstudents, due to the big number of study programmes in English. Approximately 75 % of those who come to study in Finland and 50 % of those who go abroad are subsidised by Erasmus. However, the focus shouldn’t be only on higher education; it is also important to involve school children and teachers in cross-border mobility, as well as those students attending vocational training. Mr. Ketolainen mentioned that in Finland, EU programmes have had a significantinfluence on national policies and have often served as a model for national programmes.

- 5 -

Mr. Ketolainen also presented a brief overview on the EU Culture programme and its implementation in Finland. In 11 years, there have been 225 projects (157 projects in the context of Culture 2000, and 68 projects in the context of Culture 2007–2013). In addition, 167 books have been translated into Finnish, and the Finnish Cultural Contact Point has answered to approximately 400 inquiries every year.

- 6 -

As regards the next generation of programmes, the key message that CIMO wanted to bring through was the following:

Lifelong learning programme:- A stronger link with EU level policies (Europe 2020, Youth on the Move, ET 2020).- Lifelong learning means balanced development of all levels of education and training- Impact: a more institutional approach.- Continuity: need for maintaining separate brand names and structure.- Need for further simplification.- Ensuring adequate funding within overall budget framework.

Culture programme:- Need for maintaining a strong and separate identity.- Priority on actions that strengthen and deepen the expertise of cultural professionals and

promote mobility (of both operators and works). - More small-scale support, in particular to fund literary translations.- More support for the preparation of multilateral projects is necessary. - The "Cultural Contact Point" model should be maintained.

Mr. Løkkegaard took the floor and explained that the CULT Committee had been intensively involved in budget negotiations, both this year and all previous years. Much has been reached already but there is still the need to enhance the education and culture policies, in order to achieve the headline targets of Europe 2020 strategy. He also pointed out that in a moment of afinancial crisis, there is an even stronger need to invest in culture and education; for this, support from the Member States is needed. The national authorities should therefore be given a strong signal in this respect. Mr. Løkkegaard also wanted to know what the representatives of CIMO meant with further simplification of the LLP.

Mrs. Badia then asked what was meant with "strong and separate identity" of future Culture programme, especially in the context of "further simplification". She also noted that Finland has always been a good model for tackling early school leaving, and asked how the representatives of CIMO saw the issue.

Mr. Borys mentioned that even though Member States do not want budgetary increases, it appears that some Member States still intend to increase significantly their national expenditure. He wondered whether these increases should be reflected in the EU budget as well. Mr. Borys also expressed his concern about possible merging of the Culture and Media programmes. He highlighted that they should be defended as separate programmes.

Mr. Nupponen explained that with simplification, he meant need to harmonise and simplify the structure of the programmes, as they are getting too big and difficult to manage. Simplification also implies merging, and CIMO is not against it; however, even if merged, each programme, in particular the Culture programme, needs to maintain its own identity and trademark within the bigger programme. A clear identity is important, so that the programme will find its future funding. Therefore, the way how possible merging would be done is extremely important.

As regards early school leaving, Mr. Nupponen pointed out that for the moment, the rate of school drop-outs in Finland is between 8 and 9 %. Schools are key players and more investments

- 7 -

need to be made in quality education. Also the mobility of teachers is an important issue. Finnish schools also focus a lot on personalised support in order to avoid situations where pupils are forced to double a school year. Also vocational education and training has developed a lot in Finland in the last years, and the working life component is important in all stages of education.

To Mr. Tőkés's question on multilingualism and the situation of Sámi and Swedish languages in Finland, Mr. Ketolainen replied that Finland is a multilingual and multicultural country. However, more should be invested in language teaching, as knowing languages helps understand different cultures. Swedish is the second official language and both Finnish and Swedish languages are compulsory at school. As regards the country's only indigenous minority, Sámi, there are approximately 1 800 Sámi native speakers in Finland. Sámi has been thought at schools on a small scale, and there are projects ongoing, in order to preserve the culture and Sámi languages.

12:45 – 16:30 Visit to Logomo Centre of Culture

After the meeting with CIMO, the delegation headed for a working lunch and a meeting in Logomo Centre of Culture, hosted by Mrs. Cay Sévon, Executive Manager, and Turku2011 Foundation. Logomo is an old engineering workshop located in the heart of the old industrial milieu close to Turku railway station. Especially created for the Capital of Culture year, Logomo has become the centre for creative economy, art and culture as well as the main stage for Capital of Culture events in 2011.

After lunch, Mrs. Cay Sévon and Mrs. Suvi Innilä, Programme Manager, gave a presentation on Turku2011 Foundation. Mrs Sévon explained that Turku 2011 Foundation is in charge of the coordination and partial funding of the selected projects. In addition, it takes care of production support, research programmes, communications and corporate cooperation. The Foundationstarted operating at the beginning of 2008. The City of Turku has appointed the Chairman of the Turku2011 Foundation and eight other members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and The Regional Council of South-West Finland have appointed a total of six members.

According to Mrs Sévon, the Capital of Culture programme year comprehends 150 different projects and thousands of individual events throughout the year. Approximately 75% of the projects have been selected through an open call for applications. In fact, one of the starting points for Turku2011 Foundation was to create an open foundation with wide participation. The programme content is divided in five individual themes that represent different aspects:

- 2011 Transformations brings culture to everyday life and make meeting culture easy.- 2011 Take-offs offers small and large take-offs from mundane life and emphasises the key

cultural aspects of Turku.- 2011 Archipelago Explorations introduces the marine nature of Turku with the

archipelago, the Baltic Sea and the River Aura.- 2011 Personally examines questions related to the mind, the self and different identities.- 2011 Memories and Truths takes a closer look at the extensive history and the future of

Turku.

The total budget for the year is €50 million, of which €18 million come from Turku City, €18 million from the different Ministries and, €1,5 million from the EU and €12,5 million are

- 8 -

collected by other means (public-private partnership, sponsoring, ticket income etc.). Capital of Culture year is also based on a close cooperation, both on national and international level.

Marketing is being handled by Turku Touring, partner businesses and Finnish embassies. Some key programme events are also being hosted in neighbouring countries. The tourism growth target is 15 %, which has a great significance for Turku's business community. The primary international marketing area is Sweden, with other key areas being Northern Germany, the St.Petersburg region and Estonia.

When asked about the follow up, Mrs. Sévon explained that university researchers have taken part in developing the events and that the entire process will be studied at the University of Turku, in the context of the Evaluation programme 2010–2016. Turku’s European legacy will include, in particular, different models on how culture and art can be used to increase wellbeing.

Mrs. Innilä described Turku2011 programme and its objectives in more detail. She mentioned that the Capital of Culture year has one message above all: "Culture does good". Culture improves individuals’ emotional and physical wellbeing, strengthens and brings together communities and improves the local economy.

The connection between culture and wellbeing is an integral element of Turku2011 programme, and approximately one third of the events focus on wellbeing of Turku residents. In addition to large public events, culture is brought to schools, old people’s homes, nurseries and prisons. Doctors at health centres and hospitals of Turku have been given 5 500 “culture prescriptions”, and patients receiving a prescription can enter Capital of Culture events free of charge.

In fact, during Turku2011 event, culture will become an integral part of everyday life in Turku. It includes new circus, music, theatre, dance and street culture. There is also a strong coalition between science and art. Mrs. Innilä added that another important objective of the Capital of Culture year is internationalism: Turku 2011 helps local cultural organisations in internationalnetworking and attracting top international artists to the city.

The meeting was followed by a well attended press conference and a visit to the exhibitions Fire!Fire!, Alice in Wonderland, Only a Game and Tom of Finland. The delegation was guided Mrs. Joanna Kurth and Mrs. Anna-Kaisa Rastenberger, both Chief Curators of the exhibitions.

18:30 – 21:00 Working dinner in Villa Solin

In the evening, the delegation was invited for a dinner hosted by the City of Turku. Mrs. Minna Arve, Chair of City Board, welcomed the delegation in the main hall of Villa Solin, a unique and historical house own by the City of Turku, located in the middle of a nature reserve area by the sea. Mrs. Arve expressed the utmost importance of the Capital of Culture year for Turku region. She also talked about the close and fruitful cooperation between the City of Turku and Turku2011 Foundation, both during the preparations for the year and during the current implementation phase of the project.

After the welcoming speeches, Mrs. Arve and Mr. Mika Akkanen, International Affairs Counsellor of the City of Turku, led the delegation through the architecturally interesting Villa that had been constructed in 1928 and designed by Mr. Erik William Bryggmann, a well-known architect from Turku.

- 9 -

During the dinner, there was a lively discussion on topical issues, such as the Finnish parliamentary elections that had just taken place. It was mentioned that Mr. Timo Soini, formerVice-Chair of the Committee on Culture and Education, was the leader of the True Finns, a party that had taken nearly a fifth of the votes, finishing just behind the conservative NCP and the Social Democrats. Mr. Akkanen talked about the Finnish-Estonian cooperation in the field of culture. He also mentioned the close links between Finnish and Estonian languages that belong to a small Finno-Ugric linguistic group, together with Hungarian. At the end, Mr. Løkkegaardexpressed himself in Finnish, thanking the hosts on behalf of the delegation and congratulating the Finns for having won the World Championship in Ice-hockey just two days before the delegation came to Finland.

Wednesday, 18 May 2010 – Tallinn

9:15 – 15:30 Travel to Tallinn

On Wednesday morning, the delegation took a bus to Helsinki in order to continue by plane to Tallinn.

16:00 – 17:00 Meeting with Tallinn2011 Foundation

Once arrived at Tallinn, the delegation started the programme with a meeting with the management of Tallinn2011 Foundation at the European capital of Culture Information Office.

Mr. Jaanus Mutli, Member of the Board of Tallinn2011 Foundation, and Mr. Jaanus Rohumaa, Head of Programme Department, welcomed the delegation and gave a brief presentation on the preparations for the year, the philosophy behind the Capital of Culture programme and the individual projects.

Mr. Mutli explained that the preparatory work for the Capital of Culture year had started in 2008. The Creative Council, comprising seven culture specialists and working as a separate unit of the Foundation, had assisted in assessing and analysing all the proposed ideas, project plans and program initiatives. In total, 251 projects had been selected out of 1000 proposals.

Mr. Mutli also mentioned that the Capital of Culture year has brought together the biggest voluntary team ever seen in Estonia: in total, 1300 volunteers from different age groups (15–80 years) and speaking in total 16 different languages have contributed to the Capital of Culture year in Tallinn.

As for the philosophy behind, Mr. Rohumaa explained that the Capital of Culture year in Tallinntells the story of Estonia as an ancient maritime state. The main theme "Stories of the Seashore" encapsulates Estonian history and Tallinn’s location next to the sea. It is also linked to the cultural diversity in Estonia. This larger theme is organized into three smaller parts:

- Stories of singing together,- Stories of the living old city,- Stories of dreams and surprises.

- 10 -

"Stories of singing together" focuses on changing the world through democracy, citizenship, community, freedom and traditions. In addition to Song and Dance Festivals, the project entails several smaller music events, such as Birgitta Festival and the youth subculture project, AfroReggae.

"Stories of the living old city" tells the story of Tallinn as a historical city moving on towards the future. It also focuses on the cultural diversity and gives other nationalities living in Tallinn theopportunity to present their customs, dances, and traditions. The project covers also the Old Town’s Drama Festival and "Tallinn Marathon".

"Stories of Dreams and Surprises" speaks of a city and a country where the internet has been declared a "human right". It brings the sea to the city and entails projects such as Tallinn’s Maritime Days and the audiovisual Plektrum Festival.

After the presentation, Mrs. Verheyen asked whether the aim of "opening the seashore to everyone" entailed only short-term projects and events or whether some permanent infrastructural changes were also foreseen.

Mr. Mutli replied that the Estonian Maritime Museum is being renovated and will be opened in July. At the same time, the whole harbor area is renovated in order to build a Sea Centre with a full size submarine and an aquarium with Baltic Sea fish. However, proper infrastructure is indeed needed, with promenades, cafes and art galleries by the sea. Tallinn has altogether 47 kilometer of unused coastline.

Mr. Rohumaa explained that under the Soviet times, it had not been possible for everyone to go to the shore and enjoy the sea. Therefore, one of the aims of the programme is to show all citizens that the city's waterfront is open for everyone and can be used for common wellbeing.

To Mr. Takkula's and Mrs. Badia's questions on the cooperation with Turku, Mr. Rohumaareplied that there had always been a lot of cultural cooperation between Finland and Estonia. The Capitals of Culture do have joint projects and events and share the same values. However, Tallinn has a very limited budget of €5 million (of which €1,5 million come from the EU and the rest from the city, the state and the private sector), and Turku's budget is €50 million. However, the aim of the cooperation has always been to create networks of artists that get their creative impulse from 2011 and last well beyond that year.

Mrs. Sanchez-Schmid wanted to know more about the use of private funding and the public-private partnership. Mr. Mutli replied that the initial idea had been to get much more support from the private sector. However, this had not been possible due to the financial crisis. In the current situation, the private sector is neither interested in culture nor capable of promoting it. Also people are willing to invest less than before in culture.

In order to tackle the issue of lacking funds, the only solution has been to open the mind for alternative and local ways to accomplish the Capital of Culture year. Mr. Rohumaa added that during the Soviet times, Estonian people got used to hierarchical structures. With voluntary work and grassroots programmes, Tallinn2011 can actively involve citizens and foster their participation in the event. This in turn will enhance their wellbeing as well as social cohesion in the long term.

- 11 -

Mr. Borys mentioned that Kraków had been selected the Capital of Culture for the year 2000. It had gained a lot from this experience and the year had been best promotion ever, not only for the city but for the whole country. He wanted to know whether there was any cooperation between previous, current and future Capitals of Culture, as this kind of a networking could be extremely useful.

According to Mr. Rohumaa, the network does exist, and the "troika" meets once a year. It is very useful, especially as one can learn from the mistakes of others. Also the Capitals of Culture for the year 2015 are already cooperating with current capitals. However, each country has its own approach and traditions. If local people enjoy living in their hometown, it will become more attractive for others too. In Tallinn, there is need to give a good environment for those who create, just like in Berlin.

18:00 – 20:00 Opening event of "Gate(way)s" exhibition

In the evening, the delegation attended the opening of the exhibition "Gate(way)s" at KUMU Art Museum. Organised Goethe Institut and Kumu, the exhibition forms an important part of the Capital of Culture programme. In total 27 artists from across Europe have been invited to present their interpretation of the social and cultural significance of network technologies. Their 29 works include photography, video projections and sculptural environments as well as sound walks and cell phone applications.

The opening speeches were given by Mr. Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag, Mrs. Ene Ergma, Speaker of the Estonian Parliament, Mr. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, President of Goethe Institut, and Mr. Jaanus Mutli, Board member of the Tallinn2011 foundation. After the opening speeches, Mrs. Sabine Himmelsbach, Chief Curator, guided the delegation through different artistic works.

Thursday, 19 May 2011 – Tallinn

10:15–11:00 NO99 Straw Theatre

The last day of the delegation began with a visit to NO99 Straw Theatre, one of the key development projects of the Tallinn2011 programme. The project manager, Mr. Eero Epner, playright and art historian, welcomed the delegation as it arrived to Skoone Bastion, a neglected portside area near the Old Town. Mr. Epner guided the delegation inside NO99 Straw Theatre which is, according to him, at the same time a project, an art installation and a public space. In summer, NO99 Straw Theatre will combine the highlights of the European and Estonian theatre with pleasant ecological space experience created by Estonian architects from SALTO AB OÜ.

In order to explain the idea of a theatre made of straw, Mr. Epner made a reference to the fairy tale “The Three Little Pigs” where the big bad wolf blows away a straw house: the same kind of impermanence is characteristic to NO99 Straw Theatre that has been unveiled at the end of April and will be dismantled at the end of September. Performances and concerts will take place in theevening, and during the daytime, NO99 Straw Theatre will be open as a public space for everyone.

- 12 -

The two curators of Straw Theatre, Mrs. Ene-Liis Semper, Chief Stage Designer, and Mr. Tiit Ojasoo, Artistic Director, as well as Mr. Epner all belong to NO99 Theatre group, established in 2005. Mr. Epner explained the history behind the name of the group: as the sun doesn't shine forever, an Estonian philosopher estimated the number referring to the moment when it wouldn't shine anymore and started to count down from that number. Similarly, NO99 Theatre group decided to make 99 productions and invest in them as if each of them was the last one. Until now, the Theatre group has counted down to 61 productions, and once “zero” is reached, the group will cease to exist.

NO99 Straw Theatre has been created and will be implemented in a close collaboration with the Capital of Culture year. In total, 5 % of the budget of the project is financed through EU funding for the Capital of Culture year. With a very limited budget, NO99 Straw Theatre will host several theatre productions and sound performances featuring internationally renowned artists, such as Nature Theatre of Oklahoma (United States), Sebastian Nübling (Germany) and Kristian Smeds (Finland). In fact, NO99 Straw Theatre is the biggest project of the Capital of Culture year. For this reason, Mr. Epner and Mr. Ojasoo would have hoped for more funding for the project.

Mr. Ojasoo also explained briefly about "Unified Estonia", a fictitious political movement created in March 2010 by NO99 Theatre that a large portion of the public treated as a real political force. In fact, the public had paid a great deal of attention to Unified Estonia: several editorials and columns had appeared in the major newspapers, and Mr. Ojasoo and Mrs. Semper,leaders of the movement, had been invited to speak on television and radio shows. Also members of parliament and politicians had expressed their opinions on the issue publicly.

The "Unified Estonia" Convention took place on 7 May 2010. It was attended by more than 7200 people and is one of the largest theatre events in the history of modern European theatre.

11:15 – 12:15 Guided tour in the Old Town

From NO99 Straw Theatre, the delegation started walking in the Old Town of Tallinn. The tour was guided by Mrs. Elvira Liiver-Holmström, Director of the Tallinn Town Hall.

The Old Town of Tallinn is a World Heritage site since 1997. Mrs. Liiver-Holmström explained that in 1219, a Danish fleet led by the King Valdemar II had landed in Tallinn. The Danish rule of Tallinn and Northern Estonia had continued until 1345 when the Danes had sold Tallinn to the Teutonic Order in 1345.

Tallinn is known as one of the best retained medieval towns in Europe. Medieval Tallinn enjoyed a strategic position at the crossroads of trade between Western and Northern Europe and Russia. The golden era in Tallinn’s history lies in the period between the early 15th and mid 16th centuries when Tallinn had attained a powerful role in the Baltic Sea area through its membership in the Hanseatic League.

12:15 – 14:00 Meeting with the members of Cultural Affairs Committee of Riigikogu

The guided tour ended at Riigikogu where the delegation was going to have its last meeting. Riigikogu building originates from the time of the First Republic of Estonia and is hidden behind the walls of the medieval Toompea Castle.

- 13 -

Riigikogu, the Estonian Parliament, has 12 standing committees of which the Cultural Affairs Committee conducts as lead committee the proceedings in the field of culture, education and research. Mr. Urmas Klaas, Chairman of the Cultural Affairs Committee, welcomed the delegation and mentioned that when visiting Riigikogu the day before, Mr. Norbert Lammert, President of the German Bundestag, had highlighted the crucial importance of culture in human relations and pointed out that the EU is not only about economics and that the real foundations of the Union lay in culture and European identity. Mr. Klaas concluded that also this meeting would contribute to developing new cultural networks, and introduced the other Committee Members participating in the meeting:

- Mr. Jaak Allik (Social Democratic Party) - Mrs. Liisa-Ly Pakosta (Pro Patria and Res Publica Union)- Mr. Lauri Luik and Mr. Paul-Eerik Rummo (Estonian Reform Party) - Mr. Eldar Efendijev and Mrs. Mailis Reps (Estonian Centre Party).

Mr. Løkkegaard expressed himself in Estonian and thanked the Cultural Affairs Committee for their kind invitation. He also praised the organisation of the Capital of Culture year in both Tallinn and Turku and mentioned that he had been surprised by the close cooperation and the similarities between the two cities, as regards culture and values. He reiterated the importance of networking and sharing of best practices between previous, current and future Capitals of Culture.

Mr. Klaas then opened a discussion on the future of European Heritage Label (EHL). The first speaker was Mrs. Pakosta who pointed out that the amount of the EHLs awarded should be limited. She also expressed her concern about the fact that in future, one country can have three types of cultural heritage sites at the same time: state heritage sites, Unesco World Heritage sites and European Heritage sites. She called for a clear distinction between all these heritage programmes and highlighted that the EHL should be awarded mainly to those sites that serve educational purposes. Mrs. Pakosta also noted that it is sometimes difficult to differentiate between local and European value: Estonian cultural heritage is also European cultural heritage.

Mr. Takkula agreed with Mrs Pakosta that the amount of sites should be limited. He also highlighted the importance of ensuring that EHL sites bring clear and demonstrated European added value.

Mrs. Verheyen pointed out that the regulatory framework should be harmonised, in order to avoid several different rules and regulations being applied at the same time in the context of parallel cultural heritage sites. In addition, EHL should be awarded only when there is real educational value. EHL should help younger generations learn more about the history of the EU and understand the connections between the present and the past.

Mrs. Badia highlighted that for the EHL, the focus is not on the European history but on the history and development of the EU. In addition, not only sites but also specific ideas or pieces of music, for example, belong to common European heritage. She also mentioned that the aim is to bring European citizens together and that the rules shouldn't be too restrictive.

Mr. Klaas opened the discussion on the implementation of the EU multiannual programmes in the field of education and culture by mentioning that in Estonia, these programmes have had a lot

- 14 -

of success and helped many students study abroad. He also expressed his concerns as regards likely budgetary cuts, due to the financial crisis.

Mrs. Reps mentioned that at the beginning, Estonia was not an attractive destination for foreign students. Estonia has been considered "an exotic but not useful" destination. Even if many study programmes had already existed in English, their content hadn’t always been very competitive. Since the last two years, the situation is much better. However, the rate of outgoing students is still much higher that the rate those coming to Estonia. Mrs. Reps was also concerned about the financial constraints, as very often the grants awarded to students don't cover the living costs.

Mrs. Reps also mentioned that in Estonia, the teachers have been very interested in cross-border mobility and that Estonia has been participating fully in Comenius since joining the programme.

Mrs. Verheyen pointed out that in Europe, pedagogical traditions can differ substantially from one country to another. Teaching methods are not similar even between Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany, and the teachers are not always able to give lessons in a neighbouring country. She highlighted the importance for teachers to prepare themselves in advance, in order to be familiar with the pedagogical methods and principles of another country before participating in an exchange programme.

Mr. Takkula noted that many Finns are interested in studying in Estonia, and some of the Estonian university programmes are highly appreciated in Finland. He also mentioned that in Finland, education is free of charge which gives everyone the possibility to study, despite financial constraints.

Mrs. Reps agreed that tuition fees create a lot of discussion in many countries. In Estonia, some study programmes, such as teacher training, physical science and mathematics, are completely free of charge, due the fact that there is less demand in these areas. However, for example law students must pay approximately 90 % of their studies by themselves.

The members continued the lively discussion during a buffet-lunch offered by the Estonian Parliament.

14:14 – 15:45 Press conference

The programme concluded with a press conference at the EU House. The press conference was well attended by local media and press agencies.

- 15 -

3. Final list of participants

Members of the EP (7+1hq) in protocol order Political Group Country

Mr Morten LØKKEGAARD, Head of the delegation ALDE DenmarkMr László TÖKÉS (16.-18.05 in Turku) EPP RomaniaMrs Maria BADIA I CUTCHET S&D SpainMrs Marie-Thérèse SANCHEZ-SCHMID EPP FranceMr Hannu TAKKULA (hq) ALDE FinlandMr Piotr BORYS EPP PolandMrs Sabine VERHEYEN EPP GermanyMr Iosif MATULA EPP RomaniaCULT Committee Secretariat (2)Ms Eeva ERIKSSON, administrator CULTMs Terje TUULING, assistant CULTPolitical groups' advisers (3)Mr Roberto GIANELLA EPPMrs Rosario GALOFRE-GOMEZ ALDEMr Shane MURPHY S&DEP Information Office (2)

Mr Pekka NURMINEN Head of EP Information Office in Helsinki (17.05 in Turku)

Ms Minna OLLIKAINEN EP Information Office in Helsinki (17.05in Turku)

Interpretation team (13)

Mr Marcin FEDER Head of the Interpretation teamTurku/Tallinn 16.-19.05

Ms Anna GAZDZINSKA Turku/Tallinn 16.-19.05Mr Felix ORDEIG COLE Turku/Tallinn 16.-19.05Mr Jose Ivan MENDOZA Turku/Tallinn 16.-19.05Ms Malgorzata JOKIPII Turku/Tallinn 16.-19.05Ms Irinja ISO-ILOMAKI Turku 16.-18.05Mr Alasdair THOMSON Turku 16.-18.05Mr Ville VARILA Turku 16.-18.05Ms Simone HOWSE Tallinn 18.-19.05Ms Mari KELVE-LIISOO Tallinn 18.-19.05Ms Aet PUSSIM Tallinn 18.-19.05Ms Terje TEESALU Tallinn 18.-19.05Mr Emilio ORTIZ COBO Technician Turku/Tallinn 16.-19.05