The notion as recognised in the case law of the Court of Justice covers at least the following grounds: public policy, public security and public health, within the meaning of Articles 46 and 55 of the Treaty; the maintenance of order in society; social policy objectives; the protection of the recipients of services; consumer protection; the protection of workers, including the social protection of workers; animal welfare; the preservation of the financial balance of the social security system; the prevention of fraud; the prevention of unfair competition; the protection of the environment and the urban environment, including town and country planning; the protection of creditors; safeguarding the sound administration of justice ...[+++]; road safety; the protection of intellectual property; cultural policy objectives, including safeguarding the freedom of expression of various elements, in particular social, cultural, religious and philosophical values of society; the need to ensure a high level of education, the maintenance of press diversity and the promotion of the national language; the preservation of national historical and artistic heritage; and veterinary policy.

In this context, there is a case for promoting increased cooperation between cultural players by encouraging them to form multi-annual cooperation projects, thus enabling them to develop common activities, to provide support for more targeted measures with a real European added value, to support symbolic cultural events, to support European cultural cooperation organisations and to encourage analyses on chosen themes of European interest, as well as the collection and dissemination of information and activities aimed at maximising the impact of projects in the field of European cultural cooperation and European cultural policy development ...[+++].

An active cultural policy aimed at the preservation of European cultural diversity and the promotion of its common cultural elements and cultural heritage can contribute to improving the external visibility of the European Union.

In this context, there is a case for promoting increased cooperation between cultural players by encouraging them to form multi-annual cooperation projects, thus enabling them to develop common activities, to provide support for more targeted measures with a real European added value, to support symbolic cultural events, to support European cultural cooperation organisations and to encourage analyses on chosen themes of European interest, as well as the collection and dissemination of information and activities aimed at maximising the impact of projects in the field of European cultural cooperation and European cultural policy development ...[+++].

An active cultural policy aimed at the preservation of European cultural diversity and the promotion of its common cultural elements and cultural heritage can contribute to improving the external visibility of the European Union.

(4) Whereas the extension of the scope of Directive 98/34/EC should not prevent Member States from taking account of the different social, societal and cultural implications inherent in the advent of the Information Society; whereas, in particular, the use of the procedural rules laid down in that Directive for Information Society services should not affect cultural policy measures, particularly in the audiovisual field, which Member States might adopt in accordance with Community law, taking account of their linguistic diversity, their specific national and regional characteristics and their cultural heritage; whereas the development ...[+++]of the Information Society should ensure, in any event, proper access of European citizens to the European cultural heritage supplied in a digital environment;