NOTING that Decision No 182/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 December 1998 concerning the fifth framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (1998-2002)(1) includes actions "to enable linguistic and cultural diversity" and scientific and technological objectives such as "accessing scientific, cultural and other items through the networking of libraries, archives and museums"; FURTHER NOTING that research into new information society techn ...[+++]ologies providing improved access to and preservation of cultural and scientific resources will remain essential for the foreseeable future,

NOTING that Decision No 182/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 December 1998 concerning the fifth framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (1998-2002)(1) includes actions "to enable linguistic and cultural diversity" and scientific and technological objectives such as "accessing scientific, cultural and other items through the networking of libraries, archives and museums"; FURTHER NOTING that research into new information society techn ...[+++]ologies providing improved access to and preservation of cultural and scientific resources will remain essential for the foreseeable future,

In 1990, the Telematics for Libraries programme was launched, and it has been a prominent factor in the development of European library cooperation.

CC. whereas the Europe-wide networking of libraries called for, inter alia, in its Resolution of 30 March 1984 on the creation of a European Library and its resolution of 13 March 1997 on the Information Society, Culture and Education has so far mainly got under way by means of operational contacts, for example in the form of Telematics for Libraries cooperation projects, cooperation between national libraries and parliamentary libraries, and cooperation among European library organizations, but technical networking remains rudimentary,

1. Considers that appropriate account should be taken of libraries in the European Union's strategies for the information society, its plans and programmes for cultural, content, education and information policy and budgetary decisions relating to them, as one of the most important systems which afford access to knowledge and culture;

In the Opinion the Committee puts forward a number of specific proposals for action: * Promotion of European cultural policy for children to be mentioned in the Treaty; * Extension of European literary and translation prizes to cover children's books; * Establishment of a European children's library; * Encouragement of quality cultural productions; * Establishment of a European children's music academy; * Development of school sports; * Encouraging access to culture for children with disabilities and seeing disability as a potential source of talent; * Promotion of cultural tourism (international family exchanges, international yo ...[+++]uth camps, multicultural children's holiday packages etc); * Extension of Raphael programme to include traditional craft workshops, folklore museums and schools for folk and traditional music; * Encouraging young people to participate in politics; * Launching a campaign against racism.