This May the European Union has found a document that finally seen the light. Both the Commission and the Council and Parliament have in their hands the contributions of

Reflection Group, which in recent months has led Felipe González, and under the name Project Europe 2030, sets out the challenges and opportunities that Europe has to face in the next two decades, also taking advantage of synergies involves intergovernmental implementation of the Strategy 2020 of the Commission .
This group has had the "expertise" of various and famous figures of European policy in the last 25 years, among whom one may distinguish: Jacques Delors, Lech Walesa, António Vitorino, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, Mario Monti, Valery Giscard d 'Estaing, Carlos Westendorp and Wim Kok, to name a few.
The best of this document is that it is far from the policy guidance drawn from the Commission or the European Council's presidency. Sets out a series of bases that are beyond the day to day European institutions, which results in the daring to make proposals, which today are far from the "mainstream" in Brussels, for what we should understand this document as a starting point as a point of reflection whole, not just at government level, but as a real opportunity to develop a public debate on the future of Europe.
Among everyone must write the script together, especially now that we have instruments such as the European Citizens' Initiative , and of course of this debate have an opportunity to permeate national political agendas. A comment about this: at present national political agendas, not only away from European affairs (except those that have to do as a result of actions or decisions arising from the crisis and anxiety that we live in), but also the European political agenda is driven by short-term vision unfortunate in the implementation of political action, more imbued with the electoral needs of one period, that of the need to develop a guide for city development, social and economic in the medium and long term.
Therefore, this document is to be understood as a breath of fresh wind, a chance to see beyond the current political situation. A situation of chronic disease and possible pandemics holds, as anticipated in his magnificent book Solanilla Pau : " Europe in Time of Cholera ", the" pandemic "that are anticipated due to the absence of interest of citizens in the process European construction and therefore the inevitable death of the EU. It is not wanting this, but how to do the opposite. It is put in place mechanisms for discussion, reflection and government and citizen participation to help build joint space advancing our immediate future. This is to make the o-Gov and e-Participation, the areas of work of the institutions Europe in the short term. This is to involve civil society in the development of new mechanisms of democratic participation, effective and enforceable.
In the text of the Reflection Group, the major challenges that require innovative approaches, changes in doctrines, new forms of institutional action, new approaches to participation, and therefore the ability of society to adapt and flexibly to constant changes in store for us this unstable beginning of the millennium.
Among the issues that touch the Reflection Group, there are real taboos, as regards the need for nuclear energy in the near future to reduce our energy dependency of other regional powers, which is a major challenge. On the other hand, recalls the need to take into account our agreements with Turkey , and to impress upon the world community that the EU is a citizen living space that goes beyond the traditional concepts associated with the development of European growth. He also talks about the need to redefine the concept and model of the single market, based on the need to reform the financial control systems of the states and multinationals, and especially the speculative markets. Add the necessary debate on the development of a Europe open to immigration as an engine for development of the Union, against xenophobic tendencies of our states, due to uncertain economic times we live.
And also establishes the need to redefine our retirement systems, clearly insufficient in an aging Europe more and better, which is to establish a new social work. But above all affects the need for Europe, the knowledge society par excellence worldwide. This should be the leitmotif of the EU in the coming decades: knowledge management. Only 27 of the 100 best universities in the world are European, 57 are American, therefore the management of R & D + i in both the educational level of higher education, as in the daily management of the entire business network, including SMEs will be the factor that will introduce the paradigm shift production model.
I do not dwell over, I leave the whole document of the Reflection Group, for which you can read and if you think, debate on the Web:
Project Europe 2030

Perhaps one of the most remote of active citizenship (when really it is) is the view of the social, the changes and developments within the public policy areas are given in relation to policies for R & D, or be more specific on Science and Innovation, extending this to all branches of knowledge involving the development of new processes and products, which collectively improve quality of life of citizens.
Without doubt, this is a space for public debate rather unobtrusive and full of "opaque zones" preventing, mainly because of its complexity, that all citizens can forge a collective opinion on the matter. And is that, much as is done for the sake of popular science, and although a majority of the population of this country for decades since the advent of private television stations on the scene, declared fan of the documentaries of the 2 to noon, the fact remains stubborn, and research and development policies continue to be seen as something far removed from the population.
If so, we can imagine that it is a challenge for any section of the governments of each member state, you do not make a great effort of imagination to understand how complicated it can be to unravel the politics of R & D + i of the European Union . Indeed, one of the most ambitious public level (if not the most ambitious) of this world called Earth.
In fact, I do not know for sure, but I suspect that if the street were to ask, what is the Seventh Framework Programme of the EU, I doubt that there was a considerable level of responses that might be acceptable. So the fact is that the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT), the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN), with the company Synergy Value and the advice and active coordination of the great specialist (and assets) European affairs and member of the Committee of Experts of the European Commission: Susana del Río , have developed action "Citizens Agenda for Science and Innovation" , in operations under the Spanish Presidency of the EU 2010.
What is it? It is the commitment of the Spanish Presidency, by bringing the efforts being made in the field of R + D + i for a better future not only for European citizenship, but for the rest of the planet. It is defined with the participation of citizens, what should be the great challenges in science and technology that Europe has to make in the next two decades. That is, connect and align the feelings and needs of the population, with public policy objectives in research, without entailing a loss of those projects that do not have a massive support from the population.
Note that the most voted initiatives (the initiative just eat their career) are the realativas to medical science, biotechnology and environmental, as opposed to rest. The EU presents us with challenges of the future 14, developed by a committee of experts in each field and spokesmen for each of them, an outstanding personality of this field of study. This does not end here, because the web presents us with future actions which have thought our complicity.
I have voted for a challenge, which I believe would change everything: "To unify all theories of physics, something that is already running with the LHC . I think it sounds strange, do not see it useful. Let me give an example: If Maxwel l had not, in the early twentieth century, developed the mathematical theory of unification of the electromagnetic field is more than likely that I would not be writing this post now, is we would have no TV, no mobile phones , nothing to base its operation in the transmission of any wave. Unification Theory aims to unite the field, the weak nuclear and gravity, ie Physics PostEinstiana invent and develop a new physical interaction space and energy. It could be the beginning of a new era of sustainability and progress for humanity unparalleled, and this is being developed in our European Union, shared and collective effort of thousands of scientists. It is the beauty of the European Union.
I invite you to learn this exciting initiative and participate actively. I hope we can comment in the space 2.0 on it, I can not think of a better scenario.

Last April 15 was held La Rencontre de Madrid, an event organized by the European Association of Cities and Regions for Culture, " Les Rencontres ". Organization in which I was honored to participate and be an active member on behalf of the institution he represented: the Diputación de Granada . In the first half of this decade, prompted the publication of the Green Paper on Cultural Policies in Europe . It was a clear attempt to give voice to the traditionally neglected EU institutions: the city councils and administrations in between.
There were many meetings and the meetings, discussions, drafts and put together that led to that text. Now, in 2010 the network is about to complete the next step: the White Paper , with concrete proposals, and I know that the Commission is aware of what results from this collective effort of many people involved, from so many corners of Europe. This will not be the only text, not the only conclusions. There are many organizations working in the cultural sector in the European area (thank goodness), but certainly provide an interesting insight into what is done in the Union, from a different perspective. Besides "Les Rencontres", brings a special vision to be an umbrella organization to which they were, are or will be (or aspire to be) as European Capitals of Culture.
And that was the meeting in Madrid of white European Capital of Culture. or more precisely of applicants to be Spanish and Polish in 2016. Under the Spanish Presidency of the EU there was this meeting (which I was invited to it, having been a member of the Bureau and the Committee of this organization for four years), where 11 candidates were present five Spanish and Polish; and certainly with a parade of mayors and senior representatives of the cities.
This reveals that the European interest. Europe it is identified with modernity, tolerance, social cohesion values. These are epithets systematically used by all applications. Of course there are political interests, who see this opportunity, the possibility of future projects to develop new city. Projects that are under construction for months and years, so that's already positive: Cultural Policy as a factor of Urban and Social Transformation. This is already a breakthrough in itself. It shows that other city and social policy can be developed without the much hackneyed political codes to use.
But the point is that, apart from progress on the White Paper, we heard some interesting things at this meeting. No doubt all around the development was of interest to visualize what it really means a change of political paradigm in which we are, that is, systemic change that is occurring in many aspects of our societies and the economic system. This, in the current situation appears more as a cosmetic, rather than a real change. We need to introduce profound changes in existing trade and cultural relations.
Do not forget that what we call the Digital Revolution, so it can be named in the history books must involve a clear objective: to be a revolution, if new processes and assets that make your time away old processes and old "goods . It is not an original idea of mine, Schumpeter wrote extensively about the meaning of revolutionary change.
Do not forget, we are facing the end of the cultural media that traditionally have kept the economy of cultural industries are no longer important, everything is handled, processed, and this is a problem which the markets are not only accustomed, but also pose even accept it (they are questions relating to the purposes of cycle). We live in an attention economy (it is attracting the attention of a short-lived, but to produce high profits). The Ubiquitous Economy not prepared to survive, it is too changeable, in constant cycles of 24 hours, before a non-economic cultural change.
While that comes in and after an interesting debate about these concepts, we had the opportunity to live an interesting intersection of ideas through the process Pecha Kucha , in which several institutions showed signs of 2.0 concepts and active citizen participation, cultural policy their respective territories and also had the opportunity to experience the presentation of all candidates, all 16 at once, in a joint presentation of the 16, masterfully directed by the great Lluis Bonet .
In the end, the actions being undertaken by the Spanish Presidency on cultural policies rather than being decided, despite my initial disappointment at the absence of a specific agenda , which was subsequently amended and with an agenda more than adequate to the capacity a half of political action , and has developed activities such as the European Forum of Cultural Industries .
You know, dear readers that one of my mottos is More Culture: + Europe.
By the way the event was closed by Carlos Carnero , Ambassador of Spain to the Spanish Presidency. Another formal element of the value that this presidency is giving culture.

In a previous post indicated that culture was totally disappeared from the political agenda of the current presidency it's up to our country for the first half of 2010. Well, although that might seem, according to what was advised as a preview of the lines of the central axes of the presidency to scored from La Moncloa (and published on its website) and apart from the cultural activities which come "truffles" Presidency since long ago. It seems, at last, this is not going to be.
- I want to place special emphasis on what I consider a grave error: start the semester with an "elitist" gala at the Teatro Real is not the best way to convey the importance of the European agenda the rest of the population, there should be a series of more accessible and multitudinous acts which brings the context and importance of such event for a country like ours even more, considering that under our Presidency launches Lisbon Treaty -.
Well, having said that I share with you dear reader what he or she will assume the Presidency for culture in the European framework. According to the Operational Programme of the Council formations with regard to culture, it is expected that during this semester will take the following initiatives or strengthen, as the objectives of the European Agenda for Culture :

In addition two other objectives are introduced in line with the Plan led by the Commission:
The effects of the implementation of Structural Funds for culture and promoting it as a factor for regional and local development through several initiatives already taken, such as the European Capital of Culture, and future, as the label European Heritage .
And the potential is determined by cultural and creative industries will in future Green Paper through the preliminary studies are being carried out by the Commission and Council. In addition, the Spanish Presidency will work on cultural content online, as well as the promotion of European cinema.
On these three issues. In the first case, nothing new under the sun. The use to talk about heritage and European Capital of Culture is a common resource of the Commission and the European partners, it is worth recalling here the light weight of the Directorate General of Culture the Commission, and historical baggage that have heritage policies in the European context (I recommend reading a previous post of mine in this regard, the emerging new).
On the two following good news and bad, a priori clear. It is worth noting the efforts of the Presidency in the Agenda to include the future role of cultural industries (and creative) in the Green Paper which is being designed and will establish the diagnosis Progress of the role of cultural industry in a European context for the first time since the EU. We must understand that there are plans for the development of a future White Paper, setting policies, agenda and funding for this sector, which certainly must be one of the priority objectives to allow a reversal of system productivity in Europe. This is certainly an area where it can be hard to overshadow the European Union.
That's the good news, bad (a priori) is certainly the aspect that the current head of the Ministry of Culture, can be given to what the Spanish agenda called "cultural content online," give me chills as the tandem Sinde / SGAE may influence the matter. To conclude, I would like to know what role you can play the illustrious minister of culture in defining European cinema (is there a European film as such?, Will the industry, because as a result of a specific film language, I say emphatically not), when Commission last month put paid to any policy of public support for our film (something of which I am glad, I am concerned and the couple puts us on the verge of something that we are branding is overt). Our system of protection of audiovisual Spanish, and antediluvian is completely misaligned with both the public taste, as with the current film production system, and can hardly be a benchmark for the European film industry. This question can be a great hindrance to prevent giving a boost to any matter that could be attempted from the chair.
The best, of course, is that no agenda for culture, small but with an important milestone: moving in the context of cultural and creative industries will have on the Green Paper's definition of culture in Europe. I at least for the moment I'm content with that. In the four Chairmen of the two previous years there was nothing, and is the first Spanish Presidency fixing measurable objectives relating to culture in the next 6 months.
We are expectant and report on the possible outcomes that may occur.