On November 12th the ambassadors of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 presented the "Manifesto for Creativity and Innovation in Europe" to Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

The "Manifesto for Creativity and Innovation in Europe" is one of the key outcomes of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009. The document is the result of a collective work of the Ambassadors of the Year, who are leading European personalities from the fields of culture, science, business, education and design. With its 'Seven Commandments', the Manifesto will help shape the EU's strategy for promoting creativity and innovation for the next decade. The Ambassadors are handing the Manifesto over to Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso today at midday at a ceremony in the Commission's press room.

Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said: "Creators and innovators, whatever their field, share a vision of the future and of how to make it better than the past. Europe needs such vision more than ever as we seek to lead global efforts to recover from crisis and tackle climate change. So I warmly thank the Ambassadors for their Manifesto for Creativity and Innovation in Europe and I will ensure that their vision feeds in to the new Commission's strategy for EU 2020."

How can Europe be at the forefront of the new, globalised, intensely competitive and knowledge-based world of the 21st century? How can the creative and innovative potential of Europe be better used in education, research, culture, design, business and the workplace? How can public policy at the European and national levels foster creativity and innovation in these fields?

Leading European personalities from various backgrounds have reflected on these questions in their role as Ambassadors for the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009. The result of this collaborative work is the Manifesto for Creativity and Innovation in Europe. Through 7 priorities and 7 lines of action, the Manifesto brings a powerful impetus for change. It will help shape the European Union's vision of the role of creativity and innovation and feed into the Union's strategy for the decade 2010-2020.

The aim of the Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 is to promote creative and innovative approaches in different sectors of human activity and contribute to better equip the European Union for the challenges ahead in a globalised world.

Official website of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation :

http://www.create2009.europa.eu

The Manifesto can be downloaded at:

http://www.create2009.europa.eu/about_the_year/manifesto.html