Official Journal C 302/2009

12.12.2009

Official Journal of the European Union

C 302/3

Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 26 November 2009 on developing the role of education in a fully-functioning knowledge triangle

2009/C 302/03

The Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council,

RECALLING

—	the core values of the renewed Lisbon strategy, focussing on growth and jobs as the means for achieving a prosperous, fair and environmentally sustainable future for Europe and the key role of the knowledge triangle in that process,

—

the affirmation of the Brussels European Council of 8/9 March 2007 that ‘education and training are prerequisites for a well-functioning knowledge triangle (education — research — innovation) and play a key role in boosting growth and jobs’ and the call made by the Brussels European Council of 19/20 March 2009 for urgent concrete measures to ‘encourage partnership between business, research, education and training’ and to ‘step up and improve the quality of investment in research, knowledge and education.’

AWARE

—	that the prolonged downturn continues to have a serious impact on the global economy and that full use should be made of the renewed Lisbon Strategy — with its emphasis on the knowledge triangle — as the basis for an effective and durable recovery across the European Union,

—	that, if the European Union is to be equipped to meet the long-term challenges of a competitive global economy, climate change and an ageing population, the three components of the knowledge triangle must all function properly and interact fully with each other,

—

that the fundamental role of education is to provide for the development of individuals so that they may realise their full potential in today's society, and that, consequently, education institutions at all levels have a very broad range of functions and responsibilities. However, the specific function of education as the basis of the knowledge triangle needs to be further developed.

CONSIDER THAT THE FURTHER INTEGRATION OF EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION IN A FULLY-FUNCTIONING KNOWLEDGE TRIANGLE WOULD

Strengthen Europe's innovative capacity and the development of a creative and knowledge-intensive economy and society through:

—	a much enhanced and constantly evolving knowledge base in universities (1) and research centres that could be quickly translated into innovative products, services, approaches and methods in the wider economy and society at large,

—

promoting a creative, innovative and entrepreneurial mindset among pupils, trainees, students, teachers and researchers which would underpin the progressive development of a greater culture of enterprise through education and training together with a more dynamic European labour market and a higher skilled workforce.

Contribute to achieving significant progress:

—	in meeting the objective of the New Skills for New Jobs initiative to improve the employability of EU citizens in a changing labour market,

—	in the modernisation agenda for universities (2).

IDENTIFY THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC CHALLENGES FOR THE EDUCATION SECTOR

—	the need to bridge the cultural gap between education — in the sense of teaching, learning and transmission of socio-cultural values — and research and innovation in the commercial sphere,

—	the need for a more innovative and entrepreneurial culture within the university sector,

—	the need to improve communication and mobility between the teaching and research world and the world of business and the wider economy and to foster mobility and the exchange of ideas between different academic and research disciplines,

—

the need to reform further the governance and financing structures of universities allowing for greater autonomy and accountability so as to facilitate a more diversified revenue stream and more effective collaboration with the business world and to equip universities to participate in the knowledge triangle on a global scale.

CONSIDER THAT THE FOLLOWING GENERAL PRINCIPLES SHOULD UNDERLY POLICIES SEEKING TO ADDRESS THESE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES

—	the concept of the knowledge triangle relates to the need for improving the impact of investments in the three forms of activity — education, research and innovation — by systemic and continuous interaction,

—	fully integrating the knowledge triangle requires more joined-up policy-making and cooperation between the fields of education, research and innovation at both European and Member State level,

—

for education to fulfil its role in the knowledge triangle, research and innovation objectives and outcomes need to feed back into education, with teaching and learning underpinned by a strong research base, and with teaching and learning environments developed and improved through greater incorporation of creative thinking and innovative attitudes and approaches,

—

the traditional academic culture in universities needs to be complemented by an awareness that it also has a key role in delivering a more highly skilled, enterprising and flexible workforce which will form the foundation for economic growth and prosperity, as well as improved quality of life, in the years to come. The training of researchers and lecturers should enable them to better instill a culture of innovation into the organisations for which they work,

—

the knowledge triangle must be taken into account when developing lifelong learning strategies at national, regional and institutional level so that universities become more involved in the upgrading of skills relevant for the knowledge economy and admission rules sufficiently recognise the value of prior learning and working experiences,

—

new ideas and innovations are born from the coming together of different kinds of knowledge and through the curiosity-driven search for new knowledge. This is why, in addition to science and technology, it is crucial to recognise that quality education and research in social sciences and humanities play an important role in innovation,

—	the pluralism among Europe’s university and research systems should be considered to be an asset for the development of diverse approaches to a fully-functioning knowledge triangle.

ESTABLISH THE FOLLOWING SEVEN PRIORITIES FOR ACTION:

1. Developing more coherence between policies in the fields of education, research and innovation

There is a need for more coherent policy-making at European and Member State level fully integrating the three components of the knowledge triangle. Policies within the fields of education, research and innovation should be mutually reinforcing to ensure the development of a fully functional knowledge triangle and to speed up the transition towards a true knowledge-based economy and society. In the framework of existing reporting processes in the open method of coordination, the Commission should report back to the Council on measures taken in the areas of education, research and innovation to support the integration of the knowledge triangle. The report should include identifying obstacles and suggestions for further development.

2. Accelerating pedagogical reform

Member States should encourage education and training institutions to ensure that curricula, as well as teaching and examination methods at all levels of education, including doctoral level, incorporate and foster creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. One way of doing this is to develop curricula on an ongoing basis in cooperation with research institutions, industry and other stakeholders, as appropriate.

3. Partnership between universities and business and other relevant stakeholders

Member States and the Commission should respond promptly to the invitations for action set out in the Conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 12 May 2009 on enhancing partnerships between education and training institutions and social partners, in particular employers, in the context of lifelong learning. In the context of developing closer links between universities and the communities which they serve, particular attention should be given to the development of incentives for staff mobility between the university and business sectors, including staff exchange programmes. University-business cooperation should be enhanced as part of universities education, research and innovation strategies.

4. Measures to develop an innovation culture in universities

Member States should encourage universities to accelerate their efforts to develop an ‘innovation culture’ through, inter alia, more dynamic and interactive learning environments and incentives to staff to engage in projects with an innovation dimension. Funding arrangements and incentive structures at institutional level could be developed to foster a ‘cultural change’ so that cooperation with industry is recognised as an important factor for career advancement. The crucial role of higher education leaders in supporting the effective development of an ‘innovation culture’ should be acknowledged.

5. Creating incentives for universities to develop transferable knowledge

Member States should examine whether there are adequate incentives for universities to develop knowledge which can be transferred to the wider economy for development into innovative goods and services. Where legal provisions, governance structures or financial provisions prevent institutions from making a profit from such knowledge development and transfer, Member States should seek to adjust the framework within which their institutions operate so that such barriers are removed and universities are given sufficient autonomy. Universities should develop specific strategies for knowledge creation, development and transfer.

6. New approaches to quality assessment

In particular for higher education, Member States should work together to develop ‘knowledge triangle’ criteria for assessing the quality of their institutions, which should focus on how successfully research and innovation have been integrated with teaching and core educational functions and how successful the institutions are in creating learning environments that stimulate creativity and entrepreneurial approaches to harnessing knowledge and in preparing its students for their future social and economic lives.

7. Developing the EIT as a model for the future

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), being the first EU-level initiative to focus on coherent interactions between all actors of the knowledge triangle, should be developed as an example of good practice for Member States, higher education and research institutions and the business sector with regard to integrating all three sides of the triangle.

The future Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), the EIT's main operational entities, should have the potential of showing new ways to tackle economic and societal challenges (e.g. sustainable energy and climate change mitigation and adaptation) via holistic and multi-disciplinary approaches, as well as via new models for governance and funding aimed at stimulating innovation of the highest standards. The EIT should disseminate these models, which should inspire the creation of other joint initiatives at various levels and across borders, paying special attention to the need to develop the role of education within the knowledge triangle.

Within the Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training, the Commission should ensure that Member States are made aware of the best practices with regard to these seven priorities and that progress can be compared across these areas.

ADDITIONALLY STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF

—

ensuring that the post-2010 Strategy for Growth and Jobs establishes education as the basis of the knowledge triangle, and underlines the necessity for all three sides of the triangle (education-research-innovation) to mutually support and feed into each other. The whole education and training system has a role to play in fostering the key competences necessary for a well functioning triangle,

—	ensuring full cooperation and coordination between the strategies for the development of the European Higher Education Area, the European Research Area and initiatives in the innovation area, notably the broad based Innovation Strategy and the future European Innovation Plan,

—

the Commission taking full account of the needs of the post-2010 Strategy for Growth and Jobs in the preparation of its proposals for Community programmes in education and other relevant areas for the period covered by the next Financial Framework, and, together with the Member States, also reflecting on how the Structural Funds could be used to support initiatives linked to the full development of education as the basis of the knowledge triangle.

(1) For the purpose of this text, the term universities is used to denote all types of higher education institution.

(2) See Council Resolution of 23 November 2007 on modernising universities for Europe's competitiveness in a global knowledge economy (doc. 16096/1/07) and the Commission's Communication ‘Delivering on the Modernisation Agenda for Universities: Education, Research, Innovation’ of May 2006 (doc. 9166/06).

12.12.2009

Official Journal of the European Union

C 302/6

Council conclusions of 26 November 2009 on the professional development of teachers and school leaders

2009/C 302/04

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAVING REGARD to:

1.	The Lisbon European Council conclusions of 23 and 24 March 2000, which emphasised that investing in people was crucial to Europe’s place in the knowledge economy, and which called upon Member States to take steps to remove obstacles to teachers’ mobility and to attract high-quality teachers (1).

Objective 1.1 of the ‘Education & Training 2010’ work programme, which highlights the importance of attracting to the teaching profession, and retaining, well-qualified and motivated people, of identifying the skills that teachers require to meet the changing needs of society, of providing conditions to support teachers through initial and in-service training, and of attracting recruits to teaching and training who have professional experience in other fields (2).

3.	The Council Resolution of 27 June 2002 on lifelong learning, which invited the Member States to improve the education and training of teachers involved in lifelong learning so that they acquire the necessary skills for the knowledge society (3).

The joint interim report of the Council and the Commission of 26 February 2004 on progress towards the Lisbon objectives in the fields of education and training (4), which gave priority to the development of common European principles for the competences and qualifications needed by teachers in order to fulfil their changing role in the knowledge society (5).

The joint interim report of the Council and the Commission of 23 February 2006 on the implementation of the ‘Education & Training 2010’ work programme, which emphasised that investment in the training of teachers and trainers and the strengthening of leadership for education and training institutions are crucial to improving the efficiency of education and training systems (6).

The conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 14 November 2006 on efficiency and equity in education and training, which stated that the motivation, skills and competences of teachers, trainers, other teaching staff and guidance and welfare services, as well as the quality of school leadership, are key factors in achieving high quality learning outcomes, and that the efforts of teaching staff should be supported by continuous professional development.

The conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 14 November 2006 on the future priorities for enhanced European cooperation on vocational education and training, which emphasised the need for highly qualified teachers who undertake continuous professional development (7).

Decision No 1720/2006/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006 establishing an action programme in the field of lifelong learning, which includes the specific objective of enhancing the quality and European dimension of teacher education, and which supports mobility for teachers and other educational staff (8).

The Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning (9), which sets out the knowledge, skills and attitudes which individuals need for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment, and which, given their transversal nature, imply a greater degree of collaboration and teamwork between teachers, as well as an approach to teaching that goes beyond traditional subject boundaries.

10.	The Council conclusions of 25 May 2007 on a coherent framework of indicators and benchmarks for monitoring progress towards the Lisbon objectives in education and training, which called for work to be pursued on developing an indicator on the professional development of teachers and trainers (10).

11.

The conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 21 November 2008 on youth mobility, which invited the Member States to work towards the objective of increasing the mobility of teachers, trainers and other educational staff (11).

12.

The Council conclusions of 12 May 2009 on a strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (12), which recommend the gradual expansion of mobility for teachers and trainers with a view to making periods of learning abroad the rule rather than the exception, which define as one of the priorities during the first work cycle the need to focus on the quality of initial education and early career support for new teachers, as well as on raising the quality of continuing professional development opportunities for teachers, trainers and those involved in leadership or guidance activities, and which invite the Commission to study the possibility of including teacher mobility in any future proposal for a benchmark on mobility,

and RECALLING IN PARTICULAR:

The conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 15 November 2007 on improving the quality of teacher education (13), in which it was agreed to endeavour to ensure that teachers are encouraged and supported throughout their careers to continue updating their knowledge, skills and competence as required, as well as to ensure that teachers with leadership functions have access to high quality training in school management and leadership.

The conclusions of the Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 21 November 2008 on preparing young people for the 21st century (14), which invited Member States — when following up the aforementioned conclusions on improving the quality of teacher education — to focus cooperation on enabling all beginning teachers to benefit from structured early career support programmes, on improving the supply, quality and take-up of teachers’ continuous professional development programmes and on improving the recruitment and training of school leaders,

REAFFIRMS that:

while responsibility for the organisation and content of education and training systems rests with individual Member States, cooperation at European level via the open method of coordination, together with the efficient use of Community programmes, can contribute to the development of quality education and training by supporting and complementing measures taken at national level and helping Member States to address common challenges,

RECOGNISES that:

The knowledge, skills and commitment of teachers (15), as well as the quality of school leadership, are the most important factors in achieving high quality educational outcomes. Good teaching and the ability to inspire all pupils to achieve their very best can have a lasting positive impact on young people’s futures. For this reason, it is essential not only to ensure that those recruited to teaching and school leadership posts are of the highest calibre and well-suited to the tasks they have to fulfil, but also to provide the highest standard of initial education and continuing professional development for teaching staff at all levels. This in turn will contribute to enhancing both the status and attractiveness of the profession.

Teacher education programmes, which are key factors both in preparing teachers and school leaders to carry out their responsibilities and in ensuring teachers’ and school leaders’ continuing professional development, need to be of high quality, relevant to needs and based on a well-balanced combination of solid academic research and extensive practical experience. It is essential that initial teacher education, early career support (‘induction’ (16)) and continuous professional education are treated as a coherent whole.

A new teacher’s first post after the completion of initial teacher education is a particularly important time in terms of his/her motivation, performance and professional development. Newly qualified teachers can have difficulty in adjusting to real school situations and applying what they have learned during initial teacher education. Indeed, a substantial number of them ultimately abandon their teaching careers, at a high cost both to themselves and to society. There is considerable national and international research evidence to show, however, that structured programmes of support for all new teachers can reduce this phenomenon. These may also be beneficial for teachers re-entering the profession.

No course of initial teacher education, however excellent, can equip teachers with all the competences they will require during their careers. Demands on the teaching profession are evolving rapidly, imposing the need for new approaches. To be fully effective in teaching, and capable of adjusting to the evolving needs of learners in a world of rapid social, cultural, economic and technological change, teachers themselves need to reflect on their own learning requirements in the context of their particular school environment, and to take greater responsibility for their own lifelong learning as a means of updating and developing their own knowledge and skills. However, there is evidence that some teachers still have too few opportunities to participate in continuous professional development programmes, while a significant number of those who do have such opportunities feel that these programmes are not always sufficiently relevant to their individual needs and the challenges they face.

Effective school leadership is a major factor in shaping the overall teaching and learning environment, raising aspirations and providing support for pupils, parents and staff, and thus in fostering higher achievement levels. It is therefore of key importance to ensure that school leaders have, or are able to develop, the capacities and qualities needed to assume the increasing number of tasks with which they are confronted. Equally important is ensuring that school leaders are not overburdened with administrative tasks and concentrate on essential matters, such as the quality of learning, the curriculum, pedagogical issues and staff performance, motivation and development.

Teaching staff at all levels, including school leaders, could draw greater benefit from increased learning mobility and networking, given the important role these have played in enhancing the quality of education and training systems and institutions, as well as in making such systems and institutions more open, more outward-looking, more accessible and more efficient,

AGREES that:

While Europe’s education systems differ in many respects, they share a common need to attract and retain teaching staff and school leaders of the highest calibre in order to ensure high quality educational outcomes. Great care and attention should therefore be devoted to defining the required profile of prospective teachers and school leaders, to selecting them and preparing them to fulfil their tasks.

Teacher education programmes should be of high quality, evidence-based and relevant to needs. Those responsible for training teachers — and indeed for training teacher educators — should themselves have attained a high academic standard and possess solid practical experience of teaching, as well as the competences which good teaching requires. Efforts should also be made to ensure that teacher education institutions cooperate effectively, on the one hand with those conducting pedagogical research in other higher education institutions, and on the other with school leaders.

3.	In view of the increasing demands placed upon them and the growing complexity of their roles, teachers need access to effective personal and professional support throughout their careers, and particularly during the time they first enter the profession.

In a rapidly changing world, and in keeping with the concept of lifelong learning, the education and development of teachers should be a coherent continuum spanning initial teacher education (with a strong practical component), induction and continuing professional development. In particular, efforts should be made to ensure that:

(a)	all newly qualified teachers receive sufficient and effective support and guidance during the first few years of their careers;

(b)	a reflective approach is promoted, whereby both newly qualified and more experienced teachers are encouraged continuously to review their work individually and collectively;

(c)	all teachers receive regular feedback on their performance, together with help in identifying their professional development needs and establishing a plan to meet these;

(d)	in the light of such feedback, sufficient opportunities are made available for practising teachers to update, develop and extend their competences throughout their careers, and that they are encouraged and enabled to do so;

(e)	professional development programmes for teachers are relevant, tailored to needs, firmly rooted in practice and quality assured;

(f)	teachers and school leaders are encouraged and enabled to take advantage of the opportunities offered by exchange and mobility schemes, and networks, at both national and international level;

(g)	teachers and school leaders are encouraged and enabled to participate in advanced professional training and development, to engage in pedagogical research and to take advantage of opportunities to develop their knowledge of other professional sectors.

Given the considerable impact which school leaders have on the overall learning environment, including staff motivation, morale and performance, teaching practices and the attitudes and aspirations of pupils and parents alike, there is a need to ensure that school leaders have sufficient opportunities to develop and maintain effective leadership skills. And since the challenges involved in leading learning communities are similar throughout Europe, school leaders could also benefit from collaborative learning with their counterparts in other Member States, notably by sharing experience and examples of good practice, and through cross-border opportunities for professional development,

INVITES THE MEMBER STATES TO:

1.	Take further steps to ensure that the teaching profession attracts and retains candidates of the highest calibre, and that teachers receive sufficient preparation and support to enable them to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

2.	Make appropriate provision for all new teachers to participate in a programme of induction offering both professional and personal support during their first years in a teaching post.

Provide for regular reviews of teachers’ individual professional development needs as defined on the basis of self- and/or external evaluation, and make available sufficient opportunities for continuous professional development aimed at meeting those needs and in turn ensuring a positive impact on pupils’ learning outcomes.

4.	Actively promote the opportunities offered by exchange and mobility schemes at both national and international level, and support participation in such schemes, with a view to substantially increasing the numbers of teachers and school leaders who take advantage of these.

5.	Review the responsibilities of — and the provision of support for — school leaders, notably with a view to lightening their administrative workload so that they focus their attention on shaping the overall teaching and learning environment and on fostering higher achievement levels.

6.	Ensure that high quality provision exists to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes required by both prospective and practising teachers, as well as to develop — for instance, by means of special programmes — the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to provide effective school leadership,

INVITES THE COMMISSION TO:

Enhance and support European policy cooperation in the areas of initial teacher education, continuous professional development and school leadership, notably by establishing platforms and peer-learning activities for the exchange of knowledge, experience and expertise among policymakers and teaching professionals.

2.	Present practical information for policymakers on developing structured induction programmes for all new teachers, together with examples of measures that can be taken to implement or improve such programmes.

3.	Promote and support greater participation by teachers, school leaders and teacher educators in transnational mobility schemes, partnerships and projects established under Community programmes, in particular the Lifelong Learning Programme.

4.	Prepare a study of the existing arrangements in Member States for selecting, recruiting and training teacher educators.

5.	Provide a compendium of teacher competences in the Member States, accompanied by peer-learning activities in this field.

6.	Support the further development of an evidence base on the teaching and school leadership professions, including through cooperation with international organisations.

Inform the Council, using existing reporting mechanisms and at the earliest suitable opportunity, about measures taken by the Member States and in the context of European cooperation as a follow-up to the Council conclusions of November 2007 on improving the quality of teacher education and those of November 2008 on an agenda for European cooperation on schools with regard to the professional development of teachers and school leaders.

(1) Improving education and training for teachers and trainers — SN 100/1/00 REV 1.

(2) OJ C 142, 14.6.2002.

(3) OJ C 163, 9.7.2002.

(4) Doc. 6905/04.

(5) Annexes I and II to doc. 12414/07 ADD 1.

(6) OJ C 79, 1.4.2006.

(7) OJ C 298, 8.12.2006.

(8) OJ L 327, 24.11.2006.

(9) OJ L 394, 30.12.2006.

(10) OJ C 311, 21.12.2007.

(11) OJ C 320, 16.12.2008.

(12) OJ C 119, 28.5.2009.

(13) OJ C 300, 12.12.2007.

(14) OJ C 319, 13.12.2008.

(15) For the purpose of these conclusions, the term ‘teacher’ is used to denote a person who is acknowledged as having the status of a teacher (or equivalent) according to the legislation and practice of a Member State. It covers the specific situation of teachers and trainers in vocational education and training, but does not include persons employed outside the formal systems of education and training because of the different nature and context of the tasks they undertake.

(16) The term ‘induction’ is used in this text to refer to any structured programme of support that is provided to new teachers after they finish their formal programme of initial teacher education and at the outset of their first contract as a teacher in a school.

12.12.2009

Official Journal of the European Union

C 302/10

Council conclusions of 1 December 2009 on innovative incentives for effective antibiotics

2009/C 302/05

Nota bene: In this document, the term ‘antibiotics’ encompasses medicinal products produced either synthetically or naturally used to kill or inhibit the growth of bacteria as well as those with alternative mechanisms of action, for example effect on bacterial virulence. In this context, alternative methods for prevention and control of infections should also be taken into account.

1.	RECALLS the Community strategy against antimicrobial resistance (COM(2001) 0333).

2.	RECALLS the Council Recommendation of 15 November 2001 on the prudent use of antimicrobial agents in human medicine (1).

3.	RECALLS the Council conclusions on antimicrobial resistance of 10 June 2008 (2).

4.	RECALLS the Council Recommendation of 9 June 2009 on patient safety, including the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections (3).

5.	RECALLS the WHO report (2004) Priority Medicines for Europe and the World (4).

6.	RECALLS the ECDC/EMEA joint technical report (2009) ‘The bacterial challenge: time to react’ on the gap between multi-drug-resistant bacteria in the EU and the development of new antibacterial agents (5).

RECOGNISES that the spread of antibiotic resistance is a major threat to public health security worldwide which requires action at all levels. The disease burden related to antibiotic resistant bacteria that cannot be effectively treated with first- or even second-line medicinal products, is rapidly increasing in the world.

8.	RECOGNISES that antibiotic resistance could be the final consequence of several inadequacies occurring in the healthcare system and in animal husbandry, including those related to the prevention, management and treatment of infections.

RECOGNISES that access to effective and rationally used antibiotics is essential to ensure a high level of public health and effective healthcare in both the developed and the developing countries. Without access to effective antibiotics, common infectious diseases may again become lethal threats and many medical and therapeutic procedures, such as cancer treatments and transplantations, will carry high risks.

10.

RECOGNISES that a wide range of measures is needed to ensure that currently available antibiotics remain effective for as long as possible such as effective vaccines to prevent infections, new diagnostic methods and greater awareness among the public, healthcare and veterinary professionals of the importance of rational use of antibiotics to prevent the spread of antibiotic resistance, in both the human and animal sector.

11.	RECOGNISES that adequately resourced prevention and control of antibiotic resistance and healthcare associated infections is a cost-effective strategy which contributes to the overall financial sustainability of healthcare systems and ensures continuous quality and patient safety improvements.

12.

RECOGNISES that research into and development of new effective antibiotics has significantly declined and probably will not provide sufficient new therapeutic alternatives to meet medical needs within the next 5–10 years. There is therefore an urgent need to create incentives for research and development of new antibiotics, especially in those areas where the need is greatest.

13.	WELCOMES the outcome of the Conference on Innovative Incentives for Effective Antibacterials in Stockholm, 17 September 2009, which provided valuable input for further action to promote research and development of new effective antibiotic medicinal products and methods.

14. CALLS UPON THE MEMBER STATES to:

—	develop and implement strategies to ensure awareness among the public and health professionals of the threat of antibiotic resistance and of the measures available to counter the problem;

—

ensure the development and use of integrated strategies to diminish the development and spread of antibiotic resistance as well as healthcare-associated infections and their consequences, encourage healthcare institutions to have structures in place as well as ensuring effective coordination of programmes focusing on diagnosis, antibiotic stewardship and infection control;

—

review and consider options to strengthen incentives to conduct research and development of new effective antibiotics within the academic as well as the pharmaceutical sector as a whole, taking into account the situation of small and medium-sized enterprises. These options and methods could include cost-effective push mechanisms to remove bottlenecks in the early stages of research and development of new antibiotics and pull mechanisms to promote the successful introduction of new products.

15. CALLS UPON THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION to:

—	support the sharing of research infrastructures, recruitment of researchers, stimulation of and support for global research cooperation, increasing the spread of research results and knowledge through information exchange structures and considering existing and new financial instruments;

—	explore ways to promote further public-private partnerships between industry, academia, non-profit organisations and the healthcare system to facilitate research into new antibiotics, strategies for use of currently available antibiotics and diagnostic methods;

—

within the legal framework for market authorisation of medicines, facilitate development of new antibiotics for which a particular medical need exists and when only limited clinical data can be submitted by the applicant for objective reasons, take full advantage of additional means of assessing safety and efficacy such as the utilisation of preclinical assessment tools and pharmacokinetic data analyses;

—

identify appropriate regulatory instruments to facilitate early approval for new antibiotics for which a particular medical need exists, in terms of providing continuous EMEA and national competent authorities-assisted scientific advice, including strategies for adequate post-authorisation follow-up with an emphasis on safety aspects, including monitoring of antibiotic resistance;

—	examine how to keep effective antibiotics on the market;

—	while facilitating the development of new effective antibiotics, ensure prevention of healthcare-associated and other infections as well as the rational use of existing and new medicines;

—	ensure that all actions are appropriately coordinated between different stakeholders from the sectors involved, such as health, finance, economic, legal and research.

16. CALLS UPON THE COMMISSION to:

—

within 24 months, develop a comprehensive action plan, with concrete proposals concerning incentives to develop new effective antibiotics, including ways to secure their rational use; and ensure that these proposals take account of the economic impact on the financial sustainability of healthcare systems;

—	consider using experience regarding relevant procedures from previous specific EU legislation on orphan drugs and drugs for paediatric use to stimulate the development of new antibiotics for which a particular medical need exists;

—

monitor and regularly report back to the Council on the public health need for new antibiotics, based on the emergence of antibiotic resistance, the characterisation of new resistant pathogens and new antibiotic medicinal products and other methods to treat and prevent infectious disease in development as well as to propose further action when appropriate.

(1) OJ L 34, 5.2.2002, p. 13.

(2) 9637/08.

(3) OJ C 151, 3.7.2009, p. 1.

(4) http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2004/WHO_EDM_PAR_2004.7.pdf

(5) http://www.nelm.nhs.uk/en/NeLM-Area/News/2009September/17/ECDCEMEA-joint-technical-report-The-bacterial-challengetime-to-react/

12.12.2009

Official Journal of the European Union

C 302/12

Council conclusions of 1 December 2009 on a safe and efficient healthcare through eHealth

2009/C 302/06

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

RECALLS that Article 152 of the Treaty states that a high level of human health protection shall be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities, and that the Community shall encourage cooperation between the Member States in the areas referred to in this Article and, if necessary, lend support to their action. Any action at Community level shall fully respect the Member States’ responsibility to organise and deliver healthcare;

RECALLS that one of the objectives of the Community health strategy (2008-2013) (1) is to support dynamic health systems and new technologies, recognising that new technologies can improve disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment, facilitate patient safety and improve health systems’ coordination, use of resources and sustainability;

RECALLS that European Union Member States’ representatives issued a Declaration (20 February 2009) at the Prague 2009 eHealth Ministerial Conference (2), recognising the benefits of eHealth for a safer and more efficient health sector, calling for action on building an eHealth area for European citizens, and initiating a process for coordinated action and governance in the field of eHealth;

RECALLS European Union initiatives relevant to eHealth, including:

(a)	eHealth — making healthcare better for European citizens: an action plan for a European eHealth Area (3);

(b)	Council conclusions on eHealth (4) of 27 May 2004;

(c)	Commission communication on a lead market initiative for Europe (5), with special emphasis on the need to remove the barriers of market fragmentation and a lack of interoperability of eHealth systems in order to accelerate the development of the market;

(d)	Commission Recommendation on cross-border interoperability of electronic health record systems (6);

(e)	Commission communication on telemedicine for the benefit of patients, healthcare systems and the economy (7);

WELCOMES recent collaboration between a number of Member States:

(a)

in the epSOS large scale pilot project (8), which seeks to develop cross-border interoperability of summaries of electronic health records and ePrescriptions, and in the Calliope thematic network (9), which aims at developing a roadmap for eHealth interoperability in Europe and create the necessary consensus for its implementation;

(b)	in the ongoing cooperation in the field of eHealth standardisation in response to the European Commission’s Mandate 403 for eHealth (10);

6.	WELCOMES the Swedish Presidency’s Report eHealth for a Healthier Europe (11), presented at the informal meeting of Ministers for Health in Jönköping on 6 and 7 July 2009, which gives an example of how political goals for healthcare can be realised through eHealth investments;

RECOGNISES the importance of eHealth as a tool to improve quality and patient safety, to modernise national healthcare systems, to increase their effectiveness and make them more accessible to all and better adapted to meet the individual needs of patients, health professionals and the challenges of an ageing society;

8.	RECOGNISES the need for further political leadership and to integrate eHealth into health policy in order to develop eHealth services on the basis of public health needs;

CALLS UPON the Member States to conceive and implement initiatives aimed at enabling the deployment and use of eHealth services, in particular to:

commit politically and strategically to eHealth as one of the main instruments to enhance quality, access and safety in healthcare:

(a)	setting eHealth in the context of healthcare reform programmes and consider the creation of specific financial incentive mechanisms for deployment;

(b)	addressing, in a coordinated manner, barriers hampering the deployment of eHealth services;

build confidence in and acceptance of eHealth services:

(a)	ensuring the highest standards of patient safety, data protection and privacy;

(b)	promoting awareness, confidence and acceptance by health authorities, professionals, patients and their relatives;

(c)	ensuring, for both patients and health professionals, adequate needs assessment and training action;

bring legal clarity and ensure protection of health data:

(a)	examining their current provisions for licensing, accreditation and the regulation of eHealth services and advising on any improvements;

(b)	examining current practices for identification and authentication of professional health staff accessing and using personal health data;

(c)	addressing legal constraints for the safe exchange of medical data across national borders, respecting the need to protect health data and the personal integrity of the patient, and therefore the rights of patients to give a consent to use of their medical data;

solve technical issues and facilitate market development:

(a)	ensuring that the aim of the interoperability of eHealth services across organisational and national boundaries is taken into account in national, regional and local health strategies and investment plans;

(b)	ensuring the adoption and implementation of common medical terminologies and technical standards, in particular for medical data that are subject to exchange between Member States;

(c)	using public procurement, in full respect of the existing legislation, to support the deployment of interoperable eHealth services;

10.

CALLS UPON the Commission to:

1.	update the European Action Plan on eHealth;

2.	produce a report on the development of existing EU policies and actions regarding electronic identification management in related areas in order to benefit from possible synergies;

3.	organise an evaluation, at appropriate intervals, of the health benefits and cost-effectiveness of the use of different eHealth services, building on knowledge accumulated at EU and national levels;

11.

CALLS UPON Member States and the Commission to:

build upon the political momentum created by the existing informal meetings of State Secretaries and their equivalents, in order to develop, via the most efficient and suitable Member State led high-level mechanism, the governance, coordination and consolidation of ongoing activities in the field of eHealth, in liaison with the European Commission, to bring forward eHealth deployment and actual use of interoperable eHealth services within and between national healthcare systems;

ensure that the main aims of this mechanism are to:

(a)	bring together and coordinate groups, projects and institutions at EU level;

(b)	promote an alignment of eHealth with health strategies and needs at EU and national levels through the direct involvement of national health authorities;

(c)	disseminate scientific evidence of the cost-effectiveness and socio-economic benefits of eHealth services based on research at national and Community levels;

(d)	report regularly on its activities to the relevant Council meetings;

apply this mechanism in the following areas in particular:

(a)	working together to address common issues and challenges related to bringing forward eHealth services for achieving health objectives;

(b)	supporting Member States by the development of a roadmap including decision support and guidelines for the deployment, acceptance and use of eHealth services;

(c)	working together with stakeholders, in particular patients and health professionals, to ensure that eHealth tools and services well reflect clinical needs and overall health system objectives.

(1) White paper — Together for health: a strategic approach for the EU 2008-2013 (COM(2007) 630).

(2) http://www.ehealth2009.cz/Pages/108-Prague-Declaration.html

(3) COM(2004) 356.

(4) 9628/04.

(5) COM(2007) 860.

(6) COM(2008) 3282.

(7) COM(2008) 689.

(8) Smart Open Services for European Patients — co-funded by the EC under the Competitiveness and Innovation Programme (CIP) ICT PSP: http://www.epsos.eu

(9) Call for Interoperability, funded by the EC under the CIP ICT PSP: http://www.calliope-network.eu

(10) eHealth Interoperability Standards Mandate (M/403): http://www.ehealth-interop.nen.nl

(11) eHealth for a Healthier Europe — opportunities for a better use of healthcare resources http://www.se2009.eu

12.12.2009

Official Journal of the European Union

C 302/15

Council conclusions of 1 December 2009 on alcohol and health

2009/C 302/07

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION:

1. RECALLS:

—	Article 152 of the Treaty, which states that a high level of human health protection is to be ensured by all Community institutions in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities, and that Community action is to complement national policies,

—	the communication from the Commission on the health strategy of the European Community (1),

—

the Council Recommendation on the drinking of alcohol by young people (2), which invited the Commission, in cooperation with Member States, to make full use of all Community policies to address the matters covered in the Recommendation, inter alia, the development at national and European level of comprehensive health promotion policies addressing alcohol,

—	the Council conclusions of 5 June 2001 on a Community strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm (3), reiterated in Council conclusions in 2004 (4),

—

the support of the Council (5) for the Commission's communication on an EU strategy to support Member States in reducing alcohol-related harm (6), including its priority themes and actions and invitation to the Commission to report regularly, starting in 2008, on progress at both EU and national level,

—

that the European Court of Justice has repeatedly stated that public health ranks foremost among the interests protected by Article 30 of the Treaty, and that it is for Member States, within the limits imposed by the Treaty, to decide upon the level of health protection they seek to assure through national polices and legislation (7),

—

the WHO European Charter on Alcohol adopted by all EU Member States in 1995, in particular the ethical principle that all children, adolescents and young people have the right to grow up in an environment protected from the negative consequences of alcohol consumption and, as far as possible, from the promotion of alcoholic beverages,

—

the work carried out under the auspices of the World Health Assembly Resolution on ‘Strategies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol’ (WHA61.4) requesting the Director-General of the World Health Organisation to prepare a draft global strategy to reduce harmful use of alcohol, to be included in the documentation for the 126th Executive Board Meeting to be held in January 2010.

2. REITERATES:

—	that Member States have the main responsibility for national alcohol policy and that through the EU Alcohol Strategy the Commission can further support and complement national public health policies,

—	that harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption is the third most significant risk factor for ill health and premature death in the EU, behind tobacco and high blood pressure (8),

—	that many Community policies have a potential positive or negative impact on health and well-being and that it is important to consider the health impact of decision-making across all policy sectors.

3. NOTES:

—

that the level of alcohol-related harm, especially among vulnerable people, on roads and at workplaces, is still high in the Member States, and that 15 % of the EU adult population is estimated to drink at harmful levels on a regular basis and that between five and nine million children in families in the EU are adversely affected by alcohol and that harmful and hazardous use of alcohol is a causal factor in approximately 16 % of cases of child abuse and neglect, and that an estimated 60 000 underweight births each year are attributable to harmful and hazardous use of alcohol (9) (10),

—

that the impact of harmful use of alcohol is greater in younger age groups of both sexes. Over 10 % of female mortality and around 25 % of male mortality in the 15-29 age group is related to hazardous alcohol consumption (11) and furthermore, harmful use of alcohol among children and adolescents also has a negative impact on educational attainments,

—	that alcohol-related issues are also of Community relevance because of the cross-border element and the negative effect on both economic and social development and public health,

—	that alcohol marketing, together with the influence of other relevant factors, such as the role of the family and the social environment, is a factor that increases the likelihood that children and adolescents will start to use alcohol, and will drink more if they are already using alcohol (12),

—

that alcohol became more affordable across the EU between 1996 and 2004 (13) and appropriately designed national alcohol pricing policies, particularly when associated with other prevention measures, can impact on levels of harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption and related harm, particularly among young people (14),

—	that, for a given amount of alcohol consumption, poorer populations may experience disproportionately higher levels of alcohol-related harm, which contributes to inequality in health between population groups and to health gaps between Member States (15),

—	that older adults (aged 60 and above) are more sensitive to the effects of harmful use of alcohol than other adults, and that alcohol-related deaths among older adults have increased markedly over the last 10 years, and that in some cases the death rate has more than doubled (16),

—	the relationship between harmful use of alcohol and communicable diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis (TB), and with maternal health (17),

—	that the WHO Regional Consultation in Europe (18) stressed that ‘resources to implement policies and adequate treatment for those in need of treatment’ were seen as very important.

4. CONSIDERS:

—	that the EU Alcohol Strategy recognises that there are different cultural habits related to alcohol consumption in the various Member States and that therefore the measures adopted have to take into account the outcome of national impact assessments (19),

—	that there is a need to provide counselling and support for children, adolescents and young people and/or families affected by alcohol-related harm,

—	that there is a need to include the age group of 60 and above in existing information systems in the EU Member States and at the EU level,

—	that there is a need to explore behavioural patterns of women and men of different age groups with a view to better tailoring alcohol preventive measures, in order to adequately address the different kinds of risks,

—

that health inequalities based on social determinants are strongly linked to, among other factors, alcohol consumption both as cause and a consequence; the harmful use of alcohol itself is a well-known risk or a causal factor of certain communicable and non-communicable diseases and has an impact on workforce health.

5. INVITES THE MEMBER STATES to:

—

implement the good practices presented in the EU's Alcohol Strategy, and make use of existing evidence on effective measures to reduce alcohol-related harm, taking into account the five priority themes identified: protect young people, children and the unborn child; reduce injuries and deaths from alcohol-related road accidents; prevent alcohol-related harm among adults and reduce the negative impact on the workplace; inform, educate and raise awareness on the impact of harmful and hazardous alcohol consumption; and develop and maintain a common evidence base at EU level,

—	foster a multi-sectoral approach and, in coordination with work at the EU level, strengthen or develop, as appropriate, comprehensive national strategies or action plans tailored to national needs and report on developments and results to the Commission by 2011,

—	make use of the most effective measures to provide regulation and enforcement in the area of alcohol policy at national level,

—	consider the role of pricing policy such as regulations on happy hours, special taxes on mixed drinks and ‘drinks for free’ offers, as an effective tool, particularly when associated with other prevention measures, in the toolbox to reduce alcohol-related harm and evaluate its impact,

—

address the well-being of the ageing population in the EU, including the effects of harmful alcohol consumption on healthy and dignified ageing at an EU level and contribute to raising awareness among care professionals, informal carers, and older citizens of potential interactions between medication and alcohol.

6. INVITES THE MEMBER STATES AND THE COMMISSION to:

—

keep public health-based alcohol policy high on the agenda towards 2012 in order to build sustainable and long-term commitments to reduce alcohol-related harm at EU level, and look at priorities for the next phase of the Commission’s work to support Member States in reducing alcohol-related harm in the EU,

—	strengthen identification, dissemination and monitoring of effective measures aimed at minimising the health and social impacts of the harmful use of alcohol,

—	strengthen development and dissemination of evidenced-based examples of preventive programmes to reduce alcohol-related harm during pregnancy and while driving,

—	recognise the reduction in inequalities in health as a policy priority and the need to reduce inequalities through both social and targeted alcohol preventive interventions, taking into account social determinants,

—

engage actors in the alcohol beverage chain to work proactively in enforcing regulatory measures so that their products are produced, distributed and marketed in a responsible manner, so as to help reduce alcohol-related harm. Furthermore, consider how to improve the implementation of national and EU regulations on alcohol marketing in order to effectively protect children and adolescents as far as possible from exposure to alcohol marketing,

—	ensure that, where in place, self-regulatory standards and codes are developed, implemented and monitored in collaboration with health-promoting entities,

—	include in existing information systems scientific data on alcohol consumption and harm caused by harmful use of alcohol in the age group of 60 and above,

—	increase research on links between harmful use of alcohol and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB,

—	develop and implement early identification and brief intervention procedures in primary and elderly healthcare and in school health settings,

—	encourage initiatives to raise awareness of the impact of harmful use of alcohol on health and social welfare, as part of the holistic approach envisaged in the concept of the health-promoting school,

—	consider how best to inform and educate consumers, including research on how alcohol labels may play a part in helping consumers estimate their own consumption, or informing them of health risks,

—	take these conclusions into account when developing and supporting the implementation of the European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.

7. INVITES THE COMMISSION to:

—	continue to provide strong support to Member States in developing comprehensive, effective and sustained national alcohol policies,

—	take the necessary steps to ensure that the objective of reducing alcohol-related health and social harm is recognised in the definition and implementation of all relevant Community policies and activities,

—	consider, when appropriate, further steps to protect children, adolescents and young people from alcohol-related harm, in particular to reduce under-age drinking, binge drinking, exposure to alcohol marketing and harm to children growing up in families with alcohol problems,

—	develop knowledge, in cooperation with Member States, of current cross-border problems in the EU caused by illicit trade, cross-border marketing and differences in the retail prices of alcoholic beverages,

—	develop knowledge concerning the impact of alcohol in the workplace and how to address harmful use of alcohol in the broader framework of injury and disease prevention and health promotion,

—	report to the Council, in 2012 at the latest, on the progress and outcome of the Commission’s work and on activities reported by Member States,

—	define priorities for the next phase of the Commission’s work on alcohol and health after the end of the current strategy in 2012.

(1) 8756/00.

(2) Council Recommendation 2001/458/EC of 5 June 2001 on the drinking of alcohol by young people, in particular children and adolescents, (OJ L 161, 16.6.2001, p. 38).

(3) Council conclusions of 5 June 2001 on a Community strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm (OJ C 175, 20.6.2001, p. 1).

(4) Council conclusions of 1 and 2 June 2004 on alcohol and young people (9881/04).

(5) Council conclusions on EU strategy to reduce alcohol-related harm, 30 November-1 December 2006 (16165/06).

(6) Communication from the Commission of 24 October 2006 (14851/06).

(7) Franzen case (C-89/95), Heinonen case (C-394/97), Gourmet case (C-405/98), Catalonia (joined cases C-1/90 and C-179/90), Loi Evin (C-262/02 and C-429/02).

(8) WHO Regional Office for Europe, Alcohol in Europe (2006).

(9) Alcohol in Europe: A public health perspective, Institute of Alcohol Studies, UK 2006, based on the WHO Global Burden of Disease Study, Rehm et al. 2004 and 2005.

(10) EU Alcohol Strategy, European Commission (2006).

(11) EU Alcohol Strategy, European Commission (2006), and its Impact Assessment.

(12) Scientific Opinion of the Science Group of the European Alcohol and Health Forum (2009) and Impact of Alcohol Advertising and Media Exposure on Adolescent Alcohol Use:

A Systematic Review of Longitudinal Studies (2009).

(13) Source: Eurostat, special calculations, Rabinovich, L., et.al.

(14) Rabinovich, L., et al. (2009), The affordability of alcoholic beverages in the EU: understanding the link between alcohol affordability, consumption and harms.

(15) WHO Commission on the social determinants and alcohol: Equity and Social Determinants, WHO Background paper for the Global Expert Meeting on Alcohol, Health and Social Development, 23 September 2009 (http://www.who.int/social_determinants/final_report/en/index.html).

(16) Mats, H., et al., Alcohol consumption among elderly European Union citizens (2009).

(17) Rehm, J., et al., Alcohol, Social Development and Infectious Disease (2009).

(18) WHO Regional consultation in Copenhagen 20-23 April 2009 http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/activities/globalstrategy/en/index.html).

(19) Communication from the Commission of 24 October 2006 (14851/06, p. 4).

12.12.2009

Official Journal of the European Union

C 302/19

Euro exchange rates (1)

11 December 2009

2009/C 302/08

1 euro =

	Currency	Exchange rate
USD	US dollar	1,4757
JPY	Japanese yen	131,13
DKK	Danish krone	7,4420
GBP	Pound sterling	0,90515
SEK	Swedish krona	10,4490
CHF	Swiss franc	1,5125
ISK	Iceland króna
NOK	Norwegian krone	8,4435
BGN	Bulgarian lev	1,9558
CZK	Czech koruna	25,727
EEK	Estonian kroon	15,6466
HUF	Hungarian forint	273,12
LTL	Lithuanian litas	3,4528
LVL	Latvian lats	0,7068
PLN	Polish zloty	4,1457
RON	Romanian leu	4,2568
TRY	Turkish lira	2,2058
AUD	Australian dollar	1,6076
CAD	Canadian dollar	1,5481
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	11,4373
NZD	New Zealand dollar	2,0274
SGD	Singapore dollar	2,0495
KRW	South Korean won	1 718,14
ZAR	South African rand	11,0255
CNY	Chinese yuan renminbi	10,0755
HRK	Croatian kuna	7,2810
IDR	Indonesian rupiah	13 936,05
MYR	Malaysian ringgit	5,0166
PHP	Philippine peso	68,082
RUB	Russian rouble	44,3730
THB	Thai baht	48,868
BRL	Brazilian real	2,5846
MXN	Mexican peso	19,0144
INR	Indian rupee	68,7100

(1) Source: reference exchange rate published by the ECB.

		ISSN 1725-2423 doi:10.3000/17252423.C_2009.302.eng
Official Journal of the European Union		C 302

English edition	Information and Notices	Volume 52 12 December 2009

Notice No	Contents	page
	II Information
	INFORMATION FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES
	Commission
2009/C 302/01	Non-opposition to a notified concentration (Case COMP/M.5684 — BNP Paribas Assurance/Fortis Insurance International/UBI Assicurazioni) ( 1 )	1

2009/C 302/02	Explanatory Notes to the Combined Nomenclature of the European Communities	2

	V Announcements
	PROCEDURES RELATING TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMPETITION POLICY
	Commission
2009/C 302/11	Prior notification of a concentration (Case COMP/M.5731 — AXA LBO FUND IV/Home Shopping Europe) — Candidate case for simplified procedure ( 1 )	22

‘2208 30 41 and 2208 30 49	Blended malt whisky, in containers holding
	Blended malt Scotch whisky is produced by blending two or more single malt Scotch whiskies which have been distilled/obtained at different distilleries.
2208 30 61 and 2208 30 69	Single grain whisky and blended grain whisky, in containers holding
	Single grain Scotch whisky is a spirit, other than single malt Scotch whisky or blended malt Scotch whisky, which is produced at a single distillery by distilling a fermented mash of malted barley with or without whole grains of other cereals (predominantly, wheat or maize). Blended grain Scotch whisky is produced by blending two or more single grain Scotch whiskies which have been distilled/obtained at different distilleries.’

	IV Notices
	NOTICES FROM EUROPEAN UNION INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES
	Council
2009/C 302/03	Conclusions of the Council and of the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States, meeting within the Council, of 26 November 2009 on developing the role of education in a fully-functioning knowledge triangle	3

2009/C 302/04	Council conclusions of 26 November 2009 on the professional development of teachers and school leaders	6

2009/C 302/05	Council conclusions of 1 December 2009 on innovative incentives for effective antibiotics	10

2009/C 302/06	Council conclusions of 1 December 2009 on a safe and efficient healthcare through eHealth	12

2009/C 302/07	Council conclusions of 1 December 2009 on alcohol and health	15

	Commission
2009/C 302/08	Euro exchange rates	19

	NOTICES FROM MEMBER STATES
2009/C 302/09	Commission communication pursuant to Article 16(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community — Public service obligations in respect of scheduled air services ( 1 )	20

2009/C 302/10	Commission communication pursuant to Article 16(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1008/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the operation of air services in the Community — Public service obligations in respect of scheduled air services ( 1 )	21

‘2208 30 30	Single malt whisky
	Single malt Scotch whisky is a spirit which is produced, in pot stills at a single distillery, by distilling a fermented mash of only malted barley.’