0.6.1.16. The Amsterdam Treaty, agreed by the European Union's political leaders on 17 June and signed on 2 October 1997

http://europa.eu.int/abc/obj/amst/en/

« […]Article 149 (ex Article 126)
1.The Community shall contribute to the development of quality education by encouraging
cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, by supporting and supplementing their
action, while fully respecting the responsibility of the Member States for the content of
teaching and the organisation of education systems and their cultural and linguistic diversity.
2.Community action shall be aimed at:
-developing the European dimension in education, particularly through the teaching and
dissemination of the languages of the Member States;
-encouraging mobility of students and teachers, inter alia by encouraging the academic
recognition of diplomas and periods of study;
-promoting cooperation between educational establishments;
-developing exchanges of information and experience on issues common to the education
systems of the Member States;
-encouraging the development of youth exchanges and of exchanges of socioÜeducational
instructors;
-encouraging the development of distance education.
3. The Community and the Member States shall foster cooperation with third countries and
the competent international organisations in the field of education, in particular the Council
of Europe.
4.In order to contribute to the achievement of the objectives referred to in this Article, the
Council:
-acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251, after consulting the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, shall adopt incentive
measures, excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States;
-acting by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, shall adopt recommenÜ
dations.
[…]
Article 151 (ex Article 128)
1.The Community shall contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States,
while respecting their national and regional diversity and at the same time bringing the
common cultural heritage to the fore.

2. Action by the Community shall be aimed at encouraging cooperation between Member
States and, if necessary, supporting and supplementing their action in the following areas:
-improvement of the knowledge and dissemination of the culture and history of the
European peoples;
-conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage of European significance;
-nonÜcommercial cultural exchanges;
-artistic and literary creation, including in the audiovisual sector.
3.The Community and the Member States shall foster cooperation with third countries and
the competent international organisations in the sphere of culture, in particular the Council of
Europe.
4. The Community shall take cultural aspects into account in its action under other
provisions of this Treaty, in particular in order to respect and to promote the diversity of its
cultures.
5. In order to contribute to the achievement of the objectives referred to in this Article, the
Council:
-acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251 and after consulting the
Committee of the Regions, shall adopt incentive measures, excluding any harmonisation of
the laws and regulations of the Member States. The Council shall act unanimously
throughout the procedure referred to in Article 251;
-acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission, shall adopt recommendations.”