Welcome to the website of the 1st Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Media and New Communication Services, Reykjavik 2009. The subtitle of this first conference is A New Notion of Media?

Founded in 1949, the Council of Europe seeks to develop, throughout Europe, common and democratic principles based on the European Convention on Human Rights and other reference texts on the protection of individuals. The mission of the Council of Europe is to strengthen democracy and human rights.

Important work is being carried out within the Council of Europe by its Steering Committee on the Media and New Communication Services (CDMC). The work covers a wide range of issues of pan-European importance such as freedom of expression and information, media concentration and pluralism, promotion of tolerance, the consequences of the new communication technologies, the role of public service media etc.

Seven European Ministerial Conferences on Mass Media Policy have already taken place. These Ministerial Conferences established work programmes for the Council of Europe and mass media policy during the past decades. The constant developments in information society and the convergence of media and communication technologies have created challenges; defending and maintaining fundamental principles in these new environments. That is why it has been immensely important to include New Communication Services within the work of the Council of Europe.

The Reykjavik Conference will decide upon the course of work for the Council of Europe in the coming years, in order to meet new challenges in Media and New Communication Services.

I, for my part, am greatly looking forward to this event and I warmly invite you to attend this interesting Ministerial Conference in Reykjavík, Iceland!