Culture Council reaches agreement on ARIANE and RAPHAEL programmes The Council of Culture Ministers of the European Union, meeting in Luxembourg on 11 June 1996, reached agreement on common positions on the proposals for the ARIANE and RAPHAEL programmes. However, due to the British reservation following the "mad cow crisis", the common posit... The Council of Culture Ministers of the European Union, meeting in Luxembourg on 11 June 1996, reached agreement on common positions on the proposals for the ARIANE and RAPHAEL programmes. However, due to the British reservation following the "mad cow crisis", the common positions could not be formally adopted. They should, however, be adopted without debate at a future Council meeting. The ARIANE programme would aim to promote knowledge and dissemination of European literature, notably by means of translation, whilst the RAPHAEL programme would support activities in the field of cultural heritage. The Council also adopted, by qualified majority, its common position on amendment of the "Television without frontiers" Directive.
