The Conference notes that Sweden and Finland are committed to preserving and developing the means of livelihood, language, culture and way of life of the Sami people and considers that traditional Sami culture and livelihood depend on primary economic activities, such as reindeer husbandry in the traditional areas of Sami settlement.

Whereas in its communication of 17 January 1991 'Follow-up to the Green Paper - Working programme of the Commission in the field of copyright and neighbouring rights' the Commission stresses the need to harmonize copyright and neighbouring rights at a high level of protection since these rights are fundamental to intellectual creation and stresses that their protection ensures the maintenance and development of creativity in the interest of authors, cultural industries, consumers and society as a whole;