Another separate working group of national festivals associations and cultural colleague-networks will be organized in Rome from 27 January (arrival) until 29 January (departure) 2006, in co-operation with ITALIAFESTIVAL. We are convinced that a group meeting among the national associations and networks will be very useful and will give us the opportunity to deepen some topics including 1. The research on festivals, the role and involvement of national festivals association and the EFA. * We are, as you will probably also be, faced with a lot of questions about “festivals”. It is important and it might be a task for EFA in co-operation with the national associations to set up a “Knowledge Centre for Festivals”, including a research programme on festivals; 2. The working, efficiency, responsibilities and importance of national festivals associations and cultural networks in the respective cultural policy fields. * We can discuss various ways and manners to strengthen the role of associations in setting opinions in the framework of European cultural policies but also the national cultural policies and policies regarding the festival phenomenon in particular (Italiafestival in Italy is experiencing an intensive period in this regard at this very moment!). 3. The task for EFA to increase communication among each other and to optimize the exchange of know-how. * The involvement of the national festivals associations and cultural networks in concrete EFA projects will be discussed under this item.