CULTURAL HERITAGE COUNTS FOR EUROPE

CHAPTER V. EU ACTION DIRECTLY LINKED TO CULTURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

Europa Nostra supports the overall aim of the proposed Culture 2007 programme (11) which is “to enhance the European common cultural area through multi-lateral cultural cooperation between creators, cultural players and cultural institutions with a view to encouraging the emergence of European citizenship”. However, if the profile of cultural heritage and of EU action in this field is to be raised, we believe that the above general objective should be accompanied by references to specific aims to be pursued and achieved in various fields of cultural activity.

Europa Nostra is also concerned that the general objective of enhancing our common cultural area might fade into oblivion behind the three specific objectives (transnational mobility of people working in the cultural sector, transnational mobility of artistic and cultural works and products, and inter-cultural dialogue) which are too limited. The first two specific objectives should in fact be considered as tools – amongst many others – to achieve the overall objective, but are not goals in themselves. Moreover, inter-cultural dialogue is in fact an “umbrella objective” encompassing also the first two specific objectives; it should therefore be incorporated in the overall aim of the proposed programme.

We are particularly worried about the fact that the activities in the field of immovable cultural heritage might be in practice excluded from the proposed second specific objective of the programme which is “to promote transnational mobility of artistic and cultural works and products”. We therefore propose the inclusion of one additional specific objective, which could be worded as follows: “to protect Europe’s cultural diversity and to promote the knowledge and the awareness of Europe’s cultural heritage”. This proposal is in line with the wording of article 151.1 of the Treaty as well as with the wording of article 3.3. of the European Constitution.

While recognising the importance of the mobility objective, we also believe that one the specific objectives of the Union should be to encourage its Member States to adopt the necessary measures aiming to reduce the “mobility” of the stolen works of art.

In addition to this, it appears that the main target group which will benefit from this programme are the heritage professionals, much more than interested European citizens, and in particular youth. This, in our opinion, does not provide the optimal means for enhancing our common cultural ground and encouraging the emergence of a European citizenship. Indeed, it is our concern that in the proposed programme, some vital aspects might be neglected in future EU cultural action, namely facilitating access to culture for all, through instruments such as heritage education.

Furthermore, the third strand of the proposed programme will support analysis and the collection and dissemination of information. It is of great importance that this strand of EU action in this area does not duplicate the work of other international organisations, both governmental and non-governmental, and specifically that the acquis of the Council of Europe be taken into account in the development of this strand.

In particular, the proposed programme envisages the development of an Internet tool for exchanging information and good practice. The EU should ensure that there is no overlap between this proposed Internet tool and the already existing Internet tools of the Council of Europe, namely COMPENDIUM and HEREIN, and wherever possible build on these existing projects and experiences.

We greatly welcome the intention to make Culture 2007 a more “user-friendly” programme through the introduction of simpler methods for beneficiaries, and through rationalised management of the programme.

We welcome the proposed openness of the Culture 2007 Programme also to the countries of the Western Balkans and to the countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy. In this context, it is also desirable to make provisions and invent initiatives – both financially and administratively – to facilitate the actual participation of third countries in the programme.

Finally, if the ambitious aims of Culture 2007 Programme are to be achieved, Europa Nostra stresses the need for a much better resourced programme, and to this end endorses the campaign launched by the European Forum for Arts and Heritage and the European Cultural Foundation for a future EU budget for culture based on the principle of spending 70 Euro-cents per EU capita per year for culture.

Europa Nostra recommendations can be summarized as follows:  

• Amend the proposed article 3.2. on the objectives of the “Culture 2007” Programme by adding to the existing three specific objectives one additional one:
  “d) to protect Europe’s cultural diversity and to promote the knowledge and the awareness of Europe’s cultural heritage”.

• Give due attention for smaller operators and smaller-scale projects

• Facilitate the participation of third European countries who are not (yet) candidates for accession to the Union

• Ensure that the programme is accompanied by an adequate budget