Europa Nostra, the Pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is an umbrella network of heritage organisationsand is considered today the voice of Europe ’s organised civil society committed to cultural heritage. The network is composed of 250 member organisations, 210 associate members and 1500 individual members from 53 countries, of which 45 in Europe. The power of the network comes from a shared passion for cultural heritage, and the readiness of our members to invest their time, expertise, connections and often money for the pursuit of our goals ... www.europanostra.org
LATEST NEWS
Review of Existing Legislation on Reduced Rates of VAT - European Commission Launches a Public Consultation
The European Commission has launched an online consultation to ascertain the views of the public and businesses on the review of the existing legislation on VAT reduced rates. The consultation is based on a document that sets out the current Community legal framework for VAT reduced rates and the context of the ongoing political debate. The document aims to seek the views and opinions of all stakeholders on the potential components of, on the one hand, a first limited legislative proposal to be presented in 2008 and, on the other hand, a subsequent more comprehensive revision of the scope of VAT reduced rates. The Commission hopes to obtain a set of reactions and contributions concerning the various questions raised in the consultation document. In particular, feedback from all interested parties will foster the broad debate on the way forward for VAT reduced rates and contribute to further input by the Commission. The deadline for responding to this consultation is 12 May.
In 1999 the European Council adopted Directive 1999/85/EC concerning VAT on labour-intensive services, which allowed the application of a reduced VAT rate to certain specified labour-intensive services (such as the renovation and repair of private dwellings), but only for an experimental period of three years so as to test its impact in terms of job creation and in combating the 'black' economy. This temporary provision was prolonged several times and is now valid until the end of 2010. Only fourteen EU Member States have opted to apply a reduced rate of VAT to the repair and renovation of private dwellings (Council Decision 2006/774/EC of 7 November 2006), namely Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Latvia, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom (Isle of Man only). Most of these Member States made the reduction conditional upon the age of the dwellings or restricted the types of works eligible.
The obvious question now is whether this temporary provision should be made wholly or partially permanent or should be abolished after a long period of continuous extension. Another important question that arises is whether the possibility for Member States to apply reduced rates should be extended to similar services not included in the present provision. The consultation document specifically suggests that new sectors to be added to the future ANNEX III of the VAT Directive could include the repair, restoration and maintenance of cultural heritage and historical monuments.
Europa Nostra and the heritage movement have been advocating for years that the renovation and repair of historic buildings be permanently subjected to a reduced rate of VAT, constantly highlighting that such a provision would serve to stimulate private investment in the conservation of heritage.
Europa Nostra therefore now calls on its member and partner organisations to contribute to the public consultation to by requesting that a permanent provision be made for a reduced rate of VAT for the repair, restoration and maintenance of cultural heritage and historical monuments beyond 2010.
further information and to contribute to the consultation
European Commission website
Europa Nostra 2008 Annual Congress
Exchanging Ideas and Experiences
Europa Nostra 2008 Annual Congress
Invitation: Europa Nostra 2008 Annual Congress NewcastleGateshead, United Kingdom , 11-15 June 2008
Europa Nostra's 2008 Annual Congress will take place in Newcastle and Gateshead , United Kingdom , from Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15 June 2008 . Apart from the meetings of the Management Committee, the Council and the General Assembly, the Congress will explore Europe 's fascinating engineering heritage and will celebrate the laureates of the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2008 during the European Heritage Awards Ceremony which will take place in Durham Cathedral on 12 June 2008 . These events will be followed by a highly attractive Post Congress Tour, Sunday 15 to Wednesday 18 June 2008 , that will show its participants the impressive beauty of the castles, country houses and gardens of Northumberland, including a number of private properties.
All information on the 2008 Annual Congress and registration forms are available on the special Europa Nostra NewcastleGateshead Congress website. Due to limited places for some events -in particular the Post Congress Tour-, registrations will be counted on a "first come, first served" basis. It is therefore strongly advised to book as soon as possible.more information
Europa Nostra NewcastleGateshead Congress website
Invitation: 50th Anniversary of Vieilles Maisons Françaises Paris, 16-17 June 2008
On 16 June 2008 , Europa Nostra's founding Member Organisation Vieilles Maisons Françaises will celebrate its 50th anniversary at its General Assembly followed by a special with an evening at the recently opened Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine in Paris, one of the most important venues dedicated to cultural heritage in the world. The following day, an international colloquy on "Cultural Heritage and Sustainable Development: a Question of Education?" will be organised at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris . All Europa Nostra Member and Associate Organisations will receive an invitation to attend this festive occa sion international colloquy .
more information
Vieilles Maisons Françaises website
"European Agenda for Culture" enters phase of its implementation
On 19 February the European Commission organised an information session in Brussels in order to inform civil society on how it can contribute to implementing the "European Agenda for Culture in a Globalising World", adopted by the Council of Ministers in Resolution 14485/07 on 16 November 2007. The Europa Nostra International Secretariat was represented by its European Policy Officer, Eléonore de Merode. Europa Nostra Council Members Christine Adrien (VMF), José-María Ballester (Fundación Marcellino Botin), Alexandra Coxen (English Heritage) and Ghislain d’Ursel (UEHHA) also participated in the event.
In part the agenda will introduce a more structured system of coordination between the EU Institutions and Member States – the Open Method of Coordination. The OMC is an instrument for favouring intergovernmental cooperation in areas where the EU lacks legal competence and requires voluntary commitment from the Member States. It involves the exchange of information on and best practice in identifying possible synergies and areas for cooperation. Member States will nominate experts to a range of intergovernmental working groups in each of five priority action areas identified by the Council of Ministers for 2008-2010.
The European Commission will complement the OMC by establishing a structured dialogue with civil society. Based on the model of the civil society-initiated Rainbow Platform for Intercultural Dialogue, two further platforms will be established to group together cultural organisations with basic support from the Commission: on "access to culture" and on "cultural and creative industries". The Commission will publish a Call for Expressions of Interest in order identify participants in these two new platforms and to map out the cultural sector. These platforms will contribute to preparing a Cultural Forum at the end of 2009. A website has also been established in order to encourage stakeholders to further the dialogue and develop the European Agenda for Culture: culturalforum.net. These measures for structuring the cultural sector are intended to render it more effective in getting its concerns heard by policy and decision-makers in other areas.
In addition to this, bilateral relations will be further developed between the various DGs and an Inter-Service Group will be launched within the Commission to create a multilateral network for integrating the cultural dimension into all other policies.
more information
European Commission website
A Web-Streaming of the Event
European Commission launches Call for Expressions of Interest – Culture Sector Platforms
As announced at the information session "A European Agenda for Culture: Involving Civil Society" organised on 19 February 2008 , the European Commission published a call for expressions of interest on "Culture sector Platforms". Two platforms will be established in addition to the already existing platform on "Intercultural Dialogue". These new platforms will cover the themes of "Access to Culture" and "Potential of the Cultural and Creative Industries". This call is intended to give civil society organisations active in the field of culture at the European level an opportunity to express their interest in participating in the structured dialogue with the European Commission.
Europa Nostra intends to participate in the platform on "Access to culture", and strongly recommends that its member organisations with a European scope respond to this call for expressions of interest in view of also participating in these platforms.
Interested parties are invited to respond to the European Commission by 15 April 2008 using the form placed at their disposal on the website.
further information
European Commission website
Civil Society Development in Southeast Europe : Building Europe Together Brussels , 17-18 April 2008
On 17 and 18 April, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Enlargement will host the conference "Civil Society Development in Southeast Europe: Building Europe Together", which offers civil society organisations (CSOs) from the EU and the enlargement countries a platform for networking, exchanging best practices and building partnerships, and disseminating information among civil-society actors about financial support to civil-society development under the Instrument for Pre-Accession (IPA) and other EU programmes. The conference will bring together some 450 participants, including Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, as well as many high-level representatives of NGOs and the European institutions, and will be accompanied by a series of Cultural activities. Europa nostra will participate in the event and has encouraged its members form the region to also participate.
further information
European Commission website
Europa Nostra to take part in The Congress of Europe The Hague, 23-24 May 2008
The European Movement is organising a celebration of the 60th Anniversary of the Congress of Europe in The Hague on 23-24 May 2008 aiming to give European citizens the opportunity to discuss the future of Europe and address major political leaders with their priorities and recommendations. The programme will be articulated around a number of events: a Blog Space aiming to collect "60 Ideas for Europe", the European Civil Society Forum including 3 Workshops ("Political Europe", "Economic and Social Europe" and "Education and Cultural Europe") during which the 60 best Ideas for Europe will be selected, TV debates involving the participation of leading political figures that will be digitally broadcasted throughout Europe, a European Citizens’ Market, and national debates with national political leaders.
A blog has been created as a platform for discussion in the run up to the Congress of Europe. Via this blog, the European Movement hopes to summon up the roots of the European integration process and encourage European Civil Society (citizens and organisations) to debate the future of the EU, thus contributing to the setting up of its agenda 2009 – 2013 and beyond. This blog provides the opportunity to: (i) p resent your ideas to European decision makers and political parties, allowing them to respond directly to your main concerns - or comment on any of ideas already published; (ii) h ave your ideas published in the final booklet "60 ideas for Europe"; and (iii) join the Congress in The Hague.
Europa Nostra has been invited by the European Movement to take an active part in the workshop on "Education and Cultural Europe". Europa Nostra will submit ideas to the blog and encourages its members to also contribute to the gathering of ideas.
Post your ideas on the blog: http://speakup-europe.blogactiv.eu/submit-a-post/
further information
European Movement
Charles Kleinermann, c.kleinermann [a] europeanmovement.eu
Europa Nostra has successfully concluded its 2-year term as the Liaison Office for the European Heritage Days
Since April 2006, following a public invitation to tender launched by the Council of Europe, Europa Nostra has been selected as the new Liaison Office for the European coordination of the European Heritage Days (EHD), a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission.
This 2-year contract ended in February 2008. As part of the restructuring of the EHD's European coordination, the Council of Europe has decided not to continue employing an external Liaison Office and to concentrate all tasks related to the European coordination of European Heritage Days within its own Secretariat in Strasbourg .
Europa Nostra was very pleased to have had the opportunity over the past two years to cooperate closely with the EHDs national coordinators in the 50 European countries taking part in the EHDs initiative, as well as with the Council of Europe and the European Commission, and thus to contribute to the consolidation and further development of this unique cultural heritage event, with its wide impact and growing popularity across Europe.
In the coming weeks, Europa Nostra will have the opportunity to discuss with colleagues at the Council of Europe possible forms of further cooperation, especially with the aim of effectively promoting and implementing a regular and structured dialogue between Civil Society organisations active in the field of cultural heritage and the European Institutions, in line with the principles set out by the Faro Convention on the Values of Cultural Heritage for Society.
more information
European Heritage Days website
ITALY Florence Residents voted NO in Referendum on the construction of a Tramway through the Historic Centre of Florence
On Sunday 16 February, 54 percent of the Florence residents voted against the construction of a tramway through the historic centre of Florence in a referendum. At a press conference held in Rome on 5 February 2008, Europa Nostra and Italia Nostra expressed their firm opposition to the construction of a tramway line through the very heart of the historic centre of Florence and called for striking the right balance between making cities viable and better adapted to the needs of the 21st century and ensuring the best possible safeguard of their invaluable historic and artistic heritage.
Because the turnout of the referendum fell short of the necessary 50 percent, the result of the referendum was not yet a full victory for the nation-wide campaign against the construction of the tramway. Europa Nostra, together with Italia Nostra, will continue monitoring this case.
more information
Europa Nostra Newsletter 2008 / March
Italia Nostra website
Europa Nostra Appeals to EXPO 2015 to Save Allianoi from the Floods
On 22 February, Europa Nostra launched an urgent appeal to Mr Vicente González Loscertales, Secretary of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and to Mr Cahit Kiraç, Governor of Izmir, calling on them to intervene for the safeguarding of the ancient city of Allianoi .
Allianoi, situated near Izmir in Western Turkey , has been recognised as one of the largest and best preserved historical healing centres to still have therapeutic thermal waters. Although it reached its zenith during the time of the Emperor Hadrian (117-138 AD), its history as an important healing centre spans nearly fifteen centuries. Nevertheless, if no urgent action is undertaken this exceptional archaeological site will be submerged under water as soon as the Turkish authorities decide to close the valves of the Yortanlı Irrigation Dam completed last summer.
uropa Nostra’s appeal follows widespread opposition expressed by many Turkish experts and citizens’ associations and earlier appeals by the EU Institutions and international conservation organisations, including Europa Nostra, the EAA and ICOMOS. Izmir is one of the candidates for EXPO 2015 on the theme "Health for All". In this context, the Turkish Government’s plan to destroy one of the prime healing centres of the ancient world is rendered even more deplorable and unacceptable. Should Izmir be selected as the host city, EXPO 2015 could provide an opportunity and the necessary resources for saving Allianoi.
more information
Europa Nostra Press Release English | Turkish
more information on Heritage at Risk issues
Eléonore de Merode, Heritage at Risk, policy [a] europanostra.org
Cultural Policy Research Award 2008: Call for Applications now open
The European Cultural Foundation, the Riksbankens Jublileumsfond and the European Network of Cultural Administration and Training Centres (ENCATC) call for applications for the 5th Cultural Policy Research Award 2008. The winner of the CPR Award 2008, worth Euro 10,000, will be publicly announced on the 16th of October at the International ENCATC Annual Conference taking place in Lyon , France .
Designed to stimulate academic and applied cultural policy research and to explore, through comparative cross-national research, issues at stake in contemporary Europe, and possibly anticipate new cultural policy orientations, the Cultural Policy Research Award (CPRA) has the ambition to contribute to the process of creating an 'infrastructure', a network of scholars who are competent in doing comparative research projects in cultural policy.
Open to young - 35 or under - academics, researchers and policymakers from all European countries, the Award was launched for the first time in 2004 and has been running as a pilot project for four years (2004-2007). Issues covered so far range from the raison d'être of a European cultural policy, creative industries in South-East Europe, comparison of trends in funding, governance and organizational structure of live classical music organizations, and issues of diversity and the commodification of culture in the cultural industries (focus on architecture, fashion and music).
For the year 2008, applications must be submitted until 23 May 2008 through the online application form on the CPR Award website. Before applying, candidates are strongly advised to consult the website for advice on how to prepare their applications.
further information
CPR Award website
Rosa Diaz Dominguez, CPR Award Coordinator, Promotion and Press Contact, communications [a] encatc.org
Next ARCADE Seminar: Preservation of cultural heritage and local community development Stalowa Wola / Krakow, Poland, 28-30 May 2008
A Call for Papers and a Call for Case-Studies for the next seminar of the ARCADE Project (Awareness-Raising on Culture and Development) ", to be held in Stalowa Wola and Krakow from 28-30 May 2008, has just been launched. The deadline for answering this Call is 7 April.
The Seminar will bring together actors of culture and social development from various backgrounds (including representatives of local authorities, NGOs, foundations, research centres, universities, international organisations as well as artists and cultural practitioners.) The objective is to exchange the la test ideas and practices on culture and heritage preservation as it relates to community development in both developed/developing environments. The ARCADE Project was launched in January 2007 and is coordinated by ACTED, the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, in partnership with ENTP, the European New Towns Platform and CIR, the Interdisciplinary Centre for Comparative Research in the Social Sciences.
further information
ARCADE website
ACTED website
Florent Le Duc, arcade [a] acted.org
A Wider View - Putting the European Cultural Landscape on the Agenda Radio Kootwijk, The Netherlands, 11 June - 28 September 2008
In the summer of 2008 the organisers of the international event A Wider View will put the European cultural landscape on the agenda. Within the framework of the Apeldoorn International Triennale, which takes place for the first time in 2008, A Wider View will situate nationally and internationally recognised cultural landscapes of undisputed historical significance in a dynamic perspective, and place them within the context of spatial planning and design. A conference, debates, exhibitions and university courses will address the key questions of how centuries-old as well as recently evolved European cultural landscapes can remain living landscapes, how problems brought about by such factors as climate change, urbanisation, agricultural policies, tourism and depopulation can be solved, and how spatial opportunities can be turned into an opportunity for the future.
A Wider View will allow for an examination of and confrontation between the various institutional points of view and methods, scientific insights and professional experience in the field of landscape preservation and landscape development.
In particular, the event will draw the attention of an international audience to the Belvedere Strategy, initiated by the Dutch government in 1999, which concentrates on the creation and implementation of unifying concepts between cultural heritage management and spatial transformation at the village, district, city and regional levels.
further information
The Apeldoorn International Triennale website
A Wider View website
The Belvedere Strategy website
© Europa Nostra 2008
Europa Nostra
Pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage
Lange Voorhout 35
NL-2514 EC Den Haag
Netherlands
newsletter [a] europanostra.org