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Less than two months after the adoption of the far-reaching EU Council Conclusions on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe, the European Commission has adopted on 22 July its Communication which paves the way for an integrated approach to cultural heritage in Europe.
This important policy document aims to help Member States and stakeholders to make the most of the significant support for heritage available under EU instruments and also calls for stronger cooperation at EU level to share ideas and best practices, which can feed into national heritage policies and governance. It highlights the opportunities for Member States and stakeholders to work more closely across borders to address the many challenges facing the heritage sector, and also to ensure that cultural heritage makes an even stronger contribution to a sustainable Europe.
The Communication also states that “To increase understanding of the actual and potential role of heritage in policy development, it is important to improve systematic data on its economic and social impacts,” and goes on to provide the Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe project as one important example in the way forward.
The European Commission has also released an accompanying “Mapping Report” which provides a comprehensive overview of EU policies, legislation, programmes and funding opportunities relevant to cultural heritage.
The Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe project consortium congratulates Mrs Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, and the DG Education and Culture, for this new crucial step forward in developing a comprehensive EU strategy for the protection and enhancement of Europe’s shared cultural heritage.
LINKS:
Mapping of Cultural Heritage actions in European Union policies, programmes and activities
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