Brussels, 29/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - According to a communication from the European Commission published on 22 July, organisations concerned with cultural heritage should seize the opportunities of European Union funding programmes and policies to help address the challenges facing the sector. The communication - “Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe” - responds to the invitation of the Council in May, which called on the Commission to pursue the analysis of the economic and social impact of cultural heritage in the EU and to contribute to the development of a strategic approach. The communication states that the sector is at a crossroads between reduced public budgets, falling participation in traditional cultural activities and diversification of potential audiences due to urbanisation, globalisation and technological change. The communication also highlights the opportunities for member states and stakeholders to cooperate more closely across borders to ensure that cultural heritage contributes more to sustainable growth and jobs.
The Commission advocates stronger cooperation at EU level to share ideas and best practice, which can feed into national heritage policies and governance. It also welcomes the approach set by the EU's environmental impact assessment directive, which requires each project's impact on cultural heritage to be considered, and the general block exemption regulation which allows state aid for the sector. The Commission also recommends adopting a similar approach in order to support heritage in broader policy making at EU, national and regional levels. (IL)