# EUR-Lex - 52014DC0477 - EN

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# 52014DC0477

**COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe /* COM/2014/0477 final */**

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO
THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Towards an integrated approach to cultural
heritage for Europe

1.           Introduction: cultural heritage
on the EU agenda

1.1.        An asset for all, a
responsibility for all

Europe’s cultural heritage, both tangible and
intangible, is our common wealth - our inheritance from previous generations of
Europeans and our legacy for those to come. It is an irreplaceable repository
of knowledge and a valuable resource for economic growth, employment and social
cohesion. It enriches the individual lives of hundreds of millions of people,
is a source of inspiration for thinkers and artists, and a driver for our
cultural and creative industries. Our cultural heritage and the way we preserve
and valorise it is a major factor in defining Europe's place in the world and
its attractiveness as a place to live, work, and visit.

Cultural heritage is a shared resource, and a common good. Like
other such goods it can be vulnerable to over-exploitation and under-funding, which
can result in neglect, decay and, in some cases, oblivion. Looking after our
heritage is, therefore, our common responsibility. While heritage protection is
primarily a matter for national, regional and local authorities, the European
Union has a role to play in line with the EU Treaties and in respect of the
principle of subsidiarity.

The Preamble to the Treaty on European Union states that the signatories
draw 'inspiration from the cultural, religious and humanist inheritance of Europe'. Article 3.3 requires the EU to 'ensure that Europe’s cultural heritage is
safeguarded and enhanced'. Article 167 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the
European Union (TFEU) says: 'The Union shall contribute to the flowering of the
cultures of the Member States, while respecting their national and regional
diversity and at the same time bringing 'common cultural heritage to the fore'.
The TFEU also recognises the specificity of heritage for preserving cultural
diversity, and the need to ensure its protection in the single market.[1]

Since the adoption of the European Agenda for Culture[2] in 2007, heritage has
been a priority for the Council's work plans for culture, and cooperation at
European level has advanced through the Open Method of Coordination[3].  Political interest at
EU level has steadily grown - cultural and heritage stakeholders recently highlighted
in the Declaration on a New Narrative for Europe[4]:
'Europe as a political body needs to recognise the value of cultural heritage. 
Heritage reveals what it has meant to be a European throughout time. It is a
powerful instrument that provides a sense of belonging amongst and between
European citizens'.

There is no contradiction between national responsibilities and EU
action: heritage is always both local and European. It has been forged over
time, but also across borders and communities. Heritage is made up of local
stories that together make the history of Europe.

This Communication has been informed by several years of dialogue
with EU Presidencies and stakeholders.[5]
It responds to this year's invitation of the Council to the Commission to
"pursue the analysis of the economic and social impact of cultural
heritage in the EU and contribute to a development of a strategic
approach"[6].
It examines available information on the economic and social impacts of
cultural heritage and plans to improve the evidence base (section 1.2) and explores
the challenges and opportunities for the heritage sector (section 1.3).

In line with the objectives of the European Agenda for Culture, this Communication presents the EU's approach to heritage across
different policy areas (section 2).  It then sets out
the tools available at EU level, complementing national and regional
programmes, to help protect and enhance the intrinsic and social value of
heritage (section 2.1), to strengthen its contribution to economic growth and
job creation (section 2.2), and  develop its potential for the EU's public diplomacy
( section 2.3).

Lastly the Communication describes the measures available to strengthen
policy cooperation at different levels, and projects being developed to support
new models of heritage governance (sections 3 and 4).

The overall aim is to help Member States and
stakeholders make the most of the significant support
for heritage available under EU instruments, progress towards a more integrated
approach at national and EU level, and ultimately make Europe a laboratory for
heritage-based innovation[7].

1.2.        An undervalued
contribution to economic growth and social cohesion

Heritage has many dimensions: cultural, physical, digital,
environmental, human and social. Its value - both intrinsic and economic - is a
function of these different dimensions and of the flow of associated services. The
economic value of heritage has recently come into research focus[8], but only partial
estimates of its importance are available.

EU-wide
data in particular are lacking, but sectoral and country-based studies indicate
that the heritage sector makes a significant
economic contribution. According to the European Construction Industry
Federation, in 2013 renovation and maintenance represented 27.5% of the value
of Europe's construction industry[9].
In France in 2011 heritage generated €8.1 billion[10], and UK studies have shown that the historic environment can offer a high return on investment: each
£1 invested generating up to £1.60 of additional economic activity over ten
years[11].

Heritage has spill-over effects in other economic sectors. For
instance, tourism is estimated to contribute €415
billion to the EU GDP[12]
and 3.4 million tourism enterprises account for 15.2 million jobs[13]– many linked to heritage, directly or indirectly.  27% of EU
travellers indicate that cultural heritage is a key factor in choosing a travel
destination.  In 2013, 52% of EU citizens visited at least one historical
monument or site and 37% a museum or gallery in their respective countries,
while 19% visited a historical monument or site in another EU country[14].  Heritage can
therefore help brand cities and regions, attracting talent and tourism.

Technology adds economic value in the
heritage sector: digitised cultural material can be used to enhance the visitor
experience, develop educational content, documentaries, tourism applications and
games.

Heritage has great capacity to promote social cohesion and
integration, through regeneration of neglected areas, creation of locally-rooted
jobs, and promotion of shared understanding and a sense of community. The sector
offers important educational and volunteering[15]
opportunities for both young and older people and promotes dialogue between
different cultures and generations.

However, 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. . The project Cultural Heritage Counts
for Europe: Towards an European Index for Valuing Cultural Heritage, funded
by the EU Culture programme and launched in 2013 will help address this. It
will gather and analyse existing research and data, from across the EU, on the
impact of cultural heritage on society and the economy.  Results are expected
by mid-2015.  On culture data more generally, Eurostat has begun developing a
set of regular European statistics, which is also expected to produce results
in 2015.

1.3.        A sector in
transformation: heritage as a source of social innovation for smart,
sustainable and inclusive growth

Facing challenges...

The heritage sector is at a crossroads.

Public budgets are decreasing, as is participation in traditional
cultural activities[16].

Urbanization, globalisation and technological change are diversifying
potential audiences.

High tourist influxes are a mixed blessing – increasing revenues but
also environmental and physical pressures.

Digitisation and online accessibility of cultural content shake up traditional models, transform value chains and call for new
approaches to our cultural and artistic heritage.

Trafficking of cultural artefacts remains a difficult issue requiring
action at European and international level.

Global warming and climate change, in
particular rising sea levels and the increased
occurrence of extreme weather events, can put cultural heritage at risk.

These challenges all need to be addressed to
ensure the sustainability of Europe's cultural heritage.

The heritage sector must also adapt management and business models
and develop new professional skills, working with authorities not through one-off,
isolated interventions, but by making the valorisation and preservation of heritage
part of broader long-term development plans. The involvement of private
stakeholders through public-private partnerships should also be further
explored.

It is clear that many public policies have an impact on heritage,
and heritage in turn has many impacts in other policy areas. Therefore a more integrated
approach to heritage conservation, promotion and valorisation is needed in
order to take into account its manifold contribution to societal and economic
objectives, as well as its impact on other public policies.

... and seizing opportunities

The heritage sector is already reinventing itself to meet new
challenges.

Conservation is increasingly geared towards preserving and enhancing
a whole cultural landscape rather than an isolated site, and also becoming more
people-centred. Old approaches sought to protect heritage by isolating it from
daily life. New approaches focus on making it fully part of the local community.
Sites are given a second life and meaning that speak to contemporary needs and
concerns.

Digitisation and online accessibility enable unprecedented forms of
engagement and open up new revenue streams. E-learning tools promote wider
access to cultural content in homes, schools and universities, and allow people
to generate, reuse and add value to content, enhancing the value of cultural
collections.

As heritage sites become public spaces that produce both social and
environmental capital, the cities and regions that host them turn into drivers
of economic activity, centres of knowledge, focal points of creativity and
culture, places of community interaction and social integration; in short they generate
innovation and contribute to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, in line
with the objectives of the EU 2020 strategy.

Museums and archives are also evolving,
including by digitising collections, connecting them in open networks and
making them more widely available to citizens (though the percentage of
digitised heritage available online remains small, because of the resources required for digitisation, and to
a minor extent, for copyright clearance[17]).

Museums are increasingly community-oriented,
led by people and stories, for instance proposing heritage-based narratives that
weave the personal stories of community members into the interpretation of
larger historical events. They place audiences on a par with collections, at
the heart of their activities, do not shy away from exploring sensitive and
difficult issues, and address contemporary topics that speak to more diverse
audiences.

Historic cities, towns and villages face the most complex problems
in terms of preserving the fabric of European identity while generating sustainable
growth and employment. But they also show that wise heritage management can be successful
and sustainable, for example through the energy-efficient re-use of historic buildings,
and the promotion of greener transport and cultural tourism. Thanks to the
attractiveness of their urban and natural environments, heritage sites often host
clusters of cultural and creative industries. Much of Europe's cultural
heritage is also embedded in rural areas and remote regions, often closely
linked with the natural environment; here innovative forms of community-oriented
management can greatly improve their economic and social potential.

2.           Towards an integrated
approach to cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is central to the European Agenda for Culture, making
a significant contribution to all three of its objectives:

· 
promotion of cultural diversity and
intercultural dialogue - because of its intrinsic
and societal value, heritage is a pivotal component

· 
promotion of culture as a catalyst for
creativity – heritage contributes through its
direct and indirect economic potential, including the capacity to underpin our
cultural and creative industries and inspire creators and thinkers

· 
promotion of culture as a vital element of
the Union's international dimension – European expertise
in cultural heritage is highly respected internationally

While policies for maintenance, restoration, accessibility and
exploitation of cultural heritage are primarily national or local
responsibilities, cultural heritage is directly addressed in several EU
policies, including culture, environment, research and
innovation, education, regional policy and customs
cooperation.

To support the European Agenda for Culture, a new generation of EU instruments
has been developed - starting with the Creative Europe and Horizon 2020 programmes
- which need to be better known and mobilised. The EU supports major joint conservation
efforts (for example in the Parthenon and the site of Pompeii)[18], funds cutting-edge
research, and participates in the elaboration of new, more open narratives about
Europe's heritage; it also contributes to raising awareness through prizes and
other initiatives, often in cooperation with civil society.

To strengthen Europe's position in the field of
cultural heritage preservation, restoration and valorisation, there is a need
to:

· 
encourage the modernisation of the heritage
sector, raising awareness and engaging new audiences

· 
apply a strategic approach to research and
innovation, knowledge sharing and smart specialization;

· 
seize the opportunities offered by digitisation;
to reach out to new audiences and engage young people in particular;

· 
identify skills needs and improve the training
of heritage professionals and

· 
continue developing more participative
interpretation and governance models that are better suited to contemporary Europe, through greater involvement of the private sector and civil society.

To achieve these objectives, the European heritage sector needs more
opportunities for larger-scale networking, and peer learning within and between
Member States.

2.1.        Enhancing the intrinsic
and societal value of cultural heritage in order to promote cultural diversity
and inter-cultural dialogue

Research and innovation

Pooling resources in order to apply the latest technologies and
stimulate new scientific approaches can greatly improve the understanding,
preservation and dissemination of cultural heritage.  The EU has long supported
cultural heritage research within the framework of its research framework
programmes, promoting EU excellence in heritage research.

Under the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and
Technological Development, around €100 million were invested in projects
related to key aspects of protection, conservation and
enhancement of cultural heritage, addressing also cultural interactions,
museums, identities and linguistic diversity, cultural landscapes and dedicated
research infrastructures.

The Joint Programming Initiative Cultural Heritage and Global Change is an
innovative and collaborative research initiative that aims to streamline and
coordinate national research programmes in order to enable more efficient and
effective use of scarce financial resources, exploit synergies and avoid
duplication[19].

Horizon 2020 is the new EU Framework
Programme for Research and Innovation, with nearly €80 billion available from
2014 to 2020. It will further reinforce the EU's position in the field of
cultural heritage preservation, restoration and valorisation, supporting cooperation
among researchers across a broad range of themes. Opportunities for
heritage-related research and innovation will be available under all three pillars of the programme:
excellent science, industrial leadership, and societal challenges. The EU will
support the application of cutting-edge science to heritage protection; the
development of more inclusive interpretations of the past; and new methods of
dissemination and knowledge sharing. The European Roadmap for research
infrastructures gives priority to the creation of a new European Digital
Research Infrastructure for the Art and Humanities (DARIAH).[20]

Research and innovation activities will look into the transmission
of European cultural heritage, the changing patterns of identity formation, the
sometimes controversial heritage of European wars, Europe's intellectual basis
and cultural role in the world and the rich European collections of archives,
museums and libraries, tapping into the technological opportunities brought
about by the digital age. Furthermore, research and
innovation is carried out on strategies, methodologies and tools needed to
enable a dynamic and sustainable cultural heritage in Europe in response to
climate change and natural hazards and disasters. Particular emphasis will be placed on converging technologies and on
multidisciplinary research and innovation for
methodologies, products and services in the cultural heritage sector [21].

An EU Research and Innovation policy framework and agenda for
cultural heritage will also be launched, based on the contribution of a high level
expert group looking at innovative and sustainable investment, financing and
management of cultural heritage. It will have a multi-stakeholder approach
focused on society and entrepreneurship, and provide
policy support at EU and Member States level.

The Social Platform on Reflective Societies will also bring together
researchers, stakeholders and policy-makers to address policy issues in a
comprehensive way. The platform will support the Commission in defining  an
innovative and focused research agenda, including on cultural heritage and
cultural expressions in Europe.[22]

Connecting our heritage and making it widely available in the
digital era

The digitisation of heritage contributes to the European Agenda for
Culture, by improving public access to different forms of cultural and
linguistic expressions. Digitising cultural heritage, making it accessible
online, and supporting its economic exploitation are also activities at the
heart of the Digital Agenda for Europe. Digitisation multiplies  opportunities
to access heritage and engage audiences; while digital tools such as 3D
scanning can facilitate the preservation and restoration of physical cultural assets.

The Europeana cultural platform (www.europeana.eu) now
provides access to some 30 million cultural objects from more than 2,500
organisations: the resources of Europe’s cultural institutions are now more
internet-friendly and more widely re-usable. Europeana helps develop and
implement standards and interoperability in this area and provides a space
where culture professionals share digital expertise. It allows Europeans to engage
with their cultural heritage and contribute their own personal experiences,
e.g. in relation to landmark historical events such as World War I.

However, challenges remain: digital cultural content needs to be
properly managed, maintained and preserved; online rights have to be cleared;
and material made available in machine-readable formats, according to open
standards, with minimum resolution, interoperability and rich metadata.

At EU level some of these challenges are addressed by Directive 2003/98
on the reuse of public sector information[23],
while Recommendation 2011/711/EU[24]
on the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and
digital preservation calls on Member States to promote
the availability of databases with rights information, connected at European
level (such as ARROW), and to create the legal framework conditions to underpin
licensing mechanisms for the large-scale digitisation and cross-border
accessibility of works that are out-of-commerce.

A number of EU projects have enabled online access to rare material.
The Europeana Regia project has digitised more than 1,000 rare and
precious manuscripts from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Others focus on the
potential for creative re-use of digital cultural material, such as Europeana
Creative and Europeana Space.

The EU has recognised film as an essential component of European heritage;
the Parliament and Council have therefore recommended to the Member States to
systematically collect, preserve and restore our film heritage and facilitate its
cultural and educational uses[25].
The Commission monitors the application of these recommendations[26] and facilitates
exchange of best practices in the framework of the Cinema Expert Group/Subgroup
Film Heritage[27].
 Film heritage is also central to the new Commission
Communication: European film in the digital era: bridging cultural diversity
and competitiveness[28].

Promoting cooperation, raising awareness, rewarding excellence,
promoting EU flagships and remembrance

Building on the previous EU Culture
programme, the new Creative Europe programme will support cross-border
cooperation to promote the modernisation of the heritage sector. It will also improve
civil society capacity to operate transnationally by supporting networks and
platforms. Since audience development is a key priority of the programme, the
heritage sector will be encouraged to experiment with new ways of reaching more
diverse audiences, including young people and migrants.

The richness of Europe's cultural heritage and
the efforts to protect it deserve to be better known by European citizens. This
is primarily the responsibility of national and local authorities and of the
heritage sector, but the EU also contributes with a number of pan-European
initiatives.

Every year in September in 50 countries
across Europe more than 20 million people enjoy access to thousands of rarely
opened sites and unique events as part of European Heritage Days. This
locally-led initiative is supported jointly by the European Commission and the
Council of Europe.

The EU helps raise heritage awareness through the European Union
Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards which celebrates exemplary
heritage achievements. To date 387 sites and projects have received these prestigious
awards.

The European
Capitals of Culture (ECoC) is another flagship cultural initiative which demonstrates
the potentially large social and economic returns on investing in heritage. Some
ECoC evaluations have found a return of up to 8 euros for each euro spent. The
ECoC title can also create a significant social and economic legacy,
particularly when embedded in a long-term culture- and creativity-led
development strategy (as in Essen, Lille and Genoa).

A special focus for EU action is preserving
the memory of key events in the history of European integration, and in
particular those tragic events – such as those linked to the World Wars– which transcend
the history of individual European states. Started at inter-governmental level,
the European Heritage Label highlights heritage sites that celebrate and
symbolise European integration, ideals and history. It is now a fully-fledged
EU initiative; the first awards were made in April 2014.

The European
Remembrance strand of the Europe for Citizens programme aims to
encourage reflection on the causes of totalitarian regimes in Europe's modern
history. Activities also concern other defining moments and reference points in
recent European history. The strand aims to promote tolerance, mutual
understanding, intercultural dialogue and reconciliation as a means of moving
beyond the past and building the future.

2.2.        A catalyst for creativity
and growth: making greater use of the economic potential of EU cultural heritage

Exploiting
the potential of cultural heritage for local and regional development

The EU's
cohesion and rural development policies can be instrumental in promoting the
restoration of cultural heritage, supporting cultural and creative industries
and financing the training and upgrading of skills of cultural professionals.

Conserving,
promoting and managing cultural heritage is currently well supported under the EU
Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF). In 2007-2013, the European Regional
Development Fund allocated €3.2 billion for protecting and preserving cultural
heritage, €2.2 billion to develop cultural infrastructure and €553 million for
cultural services, which also benefited cultural heritage.

In 2014-2020, ESIF
investments in heritage will remain eligible, under certain conditions, through
direct funding, but also through investment in urban regeneration, sustainable
development and support to small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Under the European
Regional Development Fund investment in culture and heritage should be part
of integrated and sustainable economic development strategies. It can cover a
wide spectrum of activities in the public, non-profit and private sectors (in
particular SMEs), pursuing investments that contribute directly to the fund's
objectives and investment priorities. Investments in small-scale cultural
infrastructure as part of a territorial strategy should contribute both to the
development of endogenous potential and to the promotion of social inclusion
and quality of life, particularly among marginalised communities, by improving
their access to cultural and recreational services in both urban and rural
contexts.

The European
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development will continue supporting the conservation
and upgrading of rural cultural heritage (on which €1.2 billion was invested
from 2007-13), and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund will finance
community-led development projects that promote cultural heritage – including maritime
cultural heritage – in fisheries areas.

Moreover, in
the 2014-2020 programming period, urban-regeneration projects, including
heritage or cultural sites, will continue benefitting from financial
engineering mechanisms (i.e. equity loans or guarantees).  A new Financial
Instruments - Technical Advisory Platform (FI-TAP)) is under preparation to
replace the policy initiative JESSICA (Joint European Support for Sustainable
Investment in City Areas), developed by the European Commission jointly with the
European Investment Bank and in collaboration with the Council of Europe
Development Bank.

Promoting
tourism around European cultural & industrial heritage

The Commission
promotes the development of sustainable, responsible and high-quality tourism,
including products linked with cultural and industrial heritage. In addition to
supporting the Council of Europe's programme on cultural routes, the EU
provides grants for the creation or improvement of  European cultural routes
crossing several countries and joining them in a common narrative, such as the
"EU sky route" aimed at putting Europe on the
Worldwide Tour of Astro-Tourism or the "Liberation
Route Europe" around 1944-45 events. These routes often link together
lesser known destinations, thereby contributing to a diversification of the
touristic offer, and lessening the pressure on other localities.

Europe's rich underwater cultural heritage – shipwrecks and archaeological
sites submerged by rising sea-levels – is largely hidden, in danger through
increasing human activities at sea and its economic potential unrealised. The
Commission has set out plans to make available maps of these sites, protect
them by ensuring that they are included in spatial plans, and realise their
potential for attracting a coastal tourism industry providing less precarious
employment opportunities.[29]

Reviving old
skills and developing new ones

A major problem
faced by the heritage sector is the progressive disappearance of traditional
skills and crafts. Demographic trends compound this situation so there may soon
be a shortage of skilled workers. Newer skills - such as in information
technologies - are in strong demand, but often in scarce supply.

There is a need
to increase the attractiveness of heritage-related professions and to provide more
opportunities for continuous training, taking advantage, for instance, of the
opportunities provided by the European Social Fund.

Building on the
achievements of the Lifelong Learning Programme, the Erasmus+ programme
will provide increased opportunities for learning mobility and tackle skills
gaps by supporting transnational partnerships between businesses, higher
education and vocational education and training institutions. Knowledge
Alliances (for higher education institutions) and Sector Skills Alliances (for vocational
education and training) can help design and deliver curricula that meet the new
needs of different sectors and better link them with the labour market.  The
cultural heritage sector is well placed to take advantage of these initiatives.

Ongoing work on
developing heritage-related occupational profiles within the European
classification of Skills, Competences and Occupations (ESCO) will also
improve the transparency of qualifications and facilitate the cross-border mobility
of specialised workers.

2.3.        Cultural heritage in EU
external relations

Culture is an essential asset of Europe's public diplomacy – we
share our cultural values and funding programmes with our partners, paving the
way for stronger ties between individuals and organisations.

The EU and its Member States are active in multilateral fora and
organisations that address cultural heritage policies, such as the Council
of Europe[30]
and UNESCO[31],
and conduct bilateral dialogues with third countries and regions where heritage
plays an important role.

There is also growing awareness in EU external policy of the risks
to which heritage is exposed, and the benefits of properly designed and
implemented heritage policies for promoting sustainable development, pro-poor growth
and peaceful relations.

This represents an opportunity for EU action beyond the borders of
the Union. There is growing global demand for European expertise in heritage[32] and many Member States
are willing to share their know-how to protect sites and help partner countries
develop sustainable, community-based strategies.

Enhancing tangible and intangible heritage and the fight against illicit
trafficking are priorities for cooperation between the EU and Africa. Heritage-related topics are also addressed in the Asia-Europe Meeting
(ASEM) and in policy dialogues that the Commission conducts with
strategic partners such as China, India, Brazil, and the European Neighbourhood
Policy countries. In the Mediterranean region[33] in the past three
years, EU development aid for the heritage sector has exceeded €70 million. In
South East Europe, the Council of Europe and the European Commission have
jointly implemented the Ljubljana Process[34],
based on the premise that heritage programmes contribute to the stability and
development of democratic, peaceful and free civil societies. Heritage
management is also among the priorities of the Kyiv initiative[35],
involving the countries belonging to the Eastern Partnership.

In future EU development policy, in light of the 2011 Agenda for Change,
heritage interventions will be evaluated based on how they address development priorities
such as the empowerment of civil society in local governance, conflict
resolution and human rights promotion.

3.           The way forward: strengthening
policy cooperation at all levels

Cooperation at EU level can and does make a decisive contribution
towards heritage policies and governance at national and local levels, building
on Article 167 of the TFEU ('bringing...common cultural heritage to the fore') and
setting out a multi-layered, multi-stakeholder framework.

Legislative action has already been taken in areas of EU competence;
for example the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive 2014/52, whose
recent revision strengthens the requirement for Member States to assess the
effects of certain public and private projects on material assets and cultural
heritage. In addition, in the context of the State Aid
Modernisation  programme, aid for culture and heritage conservation are
included as a new category of aid in the new General Block Exemption Regulation
(GBER)[36].
The GBER significantly extends the possibilities for Member States to grant
"good aid" to companies without prior Commission scrutiny, be it in
the form of investment or operating aid.

The next Council Work Plan for Culture starting in 2015
offers the opportunity to step up cooperation between the Member States within
the Open Method of Coordination (OMC). .  EU Ministers for Culture
agreed recently[37]
that heritage should be a priority area for future OMC work. Important issues
in this respect include improving the evidence base for policies, innovations
in heritage management, and the best use of the structural funds and other EU
programmes. Heritage will also feature in the Commission's structured
dialogue with civil society.

In order to ensure the flow of information with the Member States
and civil society and strengthen the interface between national and EU
policies, the Commission is working to improve access to information on EU
policy and programme support for the heritage sector through a detailed mapping
exercise of activities across the Commission services, which is being
published online in parallel with this Communication[38] and which will be
reviewed and updated regularly.

Through the Creative Europe programme, a pilot project promoting peer-learning
among cities and regions is planned, to contribute to the dissemination of
good practices in culture and creative industries, including heritage. The
Commission, in cooperation with the Council of Europe, will also promote
heritage-based and local-led development within the territory of the Union, by identifying new models for multi-stakeholder governance and conducting
on-site direct experimentations.

Finally, heritage has been a significant focus for the biannual European
Culture Forum and will continue to feature in future editions.

4.           Conclusion

This Communication examines what the EU can do to enhance heritage's
intrinsic value and take advantage of its economic and societal potential.  The
European experience shows that it is possible to progress from an appreciation
of the uniqueness of one's own heritage to an interest in and respect for the
heritage of others.

The Commission now invites all stakeholders to jointly look into how
public policies at all levels, including the EU, could better be marshalled to draw out the long term and sustainability
value of Europe's cultural heritage, and develop a more integrated approach to
its preservation and valorisation.

[1]               TFEU 36 allows prohibitions or restrictions on
imports, export or goods in transit for the protection of national treasures
possessing artistic, historic or archaeological value. Directive 93/7/EEC on
the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State was adopted under Article 114 TFEU, to secure the return of cultural objects
which are classified as national treasures within the meaning of Article 36
TFEU. This Directive has now been recast by Directive 2014/60/EU . Council
Regulation (EC) No 116/2009 on the export of cultural goods lays down
provisions to ensure that exports of cultural goods are subject to uniform
controls at the Union's external borders. TFEU Article 107, paragraph 3 (d) provides
that aid to promote culture and heritage conservation
may be considered to be compatible with the internal market, where such aid
does not affect trading conditions and competition in the Union to an extent
that is contrary to the common interest

[2]               COM(2007)242 final and Resolution of the Council of
16 November 2007 on a European Agenda for Culture

[3]               ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/strategic-framework/european-coop_en.htm

[4]               ec.europa.eu/debate-future-europe/new-narrative/pdf/declaration_en.pdf

[5]               The
preparation of this communication has benefited from work done under successive
EU presidencies by the Reflection group "EU and Cultural Heritage",
starting with the Bruges declaration under the 2010 Belgian presidency (www.culture-dev.eu/pdf/fr/DeclarationofBrugesEN.pdf)
and continuing through the 2013 Lithuanian and 2014 Greek presidencies. Important
contributions have also come from the European Heritage Heads Forum and the
European Heritage Legal Forum, as well as  the European Heritage Alliance 3.3.

[6]               Council
conclusions on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe adopted 21 May 2014: register.consilium.europa.eu/doc/srv?l=EN&f=ST%209129%202014%20INIT

[7]               ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/culture-policies/cultural-heritage_en.htm

[8]               www.eenc.info/news/the-social-and-economic-value-of-cultural-heritage-literature-review

[9]               www.fiec.eu/en/library-619/key-figures.aspx

[10]             www.economie.gouv.fr/files/03-rapport-igf-igac-culture-economie.pdf

[11]             hc.english-heritage.org.uk/content/pub/HC-Eng-2010

[12]             www.wttc.org/site_media/uploads/downloads/european_union2014.pdf;
ECB reference exchange rate, US dollar/Euro for 2013 is 1,3281

[13]             epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Tourism_industries_-_economic_analysis

[14]             EUROBAROMETER Survey on the attitudes of Europeans
towards tourism ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/flash/fl_328_en.pdfEUROBAROMETER

[15]             www.europanostra.org/UPLOADS/FILS/Amsterdam_declaration_as%20adopted%20by%20GA_11062011.pdf

[16]             EUROBAROMETER Special Report 399, 2013, on Cultural
Access and Participation: ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_399_en.pdf

[17]             www.enumerate.eu/fileadmin/ENUMERATE/documents/ENUMERATE-Digitisation-Survey-2014.pdf

[18]             The European Investment Bank, in cooperation with
Europa Nostra, also supports the protection of the seven most endangered sites
in Europe, selected annually: www.europanostra.org/7-most-endangered

[19]             www.jpi-culturalheritage.eu/
and www.heritageportal.eu

[20]             ec.europa.eu/research/infrastructures/pdf/esfri-strategy_report_and_roadmap.pdf

[21]             Council Decision 2013/743/EU establishing the specific
programme implementing Horizon 2020

[22]             ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportunities/h2020/topics/2102-reflective-9-2014.html

[23]             Directive 2003/98/EC of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 17 November 2003 on the re-use of public sector information.

[24]             Commission Recommendation 2011/711/EU of 27 October
2011 on the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and
digital preservation

[25]             Recommendation 2005/865/EC on film heritage and the
competitiveness of related industrial activities

[26]             2008, 2010 and 2012 reports available on ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/protection-film-heritage

[27]             ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda/en/cinema-expert-group-subgroup-film-heritage

[28]             ec.europa.eu/culture/library/reports/com272_en.pdf

[29]             COM(2014)254 on innovation in
the blue economy; COM(2013)133 on maritime spatial planning.

[30]             The Council of Europe’s 2011 Framework Convention on
the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society (Faro Convention), innovatively
links the common heritage of Europe to human rights and fundamental freedoms.
It also contains a definition of heritage that has proved highly influential.

[31]             The Hangzhou declaration, adopted at UNESCO's International
Congress “Culture: Key to Sustainable Development” (15-17 May 2013), calls for
the full integration of culture into sustainable development strategies
worldwide and for national policies and programmes to be stepped up in order to
secure the protection and promotion of heritage.

[32]             For instance, cooperation in fighting illicit traffic
of cultural goods, and protection of national archives, are both explicitly
mentioned in the final Declaration of the Fourth EU-Africa Summit, 2-3 April
2014.

[33]             www.euromedheritage.net/

[34]             ec.europa.eu/culture/documents/ce_precatalogue_ljubljana_e.pdf

[35]             www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/cooperation/Kyiv/default_en.asp

[36]             Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014
declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in
application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty

[37]             Council Conclusions on cultural heritage as a strategic
resource for a sustainable Europe, 21 May 2014

[38]             ec.europa.eu/culture/policy/culture-policies/cultural-heritage_en.htm