Cultural heritage as a factor in economic development

Europe's cultural heritage is a precious asset in economic terms too.

With this in mind, the Union is supporting projects in the field of vocational training, regional development and the use of digital content relating to culture. As a valuable resource shared by everyone, cultural heritage is protected at both national and European levels.

Training of heritage professionals
Cultural heritage: regional development and employment
Promoting cultural heritage through technology
Working together to combat trafficking in cultural goods

Training of heritage professionals
In its resolution of January 2001 on the application of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in the Member States of the European Union, the European Parliament highlights the importance of providing training in heritage restoration work as well as arts and crafts and traditional occupations.

The Culture 2000 programme, through the annual projects and cooperation agreements for which it provides funding, promotes the mobility and training of those working in the field of cultural, archaeological and architectural heritage. Similarly, the Leonardo da Vinci programme supports projects which provide training in traditional occupations such as glassmaking. Under the national programmes financed through the European Social Fund, action is also being taken to provide training in the field of cultural heritage, for instance in the restoration and conservation of historical photographs.

Cultural heritage: regional development and employment
The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provides financial assistance for heritage restoration projects which form part of regional development programmes, innovative action and Community activities within the URBAN initiative - which covers urban areas in crisis - and the INTERREG initiative, which promotes regional cooperation across the EU in various fields, including urban development.

The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), which supports rural development projects, and the LEADER initiative also provide financial assistance for the renovation and development of buildings, cultural sites, movable property and objects, as, for example, in the project to revitalise the Welsh county of South Pembrokeshire. The SAPARD programme fulfils the same function for the enlargement countries.

A great many activities to promote cultural heritage are also supported by the Union through its policy to promote tourism and through the LIFE III programme, which contributes to the Union's environmental policy by facilitating the development of places of natural and cultural heritage and their management as tourist sites. Tourism is an important factor for social cohesion, economic growth and regional development. Europe is the number one tourist destination due to its rich and varied cultural heritage.

In 2002 a study was published on the subject of natural and cultural heritage and the way it influences long term development of tourism to non traditional tourist destinations.
In 1997, the European Commission initiated efforts to conduct an overall assessment of urban development and set up an Urban Forum and an Expert Group on the Urban Environment. This led to the adoption in 2001 of a Decision of the Council and of the Parliament establishing a Community framework for cooperation to promote sustainable urban development, which will cover cultural, tourist and leisure activities associated with cultural heritage.

Promoting cultural heritage through research and technology
Technology plays a role in facilitating the restoration and conservation of cultural heritage as well as access to it.
In the fifth EU framework programme for research and technological development(1998-2002) and its subprogramme "Environment and sustainable development, the action "The City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage" has financed researches on the restoration, the conservation and the development of cultural heritage in cities. A third of this budget was devoted to the identification and evaluation of damages of the movable heritage as well as the built heritage. Certain projects of this action launched at the end of the fifth framework program will finish in 2006.
Moreover, the Eurocult21 project under the action "The City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage" develops tools which allow local authorities to improve and consolidate their urban cultural policies.

As part of the research programme to promote a User-Friendly Information Society, work is carried out to explore how digital technologies can be used in projects relating to the enhancement and management of cultural heritage. The TEN-Telecom programme is geared more to the business sector and fosters the use of on-line services in areas of common interest, such as culture and access to heritage.

The sixth framework programme for research and technological development (2002-2006) includes a priority "Support to the other EU policies" which includes in particular one activity of research in the field of the cultural heritage. The sixth framework programme also finances under its international cooperation programme, certain research projects in the field of cultural heritage with partners from Mediterranean countries.

Finally, the eContent programme seeks to encourage the sale of digital content and the creation of multimedia information systems, some of which may relate to cultural heritage. The programme also aims to widen access to digital content by promoting linguistic diversity on worldwide networks such as the Internet.

Working together to combat trafficking in cultural goods
Like anything else of value, cultural goods are stolen not only by individuals working alone but also by organised traffickers. The protection of national treasures is primarily the responsibility of the Member States (Article 30 of the Treaty). However, given that goods can be transported without any customs controls between the Member States within the internal market a common framework is needed to ensure the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State (Council Directive of 1993, and for the export of cultural goods to third countries (Council Regulation of 1992).

There are several European Commission initiatives concerning this issue:
The Guidelines for Administrative Cooperation between the Competent Authorities provides all necessary information for implementing and developing administrative cooperation on national level in the field of protection of cultural goods in the Community.
Moreover, the European Commission undertook an analysis of the feasibility of including stolen cultural goods into the second generation of the Schengen Information System (SIS II).
Besides, the European Commission launched a study on the traceability of cultural goods. It proposes different ways to gradually improve the system for protecting cultural heritage, in particular during the transfer from one Member State to another Member State.

Activities Architecture Visual arts Cinema and audiovisual media Dance Education and training in the arts Books Music Cultural heritage As a vehicle of cultural identity As a factor in economic development Theatre Events Events National Cultural sites	Europe in action National Cultural sites Financing Activities Cultural heritage as a factor in economic development Europe's cultural heritage is a precious asset in economic terms too. With this in mind, the Union is supporting projects in the field of vocational training, regional development and the use of digital content relating to culture. As a valuable resource shared by everyone, cultural heritage is protected at both national and European levels. Training of heritage professionals Cultural heritage: regional development and employment Promoting cultural heritage through technology Working together to combat trafficking in cultural goods Training of heritage professionals In its resolution of January 2001 on the application of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in the Member States of the European Union, the European Parliament highlights the importance of providing training in heritage restoration work as well as arts and crafts and traditional occupations. The Culture 2000 programme, through the annual projects and cooperation agreements for which it provides funding, promotes the mobility and training of those working in the field of cultural, archaeological and architectural heritage. Similarly, the Leonardo da Vinci programme supports projects which provide training in traditional occupations such as glassmaking. Under the national programmes financed through the European Social Fund, action is also being taken to provide training in the field of cultural heritage, for instance in the restoration and conservation of historical photographs. Cultural heritage: regional development and employment The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) provides financial assistance for heritage restoration projects which form part of regional development programmes, innovative action and Community activities within the URBAN initiative - which covers urban areas in crisis - and the INTERREG initiative, which promotes regional cooperation across the EU in various fields, including urban development. The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF), which supports rural development projects, and the LEADER initiative also provide financial assistance for the renovation and development of buildings, cultural sites, movable property and objects, as, for example, in the project to revitalise the Welsh county of South Pembrokeshire. The SAPARD programme fulfils the same function for the enlargement countries. A great many activities to promote cultural heritage are also supported by the Union through its policy to promote tourism and through the LIFE III programme, which contributes to the Union's environmental policy by facilitating the development of places of natural and cultural heritage and their management as tourist sites. Tourism is an important factor for social cohesion, economic growth and regional development. Europe is the number one tourist destination due to its rich and varied cultural heritage. In 2002 a study was published on the subject of natural and cultural heritage and the way it influences long term development of tourism to non traditional tourist destinations. In 1997, the European Commission initiated efforts to conduct an overall assessment of urban development and set up an Urban Forum and an Expert Group on the Urban Environment. This led to the adoption in 2001 of a Decision of the Council and of the Parliament establishing a Community framework for cooperation to promote sustainable urban development, which will cover cultural, tourist and leisure activities associated with cultural heritage. Promoting cultural heritage through research and technology Technology plays a role in facilitating the restoration and conservation of cultural heritage as well as access to it. In the fifth EU framework programme for research and technological development(1998-2002) and its subprogramme "Environment and sustainable development, the action "The City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage" has financed researches on the restoration, the conservation and the development of cultural heritage in cities. A third of this budget was devoted to the identification and evaluation of damages of the movable heritage as well as the built heritage. Certain projects of this action launched at the end of the fifth framework program will finish in 2006. Moreover, the Eurocult21 project under the action "The City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage" develops tools which allow local authorities to improve and consolidate their urban cultural policies. As part of the research programme to promote a User-Friendly Information Society, work is carried out to explore how digital technologies can be used in projects relating to the enhancement and management of cultural heritage. The TEN-Telecom programme is geared more to the business sector and fosters the use of on-line services in areas of common interest, such as culture and access to heritage. The sixth framework programme for research and technological development (2002-2006) includes a priority "Support to the other EU policies" which includes in particular one activity of research in the field of the cultural heritage. The sixth framework programme also finances under its international cooperation programme, certain research projects in the field of cultural heritage with partners from Mediterranean countries. Finally, the eContent programme seeks to encourage the sale of digital content and the creation of multimedia information systems, some of which may relate to cultural heritage. The programme also aims to widen access to digital content by promoting linguistic diversity on worldwide networks such as the Internet. Working together to combat trafficking in cultural goods Like anything else of value, cultural goods are stolen not only by individuals working alone but also by organised traffickers. The protection of national treasures is primarily the responsibility of the Member States (Article 30 of the Treaty). However, given that goods can be transported without any customs controls between the Member States within the internal market a common framework is needed to ensure the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State (Council Directive of 1993, and for the export of cultural goods to third countries (Council Regulation of 1992). There are several European Commission initiatives concerning this issue: The Guidelines for Administrative Cooperation between the Competent Authorities provides all necessary information for implementing and developing administrative cooperation on national level in the field of protection of cultural goods in the Community. Moreover, the European Commission undertook an analysis of the feasibility of including stolen cultural goods into the second generation of the Schengen Information System (SIS II). Besides, the European Commission launched a study on the traceability of cultural goods. It proposes different ways to gradually improve the system for protecting cultural heritage, in particular during the transfer from one Member State to another Member State.	Europe in action Cultural cooperation Cultural industries Access to culture The culture professionals Cultural facilities Linguistic diversity Regulatory aspects International relations Intercultural Dialogue Cultural Diversity Financing European Commission: Information Society and Media Education and Culture Agriculture Enlargement Employment and Social Affairs Environment Fisheries Regional Policy Research European Development Fund European Investment Bank
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Last update: 03-05-2006