Cultural heritage in EU policies

2018 is devoted to the European Union's cultural heritage. This paper focused on the evolution of the very notion of cultural heritage, its role and place in society, as well as the way it was perceived and interpreted in the context of related EU prerogatives.

The European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018 was a result of this evolution, and allowed EU citizens to gain a broad understanding of their cultural heritage in all its aspects, democratically share responsibility for it, celebrate it and benefit from the creation it inspired.

Despite the fact that the EU had limited powers in respect of cultural heritage – the role of the European institutions was generally limited to financial support, coordination of joint projects and efforts, and sharing of knowledge – it had contributed to raising awareness about preservation, conservation and restoration issues, technological research (for example 3D reconstructions) and scientific progress in technological solutions.

Furthermore, the EU had become an international expert in the field. Cultural heritage had been taken into consideration in numerous EU funding programmes, which had allowed Member States to undertake action to revive their national or local heritage, keep their traditions and crafts, and thereby develop their cultural tourism.

The European Parliament had adopted resolutions highlighting, inter alia, the dangers from which cultural heritage was to be protected both in the EU and the world, and underlining the necessity to address trafficking and looting of cultural heritage artefacts, the protection of cultural heritage, including traditional crafts, and the role of cultural heritage in sustanainable tourism.

• Primary Source

European Union: European Year of Cultural Heritage https://europa.eu/cultural-heritage/

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