Call for a strategic, global and integrated approach in the field of cultural heritage for encouraging smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and making full use of European funding earmarked for cultural heritage;
Support the proposed reform measures and actions at EU, MS, local and regional level to fully use the potential of cultural heritage as a way to promote territorial and socio-economic development;
Recall the core elements from CoR former opinions (especially the Opinion on Cultural and Creative Sectors for Growth and Jobs ) that have been reflected in COM communication;
Add further elements relevant from LRAs' perspective in order to develop LRAs' involvement in the implementation and (re)design of the proposed integrated approach.
The EP report adopted on 8 September 2015 makes reference to the CoR Opinion in its Preamble.
The EP report also mentions the importance of cultural heritage for local and regional development and "Encourages Member States to work together with regional and local authorities in order to maximise the value of cultural heritage in our societies and its contribution to jobs and growth in the EU" (point 28 in EP report).
It also "highlights the fact that ERDF cultural heritage projects are a practical example of multilevel governance and of the principle of subsidiarity and represent an important element of ERDF spending; stresses the importance of cross-border cultural projects that contribute to increasing economic and social cohesion and encourage inclusion" (point 18 in the EP report / similar para. 3 and 45 in CoR Opinion).
Morevor, several other aspects highlighted in the CoR Opinion can be found in the EP report:
an [integrated] approach can lead to enhanced social, economic and territorial cohesion, while also contributing to the fulfilment of the goals set in the Europe 2020 strategy (point 2 in EP report / para. 28 and 4 respectively in CoR Opinion);
to designate [...] a European Year of Cultural Heritage, with an adequate budget and with the aim, amongst other things, of disseminating and increasing awareness and education among future generations in respect of the values of the European cultural heritage and its protection (point 3.(c) in EP report / para. 35 in CoR Opinion);
Asks the Commission to
(a) set up a single EU portal dedicated to tangible and intangible cultural heritage, bringing together information from all the EU programmes funding cultural heritage and structured around three main aspects: a database of tangible and intangible cultural objects, including examples of best practices in preservation and promotion with all relevant references; funding opportunities for cultural heritage (point 7.(a) in EP report / para. 9 in CoR Opinion);
(d) encourage public-private partnerships (point 7.(d), 15, 18 , 67 in EP report / para. 14, 15, 23 in CoR Opinion);
Welcomes the Council’s initiative of drafting guidelines for the new participatory governance models for the field of cultural heritage, by promoting the ‘shared resource’ aspect and strengthening links between local, regional, national and European plans (point 14 in EP report / para. 45 in CoR Opinion);
Recognises that cultural heritage plays a vital role in several of the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives, such as the Digital Agenda, the Innovation Union, the Agenda for New Skills and Jobs and the industrial policy for the globalisation era; calls, therefore, for greater recognition of the role of European cultural heritage as a strategic resource for smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth in the mid-term review of the Europe 2020 strategy (point 23 in EP report / para. 16 in CoR Opinion);
Underlines the possibility of focusing more strongly on cultural tourism in developing macro-regional strategies designed to make it a more integral part of the strategic framework for European cooperation (point 26 in EP report / para. 28 in CoR Opinion);
calls on the Commission to propose a set of indicators that could be used for monitoring and evaluation of the situation of cultural heritage and that would be uniform for all Member States (point 33 in EP report / similar idea in para. 34 in CoR Opinion);
Recognises the urgent need to address youth unemployment, and stresses that cultural heritage is an area with potential for more and better employment, where the bridge between education and working life can be strengthened, for example through the development of quality apprenticeships, traineeships and start-ups in SMEs and the social economy (point 35 in EP report / similar ideas in para. 19, 33 in CoR Opinion);
Draws attention to the need to create, develop and promote opportunities for mobility and exchange of experiences for those working in the cultural heritage sector (point 39 in EP report / similar call in para. 30 in CoR Opinion);
Highlights the potential of the digitisation of cultural heritage, both as a tool for preserving our past and as a source for education research opportunities, quality job creation, better social inclusion, wider access for disabled people or people living in remote areas, and sustainable economic development (point 45 in EP report / similar aspects in para. 29, 30 in CoR Opinion);
Highlights the importance of improving accessibility to cultural heritage sites for people with disabilities (point 56 in EP report / included in para. 39 in CoR Opinion);
Emphasises the role that cultural heritage plays in the Union’s external relations through policy dialogue and cooperation with third countries, and calls on the Member States, the Commission and the Council to revitalise cultural diplomacy (point 47 in EP report / para. 70 in CoR Opinion).
At the opening of the European Culture Forum in Brussels on 19 April 2016, Commissioner Navracsics announced that "the European Commission will present a proposal to make 2018 the European Year of Cultural Heritage."
In its Opinion, the CoR supported the calls for "consideration to be given to a European Year of Cultural Heritage", considering that this would "contribute to the attainment of shared goals in the pan-European context".
THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS
- underlines the fact that cultural heritage is a cornerstone of local, regional, national and European identity and it can help shape the face of municipalities, cities, towns and regions and significantly help to achieve the Europe 2020 strategy goals and strengthen social cohesion;
- recommends encouraging the involvement of private capital, which requires both introducing tax incentives and shaping responsible public opinion on preserving tangible and intangible heritage;
- firmly believes that cultural heritage is a powerful driver of local and regional development for the whole of the population, and creates significant material assets thanks to the promotion of sustainable, responsible, high-quality cultural tourism;
- stresses the need to make cultural assets and services accessible to all, by reducing inequalities of opportunity between rich and poor, urban and rural, young and old, and disabled people;
- recommends rewarding the best cultural heritage protection practices that emerge from partnerships and cooperation between local authorities, which will also help to strengthen the identity of the European Union;
- welcomes and supports the conclusions of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council of 25 November 2014, which call for consideration to be given to a European Year of Cultural Heritage. This would contribute to the attainment of shared goals in the pan-European context.