Each EU member state is responsible for its own cultural heritage. Nevertheless, the European Union promotes measures to preserve and protect cultural heritage that is of European significance. Diplomatisches Magazin spoke to the Deputy Director General (a.i.) at the European Commission Arturo Caballero Bassedas about these EU programmes.
DM: Mr Caballero Bassedas, why does the EU promote the customs and traditions of its member states?
Arturo Caballero Bassedas: Cultural heritage provides people with a sense of identity and belonging. It is also the reason why cultural heritage becomes a target in times of conflict – as we have seen recently in Ukraine. Intangible heritage is the privilege we are entitled to inherit and the duty we have to preserve it for future generations.
DM: What programmes does the EU use to promote cultural heritage?
Arturo Caballero Bassedas: Preserving customs and traditions is a key objective of the Creative Europe programme, the Commission’s flagship programme to promote the cultural and creative sectors. Creative Europe aims to support the sector’s recovery while promoting its greening and inclusion. The budget of the current Creative Europe programme, which covers the period 2021-2027, has been increased and thus has significantly more support. Some of these programmes are:
- The European Heritage Label. This highlights sites that have played an important role in the history, culture and development of the European Union. The aim of the European Heritage Label: to strengthen citizens’ sense of belonging to the European Union and to promote intercultural dialogue.
- In the framework of the European Heritage Days, the Council of Europe and the European Commission launch annual calls for projects to support communities.
- Twenty-four initiatives and personalities from 18 European countries were honoured with the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards in 2021. In 2022, thirty heritage initiatives from 18 European countries were honoured with this award in a ceremony in Prague.
- We supported the European Cooperation Projects (85 cultural heritage projects) with 47 million euros in the period 2021-2022.
- 1800 cultural workers benefited this year from the new Culture Moves Europe programme, which supports the cross-border mobility of artists and cultural workers in the framework of Creative Europe, 10.7% of them are from the cultural heritage sector.
- Horizon Europe, the EU research programme with a budget of €2.28 billion for research and innovation, also supports the sector, in particular through the New European Bauhaus – the initiative, aims to shape a sustainable and inclusive future by linking science and technology with arts and culture. Through a specific target area focusing on cultural heritage and cultural and creative industries, the programme aims to protect and promote historical sites, monuments, languages, customs and traditions. For example, research that looks at the influence of traditions, values and beliefs on European societies and policies in the 21st century. In addition, research aims to strengthen local languages as carriers of oral expressions and traditions, revive, enhance and promote traditional crafts, strengthen traditional arts and promote European arts, culture and traditions in Europe and abroad. Research also promotes and preserves customs and traditions through projects such as that of cultural tourism in rural and remote areas.
- Cohesion fund: €5 billion of EU funding are earmarked for the period 2021-2027 to promote culture and heritage.
- The flagship Erasmus+ programme focuses on youth, skills and education. In 2018 alone, the European Year of Cultural Heritage, Erasmus+ has allocated almost €92 million to 965 cooperation and mobility projects on cultural heritage.
- An interesting project is still the HeritagePRO project, which aims to exchange best practices in cultural heritage conservation.
- In May 2023, an EU-funded pilot project was launched to create the European Heritage Hub, a large-scale, pan- European heritage project to support the green, social and digital transformation of our society. The European Heritage Hub will initially run until April 2025.
DM: What is the total budget for all these programmes?
Arturo Caballero Bassedas: The total budget for the programmes mentioned above is 35.72 billion
Interview Marie Wildermann
More information can be found in the publication: “Driving a green, digital & innovative European cultural heritage (https://op.europa.eu)