European Union Culture Preservation Initiative

The concept of care and restoration of cultural heritage was formally crystallized with a European Parliament resolution in 1974. From this beginning, the European Commission’s environmental research programs have supported and managed cultural heritage research within the framework of the European Union. Almost 20 years later, in 1993, the European Union Treaty specified in Article 167 that safeguarding moveable and immoveable cultural heritage of European significance must be treated as a priority. The article also included a legal basis for protection initiatives including research and development on cultural heritage.

To date, about 120 projects have been supported in different cultural fields involving more than 500 stakeholder organizations from all European countries and using a range of strategies. This entry discusses the goals and programs of the ...