Here we include summaries of some developments that we are aware of that may be of interest to members. Follow the links to read more detail.
EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026 adopted
On 29 November, the Council of Culture Ministers of the EU adopted a Resolution on the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026. It sets out priorities to address the main challenges facing the cultural and creative sectors today and corresponding actions to address them.
The implementation will involve close cooperation between the Member States, the Commission and the Presidencies of the Council. Among the priorities related to cultural heritage are:
- enhancing participation in culture and cultural heritage, creativity and the arts
- preparing cultural heritage and the cultural and creative sectors for future challenges, including climate change
- supporting innovation in the cultural and creative sectors, digital transformation and the accessibility of culture and cultural heritage in the digital space, in order to contribute to the sustainability transformation needed to meet the objectives of the European Green Deal and the 2030 Agenda
- and cultural co-creation in order to underpin and communicate our European values, including artistic liberties and cultural rights, in large parts of the world
Specific actions will be carried out in relation to the priorities identified, in the form of conferences, workshops, peer-learning activities, ad hoc expert groups, to name just a few.
New report on culture for sustainable development in EU actions On 9 December, the European Commission published a report on the cultural dimension of sustainable development in several present and upcoming EU policies, programmes and initiatives, such as sustainable cultural tourism, the protection of our cultural heritage, and the New European Bauhaus and its cross-cutting objectives.
This report follows an invitation in the Council’s Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022 for an action plan in this field. The report builds upon the results from UNESCO’s MONDIACULT 2022 conference (which called for culture to be included as a specific objective in its own right among the next United Nations Development Goals) and reconsiders the current role of cultural policies in the EU, and how aligned they are with the Union’s commitment to deliver on the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
A core message of renowned experts is that the challenges the EU faces linked to sustainable development require greater policy coherence between cultural policies and sustainable development strategies at different levels of policy making in Europe. The report suggests that a common approach, in the form of an EU strategic framework for culture, would strengthen the effectiveness of public policies on culture. The report complements the recommendations of EU Member States’ experts on the cultural dimension of sustainable development of 20 September 2022, and it follows the new EU Work Plan for Culture 2023-2026. Read the full report here.
Adoption of EU Action Plan against trafficking in cultural goods
On 13 December, the European Commission adopted the EU Action Plan against trafficking in cultural goods. The Action Plan aims to provide a clear, comprehensive and effective framework to the EU contribution to the fight against trafficking of cultural goods in the years 2023-2025.
The action plan focuses on four strategic objectives:
- it proposes how to improve prevention and detection of crimes by market participants and cultural heritage institutions
- it lists actions aiming to strengthen law enforcement and judicial capabilities
- it proposes how to boost international cooperation on combatting illicit trade
- it announces measures to raise awareness amongst other key stakeholders to protect cultural goods from crime
The document not only outlines the actions to be implemented by the EU but it also encourages the Member States to put in place solutions to curb trafficking in cultural goods.
Winner and finalists of the Religious Heritage Innovator of the Year
Future for Religious Heritage (FRH) is delighted to announce the 2022 winner and four finalists of the Religious Heritage Innovator of the Year. The award launched on 9 May 2022 with the aim of celebrating excellence and highlighting best practices in the protection, enhancement and promotion of European sacred heritage. The first edition has been dedicated to the theme of sustainability, one of the five pillars of the European Commission’s Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage.
The five selected projects exemplify the different facets of sustainability and demonstrate that innovation does not have to be digital. FRH hopes that these noteworthy examples will serve as an inspiration to the cultural sector and as evidence of the efforts that heritage organisations are making to ensure a more sustainable future for cultural religious heritage.
The Award Ceremony of the Religious Heritage Innovator of the Year will take place in Lund, Sweden, on 21 April 2023 during the 2023 FRH Biennial Conference European Sustainable Religious Heritage.
Increase the social impact of your museum with new tool MOI Framework
The MOI! Museums of Impact project (2019-2022) has developed the MOI Framework to help museums discuss, evaluate, and choose development goals to increase their impact in society. It complements already existing models of quality requirements and impact measuring by focusing on internal capacity development in museums, helping organisations to take control of their own impact.
NEMO has been part of developing the framework and they are proud to host it on their website at: www.ne-mo.org/museumsofimpact
The free to use framework and tools are currently available in English and Eesti (Estonian). German, Italian and Icelandic translations will soon be made available. Find out more in this press release issued by MOI! Museums of Impact.
To cite this article: IE News Team (2022) ‘Round-up of European policy and news’ in Interpret Europe Newsletter 4-2022, pg.23-24
Available online: https://interpret-europe.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Newsletter-2022_4-winter.pdf
