RESOLUTION A3-0036/93

Resolution on preserving the architectural heritage and protecting cultural assets

The European Parliament,

-having regard to the following motions for resolutions: B3-0195/89, B3-0198 /89, B3-0379/89, B3-0604/89, B3-0637/89, B3-0031/90, B3-0042/90, B3-0217/90, B3-0269/90, B3-0447/90, B3-0632/90, B3-0879/90, B3-1340/90, B3-1500/90, B3-1865/90, B3-2137/90, B3-1946/90, B3-1947/90, B3-0160/91, B3-0161/91, B3-0201/91, B3-0212/91, B3-0214/91, B3-0256/91, B3-0264/91, B3-0489/91, B3-0524/91, B3-0864/91, B3-0877/91, B3-0878/91, B3-0879/91, B3-1750/91, B3-0244/92, B3-0611/92, B3-0691/92 and B3-1086/92,

-having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community and, in particular, Articles 2, 118, 128 and 130a and 130c thereof,

-having regard to the Solemn Declaration on European Union and, in particular, under the heading 'Cultural Cooperation', the passage on 'joint action to protect, promote and safeguard the cultural heritage',

-having regard to the report on a people's Europe, approved by the European Council in Milan and, in particular, the passage concerning the setting up of voluntary work camps where young people 'of different nationalities and cultures come together ... for a shared experience',

-having regard to the resolutions adopted by the ministers responsible for cultural affairs, meeting within the Council, in particular of 17 February 1986 on the establishment of transnational cultural itineraries, of 13 November 1986 on the protection of Europe's architectural heritage, on business sponsorship of cultural activities and on the conservation of works of art and artefacts, of 27 May 1988 on the future organization of their work and the setting up of a Cultural Affairs Committee combining the normal Community framework and intergovernmental cooperation, and of 2-3 April 1992 in Lisbon on cultural patronage in the European Community,

-having regard to the 1977, 1982 and 1987 Commission communications to the Council on relaunching cultural action in the European Community and the latest Commission communication to the Council, the European Parliament and the Economic and Social Committee on 'New prospects for Community action in the cultural sector' (COM(92)0149) and the Commission's relevant action in this sector,

-having regard to the Treaty on European Union signed at Maastricht on 17 February 1992 and, in particular, Article 3 (Title II) and Article 128 (Title IX) thereof on culture,

-having regard to its previous resolutions of 13 May 1974 on the protection of Europe's cultural heritage, of 8 March 1976 on Community action in the cultural sector, of 18 January 1979 on the Commission communication to the Council on Community action in the cultural sector, of 14 September 1982 on the protection of the architectural and archaeological heritage, of 17 November 1983 on strengthening Community action in the cultural sector, of 15 September 1988 on aid for the reconstruction of the Chiado district of Lisbon, of 28 October 1988 on the conservation of Europe's architectural and archaeological heritage, of 10 September 1991 on cultural relations between the Community and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe and its opinions of 9 June 1992 on the proposal for a Council regulation on the export of cultural goods and of 11 June 1992 on the proposal for a Council directive on the return of cultural objects unlawfully removed from the territory of a Member State,

-having regard to its resolutions of 19 January 1993 on the financial aspects of the proliferation of satellite bodies, and on the setting up and operation of specialized bodies and agencies;

-having regard to the Council of Europe's commitment and major contribution since the 1960s to the protection of heritage which led to the drafting in 1985 in Granada of the Convention on the Protection of Europe's Architectural Heritage,

-having regard to the conclusions of the Council of Europe's third European Conference of Ministers responsible for cultural heritage, held in Malta on 16-17 January 1992, on the architectural and archaeological heritage, the development of pan-European cooperation on the cultural heritage, open to other regions in the world, the priorities of a pan-European project for the cultural heritage based on conservation, technical cooperation, training, sensitivity to the values of the cultural heritage, financing these measures and the conservation of the heritage in war situations,

-having regard to the report drawn up by the Council of Europe on financing the protection of the architectural heritage (December 1991),

-having regard to the International Charter on the Conservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites, signed in Venice in May 1964,

-having regard to the final resolution adopted at the international symposium on the protection of the Armenian architectural heritage on the protection, safeguarding and conservation of the Armenian architectural and cultural heritage (Strasbourg, 14 April 1990),

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture, Youth, Education and the Media and the opinion of the Committee on Budgets (A3-0036/93),

A.whereas, following the ratification of the Treaty on European Union, the legal basis for action in the cultural sector will be strengthened and new prospects will open up for a more unified and coherent approach to the protection of the cultural heritage,

B.whereas, especially in this field, action programmes should be devised in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity and in close cooperation with those concerned,

C.whereas the failure to adopt a coordinated approach owing to the lack of a legal basis and the limited resources allocated to the programmes have meant that the measures taken by the Commission, though in line with the guidelines put forward by the European Parliament in this field, are inadequate and have no real impact on society,

D.whereas the above-mentioned Granada Convention, though not yet signed or ratified by all the Member States, is bringing about a natural process of convergence between national laws,

E.whereas the cultural dimension is one important way of reconciling Man's day-to-day activities with all other aspects of life,

F.whereas aspects specifically linked to the architectural heritage should not be dissociated from those linked to the protection of the cultural heritage in the broad sense,

G.whereas by definition cultural assets 'bear witness to epochs and civilizations' (as referred to in Article 1 of the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage of 1969),

H.whereas, from the cultural point of view, Europe is neither a geographical nor an administrative concept; whereas the European Community cannot be considered in isolation from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, with which it has had, and still has, deep-rooted and vital cultural and historical links,

I.having regard, moreover, to the especially critical situation facing the very rich cultural heritage of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, owing to the increasing physical deterioration of the architectural heritage and large-scale illegal trafficking in works of art, most of which reach the market via the Community,

J.whereas a knowledge and understanding of the cultural and architectural heritage is a fundamental element in defining one's own cultural identity, and whereas the clearer and more balanced that identity, the easier it is to relate and mix with other cultures, particularly those with strong affinities and close links,

K.whereas most forms of cultural expression which have developed in Europe have had a national, and possibly regional, dimension and at the same time a transnational and European dimension,

L.whereas the concept of European citizenship and identity is linked to an awareness of cultural interdependence and of the continuous interaction between the cultures of European nations and the capacity to identify and recognize the common elements of the various European cultural traditions, even in their most disparate forms,

M.whereas the architectural environment in which people live to a large extent determines their notion of space and reality as well as their quality of life,

N.whereas, if European cities are to develop harmoniously, the problems connected with the preservation of architectural heritage must be taken into account when new building work is planned, so that it is necessary to entrust the management and conservation of the heritage to specialists, architects and/or conservators/restorers with specific training of a high standard,

O.whereas the conservation and restoration of the cultural heritage, both movable and immovable, is in practice 'in the hands' of restorers and whereas, despite numerous requests by national federations, this profession is not guaranteed in any Member State as regards either the level of training or access to the profession,

P.whereas the extraordinary social mosaic created over time in the historic centres of our European cities is one of the great riches of our civilization and should therefore be protected,

Q.aware that the conservation and protection of the cultural heritage is of vital historical, economic and social importance with regard not only to works of art but also to rural sites, industrial archaeology and 'minor' objects of social and historical significance,

R.whereas an adequate knowledge and systematic cataloguing of the architectural heritage are an essential basis for any structural and general action in the field of culture, so that priorities can be defined, risk situations can be foreseen and efforts are not wasted,

S.in the belief that conservation of sites entails not only physically safeguarding their environment but preserving all the links which enable the asset to bear witness to epochs or civilizations,

T.whereas the theft of architectural assets and vandalism are, together with other factors, among the most serious causes of the deterioration of the architectural and cultural heritage, a heritage which cannot be replaced,

U.whereas, in the Member States, the protection and safeguarding of heritage is the responsibility of a wide variety of bodies (at central and/or regional administrative level), which generally work in an extremely decentralized and piecemeal fashion,

V.whereas the current economic recession makes it more difficult to finance restoration and conservation measures, and whereas the setting-up of economic projects in the form of patronage and sponsorship should be facilitated and encouraged by legal and tax instruments at international level,

W.whereas the promotion of the architectural heritage represents a significant contribution to economic activity and job creation given that in certain Member States the financial impact of renovation schemes is greater than that of new building projects,

X.whereas a significant proportion of the Community's architectural heritage, varying from one Member State to another, is in the hands of private owners or religious organizations, some of which cannot protect them and are faced with insurmountable financial and tax problems,

Y.whereas the principle of free access to the cultural heritage must be protected, guaranteed and extended to all sections of society and it should therefore be reconciled with a conception of cultural goods as being generally capable of producing at least some of the funding for their own protection and conservation,

Z.whereas the protection and restoration of archaeological remains involve specific problems and questions which must be tackled in a homogeneous and coherent manner, given that these sites (prehistoric, Greek, Punic, Roman, Celtic, etc.) are to be found in various regions of Europe,

AA.having regard to the deliberate destruction of the architectural heritage in war situations such as those currently affecting many towns in the former Yugoslavia, and the resulting terrible loss to civilization in some cases, such as in Dubrovnik, a UNESCO-designated world monument,

1.Calls on the Commission to encourage and introduce every possible form of cooperation and consultation with the Council of Europe, both in drawing up and implementing programmes, while respecting the specific roles of each institution and avoiding duplication;

2.Calls on the Commission to provide a clear and exhaustive assessment of all the measures which it finances in the field of conservation of the architectural heritage outside the scope of the European Historical Monuments and Sites Fund and to carry out its coordination and management role with even greater efficiency;

3.Calls on the Commission to arrange for the funds currently allocated to the European Historical Monuments and Sites Fund to be converted into differentiated appropriations (over 4 years) so that they can benefit from the flexibility and continuity of a genuine multiannual cultural policy and to increase the financial resources allocated to protection of the heritage by adding a new 'defence of cultural heritage' dimension to the other Community policies;

4.Calls on the Commission to promote initiatives, through special measures for undertakings, to preserve craft trades and activities which are essential to the proper restoration of the heritage, and at the same time promote cooperation with industrial sectors producing materials and advanced technology also employed in restoration work;

5.Calls on the Commission to continue its efforts in the sphere of training in conservation-related crafts (DG X) and to examine the possibility of extending the scope of other Community training programmes to cover conservation;

6.Calls on the Commission to study the situation of restorers in the various Member States, in close cooperation with representatives of the profession, so as to assess the possibility of proposing to the Council an organization of the profession of restorer which would provide for various levels of training in order to facilitate freedom of movement in the single market, and to render access to the profession more transparent, particularly so as to guarantee the standard of restoration work on the cultural heritage;

7.Calls on the Commission to consider the possibility of signing the Granada Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage on behalf of the European Community;

8.Calls on the Commission to launch, in cooperation with UNESCO and the Council of Europe, an action programme involving exemplary measures to protect the most important aspects of the cultural heritage in Eastern Europe and/or sites, such as Dubrovnik, damaged or destroyed as a result of war;

9.Calls, further, on the Commission to take urgent measures or steps in the context of cultural cooperation with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe or of the association agreements signed with a number of these countries to promote the rebuilding, restoration and integrated conservation of their cultural heritage, thereby at the same time fostering their economic, social and cultural development; such measures should include technical assistance, inventorization, training seminars (in fields such as technology, craftsmanship, the law and management) and exchanges between professionals, all in close cooperation with the Council of Europe;

10.Calls on the Commission to study the possibility of a mechanism at Community level which, in cooperation with the governments of the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, would facilitate exhaustive checks at common borders with a view to preventing the illegal export of works of art from those countries to the Community, and a mecanism for devolving powers or meeting commitments in the event of such assets being nonethless illegally imported into the Community;

11.Calls on the Commission to assess the desirability of setting up networks of regional, national or international centres or institutes (many of which already exist), as scientific reference points, coordinated at European level by a European Heritage Observatory, with the following responsibilities:

-marshalling the available information and documentation in order to facilitate changes of information and experience and in order to identify any lacuna or duplication;

-providing legal advice on heritage legislation in Eastern European countries;

-assessing and improving prevention measures, in particular concerning pollution problems;

12.Calls on the Council to make a firm statement on the importance of the cultural dimension and the protection of the architectural and cultural heritage within the process of European integration and back this up by substantially increasing the resources allocated to this sector and encouraging major initiatives;

13.Calls on the Council to set aside time in 1993 to discuss with the relevant ministers the problems of heritage preservation, in particular to consider whether it is desirable to:

-develop a European listing system of monuments and sites on the basis of common definitions and identification criteria, having regard to discussions on the subject already taking place within the Commission;

-approximate the methods of inventory compilation, having regard to the work already done by the Council of Europe;

-draw up a list of stolen and damaged architectural assets to facilitate efforts to recover or restore them;

-define principles and priorities for Community action;

14.Calls on the Council to take carefully considered and concerted action at European level to list the remains of the concentration camps as part of the historical heritage of Europe and the world in order to preserve knowledge of the facts for future generations, and also in order to draw up a full inventory of archives of totalitarian repressive regimes, which are known only in distorted forms and are difficult of access;

15.Calls on the Council, with the assistance of the Commission, to take all the necessary measures to promote, through tax incentives, credit facilities or other legal or administrative instruments, all forms of public and private patronage and partnership in projects for the conservation of the architectural and cultural heritage and, in cooperation with the Council of Europe, the EIB and the EBRD, to assess the feasibility of an international legal instrument;

16.Calls on the Council to encourage the granting of tax incentives and credit facilities to private owners of cultural assets, non-profit-making organizations and NGOs active in this sphere;

17.Calls on the Council, through the school curriculum, to encourage, promote and increase awareness of the cultural and architectural heritage as an element of identity and solidarity between peoples and to promote all forms of education and information on the cultural heritage through the media;

18.Calls on the Council to obtain agreement between the Member States and those receiving Community funding on a set of restoration and conservation rules, mostly contained in the Venice Charter and the Granada Convention, the most important being:

(a)protection of works of art, historic items of social importance and rural sites,

(b) maintenance of a site's original features,

(c)maintenance of the urban or rural environment in which the object is situated, by means of an integrated preservation concept,

(d)rigour in historical research in order to avoid arbitrary restoration;

(e)respect for and protection of persons resident in urban and rural historic sites and the social mosaic which has developed on those sites, with incentives to guarantee their preservation,

(f)centralization and dissemination of documentation;

19.Calls on those Member States which have not yet done so to ratify as soon as possible the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the means of prohibiting and preventing the illicit import, export and transfer of ownership of cultural property;

20.Calls on the Member States' national parliaments to sign and ratify the European Convention on the Conservation of the Architectural Heritage (Granada 1985) and the European Convention on the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage (Malta 1992);

21.Calls on the Member States' national parliaments to continue and consolidate their efforts to catalogue monuments and sites with a view to increasing public awareness and enhancing the preservation of architectural heritage;

22.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council, the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the Council of Europe.