POLICY CONTEXT

ENLARGEMENT

At a time of enlargement of the European Union, the role of cultural heritage in reinforcing European identity is particularly important. Such developments lend added importance and a greater sense of urgency for research to be carried out within the protection of cultural heritage. This is because the risk of impact of climate change on European cultural heritage will increase, to the detriment of the education and enjoyment of present and future generations.

The EC Conference on "Cultural Heritage Research: a Pan European Challenge" held in Krakow in May 2002 addressed as one of the most important outputs that West meets East and North meets South in the protection, conservation and valorization of the European cultural heritage, as common problems are faced and there is a need for sustainable solutions.
Effects of climate change are producing damage on cultural heritage in Northern and Southern States, as well as in Eastern and Western ones. Noah's Ark outcomes aim to predict damage and provide mitigation and adaptation strategies for application throughout Europe.

ASSESSMENT OF EU POLICIES ON CULTURAL HERITAGE

There is already a strong and clear context for the future direction of EU policy and research in the field of cultural heritage.

The number of specific references to cultural heritage are reported because of their importance in underpinning research in the field of Protection of cultural heritage and associated conservation strategies, but also in order to stress the lack of specific mention of the effects of global change on cultural heritage:

Community Action Plan In the field of Cultural Heritage (Council Decision - 0.J.941C 235001)

Article 128 of the Treaty Identifies Cultural Heritage as a priority field of action (includes both movable and fixed heritage)through:

• conservation and safeguarding of Cultural Heritage of European significance
• taking Cultural Heritage into account in regional development and job creation; tourism and environmental research

Treaty establishing the European Community (1998)

Article 2

Article 6

Article 163

Sixth Environmental Action Programme [COM (2001) 31 final 2001/0029 (COD)]

• developing a comprehensive approach for EU activities on urban issues
• public authorities in Member States providing data on urban environment issues on a comparable basis; work on the development of urban indicators
• local authorities developing and implementing the Kyoto Protocol's recommendations on Local Agenda 21 initiatives.

Sustainable Urban Development In the European Union: A Framework for Action Com (1998) 605 final of 28.10.98

• Strengthen economic prosperity and employment in towns and cities
• Promote equality, social Inclusion and regeneration in urban areas
• Protect and improve the urban environment: towards local and global sustainability
• Contribute to good urban governance and local empowerment through:
• improve the economic vitality of cities by encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship, raising of productivity and exploitation of new sources of employment to promote a polycentric, balanced urban system.
• more environmental sustainable cities: avoid imposing costs of development to their immediate environment, surrounding rural areas, regions, the planet itself and future generations.
• renovation of the housing stock, measures to reduce pollution and vandalism, and the protection and improvement of buildings and open spaces in run-down areas as well as the preservation of the cultural heritage.
• need to minimise and manage environmental risks such as those posed by landslides, subsidence, earthquakes and floods, as well as technological risks such as those associated with major industrial plants and nuclear power stations.
• resource efficiency (optimising the use of material inputs and non renewable natural resources per unit of output) and circularity (such as the recycling of materials, land and buildings) to reduce environmental impacts and make cost savings".
• " ... promote transport strategies that reduce traffic congestion and will examine ways to improve the regulatory framework for domestic public transport".

European Spatial Development Perspective (10 May 1999)

• economic and social cohesion.
• conservation and management of natural resources and cultural heritage.
• more balanced competitiveness of the European territory through:
  • development of a balanced and polycentric urban system.
  • creation of a new rural-urban partnership.
  • parity of access to infrastructure and knowledge.
  • prudent management and sustainable development of the natural and cultural heritage.

Energy for the Future; Renewable Sources of Energy [COM (97) 599 final]

The Competitiveness of the Construction Industry [COM (97) 539 final]

Ambient air quality assessment and management (Council Directive - 96/62/EC)

• To define and establish objectives for ambient air quality
• To avoid, prevent or reduce harmful effects on human health and the environment as a whole through:
  • 'Levels' on concentration and/or deposition of pollutants (gases and particles)
  • "Limit values" fixed on the basis of scientific knowledge for avoiding, preventing or reducing harmful effects on population, historic heritage ...

The Clean Air for Europe (CAFE) Programme: Towards a Thematic Strategy for Air Quality [Brussels, 04.05.2001 COM(2001) 245 final]

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA Directive - 85/337/EEC and amended EIA Directive 97/11/EC)

• screening (to identify projects that should be subjected to EIA)
• scoping (to identify key issues)
• consideration of alternatives (including a 'no action' alternative)
• description of the proposed development action; identification of key impacts
• prediction of impacts; evaluation and assessment of significance (of predicted impacts)
• mitigation
• public consultation and participation
• presentation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
• review
• post-decision monitoring, and
• environmental auditing.

The European Soil Charter (1972)

• recognised the importance of the soil resource.
• many areas relate to or have an impact on soil protection: planning and regeneration; waste disposal; agriculture; archaeology; minerals extraction.
• since then, European countries have undertaken various activities to protect the soil.
• a workshop, held in Bonn in December 1998, was attended by representatives from the EU member States, EU Accession Countries and Norway and Switzerland. The workshop helped to determine the current status of soil conservation and established a platform for further soil protection activities.
• the first meeting of the European Soil Forum was in November 1999.

The Treaty of the European Union:

1. The Community shall contribute to the flowering of the cultures of the Member States, while respecting their national and regional diversity and at the same time bringing the common cultural heritage to the fore.
2. Action by the Community shall be aimed at encouraging cooperation between Member States and, if necessary, supporting and supplementing their action in the following areas:
• improvement of the knowledge and dissemination of the culture and history of the European people
• conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage of European significance
• non-commercial cultural exchanges
• artistic and literary creation, including in the audiovisual sector.
3. The Community and the Member States shall foster cooperation with third countries and the competent international organisations in the sphere of culture, in particular the Council of Europe.
4. The Community shall take cultural aspects into account in its action under other provisions of this Treaty..?.

HARMONY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION WITH MODERN EC LEGISLATION

POLICY DRIVING FORCES ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• Göteborg : to strengthen the scientific and technological capacities needed for Europe to be able to implement sustainable development.
• Kyoto protocol : EU 8% reduction compared to 1990 of GHG (CO2, CH4, N2O, HFCs, PFCs and SF6) by 2008-12.
• Johannesburg Summit : EU & other states' voluntary undertaking on 15% RES by 2010.

NEW RESEARCH POLICY

• Lisbon : the EU shall become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth, more and better jobs and greater social cohesion over the next decade ERA.

EU ENVIRONMENT POLICY

• The European Topic Centre Air and Climate Change (ETC-ACC) reports for the European Environment Agency (EEA) a baseline scenario in the field of Air Pollution and Climate Change. The indicators for Integrated Assessment of Air Pollution and Climate Change Baselines include the impacts on: Sea level, Ecosystems, Water resources and Health. Cultural Heritage is not mentioned.


• A close co-operation with DG Environment and DG Agriculture is fundamental not only for health, but also for Cultural Heritage conservation. Agriculture and soils have major implications for the long-term preservation of cultural heritage. Cultural heritage research needs to consider the direct effects of soil strategies on the chemistry and biology of buried soils and on the physical structure of buried archaeological deposits.


• EU working programmes on Air pollution (CAFE) and Climate Change (EU Monitoring Mechanism: 2010 GHG projections). The climate change policy will have a huge impact on air quality in certain areas, especially on levels of certain pollutants, including particulate matter. There is thus a need for strong links between CAFE and climate change programmes. Air quality problems and regulations have to take into account the whole chain from urban to regional and global pollution. A long-term strategy is needed, taking into account the persistence of pollutants over very long distances and times like ozone and particulate matter, the interaction of pollutants, climate changes and the potentially massive emissions from developing countries. In conclusion, the climate change policy has a potentially huge influence on air pollution. A dialogue of the CAFE and the climate change initiatives is needed to ensure that their policies will not have adverse effects on the preservation of the built cultural heritage and cultural landscape.


• The Sixth Environment Action Programme of the European Community (Decision No 1600/2002) identifies four environmental areas to be tackled for improvement: Climate Change , Nature and Biodiversity , Environment and Health and quality of life and Natural Resources and Waste.