European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage

The European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage reflects the common set-up for heritage-related activities at European level, primarily in EU policies and programmes. It aims to capture and scale-up the success of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, which aimed at encouraging more people to discover and engage with Europe's cultural heritage, and to reinforce a sense of belonging to a common European space. The Framework for Action complements the Council’s Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022.
The framework proposes around 60 actions be implemented by the European Commission in 2019 and 2020, which focus on five main thematic areas: (1) Cultural heritage for an inclusive Europe: participation and access for all (2) Cultural heritage for a sustainable Europe: smart solutions for a cohesive and sustainable future. (3) Cultural heritage for a resilient Europe: safeguarding endangered heritage (4) Cultural heritage for an innovative Europe: mobilising knowledge and research (5) Cultural heritage for stronger global partnerships: reinforcing international cooperation. Under Pillar 4, Cultural Heritage for an Innovative Europe, there is a cluster of actions that aim at fostering social innovation by reinforcing the role of civil society in cultural heritage governance. These will also promote further experimentation and scientific studies on how participating in cultural heritage activities impacts on people’s well-being and health.
The Framework was proposed by the European Commission and is supported by the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, the Committee of the Regions and the Economic and Social Committee. At national level, the European Commission invites Member States to draw up similar frameworks for heritage on a voluntary basis, to complement the Framework for Action.