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Www.European-Heritage.Net: The European Heritage Network

By Daniel Thérond - October 2000

Daniel Thérond introduces the European information network on cultural heritage policies (HEREIN project). HEREIN monitors heritage policies in line with the principle of systematic information exchange laid down in the Granada convention on the architectural heritage and the Valetta convention on the archaeological heritage.

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Origin of the Project

The European information network on cultural heritage policies (HEREIN project) originates in the IVth European Conference of Ministers responsible for the Cultural Heritage (Helsinki, May 1996), which recommended setting up a permanent information system for authorities, professionals, researchers and training specialists [1]. The aim, basically, was to establish a kind of information service to monitor heritage policies, in line with the principle of systematic information exchange laid down in the Granada convention on the architectural heritage and the Valetta convention on the archaeological heritage.

The 1996 Council of Europe’s Report on cultural heritage policies already made available a substantial amount of material in printed form. It comprised input from 27 countries plus a summary.

What are HEREIN's aims, who are the partners in the project, and what are the prospects?

Description of the Project

The Aims

Convert the Council of Europe's paper databank on the architectural and archaeological heritage into a system:

• with fast, easy access via the Internet;
• and which the correspondents in the member countries would be able to update speedily and easily by e-mail.

The project, which runs from November 1998 to November 2000, comprises:

• an initial demonstration phase to establish its feasibility and the operational scope, on the basis of a sample of six countries (France, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, Norway and the United Kingdom);
• a second phase with two main aspects to it: preparing the ground for bringing the other Council of Europe member countries into the system; then finalisation of a development plan for the whole project.

The site is basically concerned with national policies, to meet a desire, which authorities have often expressed in recent decades for more information about other countries' practices. Access is by theme, country or database, and the site deals with a number of questions :

Theme 1.Changing perspectives on heritage strategies.
Theme 2.Agents (organisations and people)
Theme 3.Financial policy
Theme 4.Knowledge and protection
Theme 5.Conservation and management
Theme 6.Access and interpretation
Theme 7.Statistical data

In addition to the concise data on each country, the site is also a portal to computerised databanks and to whatever other Internet sites countries wish to make available by setting up links. At the same time, an international working team under British lead is developing a multilingual thesaurus in English, French and Spanish that will clarify the concepts.

The Partners

International co-operation and implementation of activities nationally will increasingly involve a cross-sectoral approach bringing in, in addition to public authorities, business and the voluntary sector, for the concepts of cultural heritage and built environment have widened so much that they can no longer be the sole preserve of a specialist administrative authority.

This is where the European Foundation for Heritage Skills comes in, helping set up European networks and establish machinery for running multilateral projects.

HEREIN can be considered a demonstration project, not only as regards achieving its own aims but also in terms of assembling the administrative and financial components for a European cultural project (Council of Europe and European Union, heritage ministries and public and private partners).

The next stage in the project will naturally consist in widening the circle of partners, adding first of all to the number of participating countries (Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia and Sweden have already joined the Network, their information will be available on-line from September 2000). A system to assist the partners and train future participants is already being put together. The partnership will be having discussions with the European Commission with a view to get financial support for wider extension and dissemination of the HEREIN project.

The training session for new countries held at the European Youth Centre, Budapest

Participants of the training session

The Prospects

• The first stage will be to get the network functioning effectively. Here, one of HEREIN's advantages is that it will provide a shared device, or at least proper co-ordination of responsibilities, for international dissemination of information. This indirect effect of the Council of Europe's action is worth underlining.
• The ministerial conference scheduled for 2001 should be an important opportunity to consolidate and organise the new work structure. Machinery comprising an observatory and various services, which can be attached to it, should bring about great advances in types of European heritage co-operation.
• While the heritage policy databank remains HEREIN's initial aim, European-heritage.net will offer a range of services.

Several topics are suggested looking at the home page:

• The portal, which is available from now proposes access to Internet sites or data banks in a range of European countries dealing with different items: culture, town and country planning, environment research and development, tourism, international co-operation.
• Skills and training – The net will gradually provide information about training opportunities as well as an interactive forum for exchanging information to be developed in conjunction with professionals (example: forum on the conservation of the industrial and XX th century heritage).
• Heritage discovery – for a wider public and the youth. By the end of 2000, the net will be inviting the public to discover different facets of European heritage in what promise to be a fascinating treasure hunt.

We hope to develop all these services through a living and stronger co-operation between national institutions, local partners, professional bodies.

European heritage should therefore usher in a new generation of European co-operation.

The HEREIN Steering Committee group at their last meeting in Oslo, April 2000

A French version of this article is also available.

References

1. European Heritage Net
   URL: <http://www.european-heritage.net/>

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Author Details

Daniel Thérond
Executive Director of the FEMP (European Foundation for Heritage Skills)

daniel.therond@coe.int

For further information contact Nicolas Dautier Nicolas.DAUTIER@coe.int

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For citation purposes:
Thérond, D. "Www.European-Heritage.Net: The European Heritage Network", Cultivate Interactive, issue 2, 16 October 2000
URL: <http://www.cultivate-int.org/issue2/herein/>

Date of Article: 16 October 2000

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