RAPHAEL - A cultural heritage programme for Europe
A Community action programme in the field of cultural heritage, the RAPHAEL programme, has been formally established by the European Parliament and Council Decision of 13 October 1997. The new programme, which will run from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2000, is intended to support and supplement, through cooperation, actions of European importance taken by Member States in the field of cultural heritage. The specific objectives of the programme include: - To encourage the conservation and restoration of aspects of the cultural heritage which are of European importance, helping to develop and promote them; - To encourage the development of transnational cooperation between institutions and/or operators in the cultural heritage field, in order to contribute to the pooling of skills and the development of best practice in the preservation of European cultural heritage; - To improve access to European cultural heritage and encourage the active participation of the general public - in particular children, young people, the underprivileged and those living in the outlying and rural areas of the Community - in the safeguarding and development of European cultural heritage; - To encourage transnational cooperation in developing new technologies for application in the various heritage categories and disciplines and in preserving traditional cultural heritage trades and techniques; - To have account taken of the heritage dimension in other Community programmes and policies; - To encourage cooperation with third countries and the relevant international organizations. The programme will dispose of a budget of ECU 30 million for the four-year period covered. Actions will be supported which have a European dimension and which offer added value compared with actions already being carried out in the Member States. The programme is open to participation by the associated countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Cyprus, Malta and other third countries having concluded cooperation agreements with the EU containing cultural clauses. Information concerning procedures and closing dates for the submission of applications under this programme will be published annually in the Official Journal of the European Communities.