New technologies bring cultural heritage sites back to life. Virtual museums offer visitors the possibility to see art works in context and experience objects or sites inaccessible to the public.
The European Commission Directorate General for Communications Networks, Content & Technology has conducted extensive policy coordination and funding actions to supplement Member States’ cultural policy. These actions cover the areas of digitisation, online access to cultural material and digital preservation.
The role of the European Commission
The European Commission fuels the policy debate and brings stakeholders together to improve the framework conditions for digitisation and digital preservation. It does so through its Recommendation on the digitisation and online accessibility of cultural material and digital preservation (.pdf).
The European Commission's Expert Group on Digital Cultural Heritage and Europeana (DCHE) monitors progress towards the implementation of the Commission's Recommendation. The DCHE works with cultural institutions to enrich Europeana. It also facilitates the exchange of information and good practices.
Current funding instruments
Actions under Horizon 2020 Societal Challenges 6 programmes for 2014-2020 have supported the following topics with an EU funding of around €70 million:
- curation of digital assests and advanced digitisation (2018)
- European cultural heritage, access and analysis for a richer interpretation of the past (2017)
- cost-effective technologies for advanced 3D modelling to enhance the understanding of cultural heritage and Innovation Ecosystems of Digital Cultural Assets, Virtual Museums (2014-2016)
Latest
The Commission launched this week a European competence centre aiming to preserve and conserve European Cultural Heritage. The centre, which will work for a period of three years, has been granted up to €3 million from the Horizon 2020 programme. It will set up a collaborative digital space for cultural heritage conservation and give access to repositories of data, metadata, standards and guidelines.
The Commission has adopted an Action Plan to support the recovery and transformation of the media and audiovisual sector. These sectors, particularly hit by the coronavirus crisis, are essential
for democracy, Europe's cultural diversity and digital autonomy.
After the success in 2019 with more than 15.000 people participating, ‘A Season of Classic Films’ is back in 2020 for its second edition.
The Commission has opened a public consultation on the opportunities offered by digital technologies for the cultural heritage sector. Stakeholders and all interested people are invited to provide feedback on the Recommendation of 2011 on digitising cultural material and digital preservation. The aim is to propose a more appropriate policy instrument to support the digital transformation of cultural heritage.
Related Content
Big Picture
The Commission is defending European media and digital culture with policies that empower citizens and encourage media pluralism.
Dig deeper
The Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee Facility helps businesses in the cultural and creative sectors to scale up and become more competitive.
The Europeana platform is Europe’s digital cultural collection for responsible, accessible, sustainable and innovative tourism.
The Digital Cultural Heritage and Europeana Expert Group is a forum for cooperation in digitisation, and online cultural material and preservation.
See Also
These days we can watch our favourite programmes not just on TV, but also online. These shows are subject to the rules of the single market.
The European Commission is adapting EU copyright rules to new consumer behaviours in a Europe which values its cultural diversity.
The European Union upholds media freedom and pluralism as pillars of modern democracy and enablers of free and open debate.