Cooperation of the member states of the European Union in the field of protection of cultural values: establishment and development

Abstract

The article examines the issue of formation and development of cooperation between the member states of the European Union in the field of cultural property protection. It has been established that over the past several decades there has been a tendency to strengthen the role of culture, including for regional organizations, which is clearly visible in the activities of such an integration association as the European Union, where culture is used as a kind of catalyst for the development and strengthening of dialogue between states. At the same time, the European cultural heritage is a very important part of the common cultural space both for the EU institutions and for the citizens of the member states; and the fact that half of the monuments of the world’s historical heritage are concentrated on the territory of Europe, illustrates the depth and volume of the cultural layer that needs to be preserved, which requires the EU to carry out concerted actions in the field of protection of cultural values. The author draws attention to the fact that the first contractual documents did not provide for a system of norms regarding the cultural sphere, but despite the lack of relevant competences, the EU was forced to deal with cultural issues already at the first stage of its integration. The 1974 recommendation on the protection of the architectural and natural heritage (75/65/EEC) was almost the first document that declared an interest in the protection of cultural values. Later, in the eighties and nineties of the XX century. it is possible to notice the introduction of norms that partially regulate the movement of goods in the field of culture, the growth of society’s activity in the cultural sector, and since the 2000s, systematic measures aimed at the development and support of European culture, which is already considered as the main tool for implementing the EU’s external interaction, have been observed . The last decade is associated with the intensive development of the idea of intercultural dialogue as one of the main paradigms of a single European policy aimed at consolidating the common cultural space in Europe. It was concluded that the formation and development of the unified cultural policy of the EU, including the cooperation of the member states in the field of protection of cultural values, did not have a linear character, and this process is still ongoing. In particular, significant efforts are being made to combat the smuggling of cultural values and the return of cultural values.