Protecting cultural heritage by protecting conservators’ title

Abstract

« Art. L. 117-2. - The implementation of conservation-restoration measures and actions, as well as the performance of project management, consulting, and expertise missions in the Þeld of conservation-restoration, fall within the competencies of professionals, known as conservators-restorers, qualiÞed in the Þelds of preventive conservation, curative conservation, and restoration. 
 “Only persons holding a Master’s degree, issued by an approved training institution under conditions laid down by regulation, certifying speciÞc cultural, scientiÞc and technical training in conservation-restoration may use the title of “conservator-restorer” in their professional practice."
 These two paragraphs, constituting the article L. 117-2 of the bill [1] tabled by MP Raphaël Gérard1 on the 25th of January 2022, give substance to the long-standing demand by the profession, in France and in other European Union countries, that a name has to be given to conservator-restorers. It speciÞes that only natural persons with a Master’s degree in conservation-restoration of tangible cultural heritage could use this protected title.
 The explanatory memorandum of this bill summarises the indisputable reasons why cultural heritage must be taken care of by professionals recognised as having the necessary qualiÞcations, recalling the content of the report “Our Creative Diversity”, published in 1996 by the World Commission on Culture and Development, under the aegis of UNESCO, which states that “cultural property is a resource that constitutes a fragile, non-replaceable asset, the risk of loss of which necessitates the implementation of measures commensurate with the stakes involved in safeguarding it for society as a whole”.
 The creation of a protected title for conservator-restorers, therefore, represents a major step in the reinforcement of policies for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage since, at present, anyone can call themselves a conservator-restorer, without necessarily having the qualiÞcations or skills. The protection of this title also brings expectations of a social nature since it will undeniably favour the structuring of a profession, 76% of which is currently practiced by self-employed people in France, and which is, after all, a recent profession in the history of cultural heritage conservation.