11th February 2012, 03:33 PM
There is a threat to EU funding of cultural heritage research. If you feel strongly about this matter, please consider signing the attached online petition
The case:
'In the proposal of the European Commission for HORIZON 2020 cultural heritage has been omitted completely, thus taking away all the funds previously available for research in this field. This decision has serious consequences, since the whole basis for the conservation of cultural heritage in Europe will be eliminated, probably for many years to come.
Due to continuous EU funding of cultural heritage research since 1986 almost 200 projects have been successfully implemented internationally, making Europe the world leader in this sector.
The research programmes funded in the last decades have built up a unique Europe-wide network for interlinking professional know-how in urgent matters of common interest. Only through research and innovation is it possible to meet the complex challenges involved in protecting our cultural heritage. Research funding provided within the EU Framework Programmes is essential for Europe, as it guarantees the development and implementation of state-of-the-art methods that are urgently required all over Europe not only for the conservation of irreplaceable cultural assets but also for their nurture. Without research, such assets cannot be cared for in the most sustainable manner, leading to the loss of a significant part of our cultural identity and an important economic factor that amounts to 3.3% GDP in Europe and a turnover of 338 billion EUR p.a. from tourism. The exclusion of cultural heritage research from HORIZON 2020 would be a disastrous step backwards for Europe...'
The petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cultu...programme/
The case:
'In the proposal of the European Commission for HORIZON 2020 cultural heritage has been omitted completely, thus taking away all the funds previously available for research in this field. This decision has serious consequences, since the whole basis for the conservation of cultural heritage in Europe will be eliminated, probably for many years to come.
Due to continuous EU funding of cultural heritage research since 1986 almost 200 projects have been successfully implemented internationally, making Europe the world leader in this sector.
The research programmes funded in the last decades have built up a unique Europe-wide network for interlinking professional know-how in urgent matters of common interest. Only through research and innovation is it possible to meet the complex challenges involved in protecting our cultural heritage. Research funding provided within the EU Framework Programmes is essential for Europe, as it guarantees the development and implementation of state-of-the-art methods that are urgently required all over Europe not only for the conservation of irreplaceable cultural assets but also for their nurture. Without research, such assets cannot be cared for in the most sustainable manner, leading to the loss of a significant part of our cultural identity and an important economic factor that amounts to 3.3% GDP in Europe and a turnover of 338 billion EUR p.a. from tourism. The exclusion of cultural heritage research from HORIZON 2020 would be a disastrous step backwards for Europe...'
The petition: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/cultu...programme/
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