1. Contribution of rural areas to 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage
5 June 2018
Rodolphe de Looz-Corswarem
Executive President of the European Historic Houses Association

2. What does cultural heritage bring to rural areas?
Who we are?
What does cultural heritage bring to rural areas?
3. How the 2018 EYCH can build bridges with rural areas?
4. How can the 2018 EYCH contribute to improve the situation? – Expected political outcomes of the 2018 EYCH

3. Who we are?

4. The European Historic Houses Association 24 national associations
Voice of privately-owned historic houses and gardens across Europe since 1985
24 national associations
Our raison d’être is defending private historic houses and their owners.

5. The European Heritage Alliance – Alliance 3.3
Informal platform of 48 European and international networks active in cultural heritage Coordinated by Europa Nostra The name refers to article 3.3 of the Lisbon Treaty: “The Union (…) shall respect its rich cultural and linguistic diversity, and shall ensure that Europe's cultural heritage is safeguarded and enhanced.”
Alliance created in 2011 under the impulse of EHHA and Europa Nostra – 6 organization
Today: almost 50

6. The European Heritage Alliance – Alliance 3.3
Joint lobbying actions
EYCH and funding
Project and report ‘Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe’
Regular meetings
include exchange of views with representatives from the European Commission (DG EAC) and key stakeholders
Contribution to EYCH 2018
Events & initiatives organised by Alliance members
18 Alliance networks are selected members of the ‘Stakeholder Committee’ to assist the European Commission with preparing & implementing EYCH 2018
We worked together to promote the idea of the European Year of Cultural Heritage
Collaborated on the report Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe published in 2015
We hold meetings at least twice a year to discuss our activities / policy
All Associations contribute to the 2018 EYCH

7. 2. What does cultural heritage bring to rural areas?
Rural areas are losing population in favor of big cities
(Just over one quarter (28.0 %) of the EU-28 population lived in a rural area in 2015)
Across the European Union some 70% of rural land is in private ownership.
Cultural heritage greatly contributes to these rural areas

8. Multifunctional role of cultural heritage
Business
SME’s
Cultural
Heritage
Local skilled jobs / Crafstpeople
Sustainable tourism
Cultural heritage brings to rural areas:
Business and SMEs
Local skilled jobs, including for craftsmen
High quality sustainable tourism
Preservation of nature, biodiversity and cultural landscapes
Culture History
Social life
Biodiversity
Nature Landscape

9. Impact assessments on the contribution of cultural heritage
On 300+ pages, it demonstrates the multiple benefits of heritage for Europe’s economy, society, culture and the environment
UK: Historic Houses Association (UK) members
24 million visitors/year
£1 billion revenue (2/3 spent locally)
jobs induced
Netherlands: 1€ invested for a return of 3,5€ (1% for the owner)
Great contribution of the report: impact assessment of how much cultural heritage contributes to Europe: economically, socially, and for the environment
Our Associations also carried out impact assessment studys:
Historic Houses in the UK: every year to their members
Netherlands: 2017 on the situtation of historic houses and their contribution to society
We need concrete figures to show what we represent

10. 3. How the 2018 EYCH can build bridges with rural areas?

11. 3. How the 2018 EYCH can build bridges with rural areas?
Rural heritage is endangered
Phenomenon not limited:
to a type of heritage:
Religious heritage is also affected
to a country :
1000 castles on sale in France
2000 English country houses have disappeared
Large number in Portugal
Mission Stéphane Bern in France
Identified 250 monuments in peril
Received information for 2000 monuments
Mainly located in rural areas and small cities (under 2000 inhabitants)
Rural heritage has been forgotten: people are more focused on preserving the emblematic big heritage sites / promoting urban heritage (Capitals of Culture program) than this more modest cultural heritage
It is this basic level of heritage that is often taken for granted and yet it is this heritage that provides the backdrop for those more exquisite buildings and monuments that attract obvious attention.
Often the modern public good definition includes “historic landscapes” but it is wider than this and should include cultural built heritage so often involving farmsteads, wider landscapes with historic connection, eg old field patterns and boundaries, designed landscapes often laid out for sporting and minor ancient earthworks.
The 2018 EYCH should raise awareness on the importance of this heritage, and on the need to protect it to pass it on to the next generation
The 2018 EYCH should shed a light on this heritage – which is often forgotten

12. European Historic Houses Association
European Private Heritage Week (24-27 May)
International photographic competition
EHHA two major activities for the Year:
Private Heritage Week (24-27 May)
648 houses open in 18 European countries. A great success!
Aim: showcase the contribution of private heritage houses to Europe.
International photographic competition
Launched on May 24 – running until July
Award ceremony in November in Brussels
Aim: Showcase the beauty and diversity of historic houses in Europe

13. 3. How the 2018 EYCH can build bridges with rural areas?
Promotion of sustainable tourism
ETC/ECTN/Europa Nostra special Awards: Cultural heritage as an asset for responsible and sustainable tourism
NECSTouR Workshop ‘Better places to live, better places to visit!’ & subsequent Barcelona declaration on Tourism & Cultural heritage
Preservation of biodiversity and landscape
European Tree of the Year celebration
Civilscape: Baltic Landscape Forum
Other initiatives are shedding light on rural heritage:
Promotion of sustainable tourism
• We have seen over the past summer, local communities are fed up with over-tourism in some places in Europe (Venice, Barcelona)
• Historic houses, estates and farmsteads are often located in remote rural areas and can contribute to balancing tourism flows
• People want real experiences and look for healthy environment for them and their children
• Heritage houses in the countryside are really often the only ones to provide unique, high-quality experiences and contribute to sustainable tourism models
Special 2018 Awards by ETC/ECTN/ Europa Nostra to promote this sustainable tourism. Special category for historic houses and villages
Preserving biodiversity and cultural landscapes
Protecting rural heritage also contributes to preserving biodiversity and cultural landscapes. Several alliance members have initatives in this field:
ELO: Tree of the Year / Forum for the future of agriculture
EHHA: numerous historic houses contribute to this with their gardens/estates

14. Key stakeholders for the European Commission
18 members of the European Heritage Alliance are part of the European Commission stakeholders group to
We also contribute to the Year by being involved in the stakeholders committee supporting the European Commission with the implementation of the Year
Cooperation with the national coordinators of the Year
European Alliance 3.3
Stakeholders group European Commission

15. 4. How can the 2018 EYCH contribute to improve the situation
4. How can the 2018 EYCH contribute to improve the situation? – Expected political outcomes of the 2018 EYCH
Activities is not the only way the situation of rural heritage can be improved: we also need to put it on the political agenda to achieve real outcomes for heritage owners/managers in rural areas

16. How can the 2018 EYCH contribute to improve the situation?
The 2018 EYCH should aim to address some of the challenges facing rural cultural heritage:
Support entrepreneurship
Improve access to finance
Develop infrastructures (e.g. access to high-speed internet)
Develop networks of rural heritage owners/managers to exchange best practices (e.g. Next Gen group) & life-long learning
Raise awareness on the contribution of rural heritage
Carry out impact assessment studies
Develop consciousness among the general public
We should use the 2018 EYCH to raise awareness on the challenges facing rural cultural heritage.

17. Expected political outcomes of the EYCH 2018
Alliance Manifesto presented in Berlin
Objectives of the European Historic Houses Association
Recognize the contribution of private owners of historic houses to EU economic, social and cultural developments
Improve the legal and regulatory frameworks
Encourage participatory governance with landowners
Promote new and innovative funding models & management systems
We want to achieve true political outcomes during the EYCH, which will continue beyond 2018
For this, we will publish a common manifesto with the Alliance 3.3. It will be presented during the high level political summit in Berlin (June 22)
The EHHA also has its own political objectives to highlight in This meeting is a great platform to do so

18. One of the highlights of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018
© Michael Bader
Highlight of the year for civil society: European Cultural Heritage Forum in Berlin (18-24 June) with high-level summit on June 22

19. Look beyond the EYCH 2018
Non Paper ‘Farming the Historic Landscape, Towards a better integration of cultural heritage in a sustainable future CAP’ (03.17)
Create synergies between rural and cultural fields
Proposed new Agenda For Culture (22 May)
Propose an Action Plan for Cultural Heritage
Broaden the current structured dialogue with civil society
Council conclusions on the need to bring cultural heritage to the fore across policies in the EU (22 May)
Introduce a more explicit focus on cultural heritage in the MFF
Improve participatory governance
Broaden dialogue with civil society
We want to have a long-lasting legacy for the Year – and it comes with true political outcomes.
Preserving rural areas should be part of the political reflections around:
- Non Paper ‘Farming the Historic Landscape, Towards a better integration of cultural heritage in a sustainable future CAP’ March 2017
The new agenda for culture
Discussion of the new Multiannual Financial Framework: improve access to finance to preserve rural heritage trough European and regional funds

20. Thank you for your attention !
European Historic Houses Association
@EHHA2016