The Cultural Routes programme was launched by the Council of
Europe in 1987. Its objective was to demonstrate, by means
of a journey through space and time, how the heritage of the
different countries and cultures of Europe contributes to a
shared cultural heritage. The Cultural Routes put into
practice the fundamental principles of the Council of
Europe: human rights, cultural democracy, cultural diversity
and identity, dialogue, mutual exchange and enrichment
across boundaries and centuries.
In December 2010,
the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted
Resolution CM/Res(2010)53 establishing an Enlarged
Partial Agreement (EPA) to enable closer co-operation
between states particularly interested in the development of
Cultural Routes.
Key objectives of the programme
The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes seeks to
reinforce the potential of Cultural Routes for cultural
co-operation, sustainable territorial development and social
cohesion, with a particular focus on themes of symbolic
importance for European unity, history, culture and values
and the discovery of less well-known destinations. It helps
to strengthen the democratic dimension of cultural exchange
and tourism through the involvement of grassroots networks
and associations, local and regional authorities,
universities and professional organisations. It contributes
to the preservation of a diverse heritage through
theme-based and alternative tourist itineraries and cultural
projects.
The
Governing Board of EPA awards the certification "Council of
Europe Cultural Route" and carries out regular evaluation of
certified routes in conformity with Committee of Ministers
Resolution CM/Res(2013)67
which establishes the rules the
rules for the award of the "Cultural Route of the Council of
Europe" certification. Routes requesting the certification
should:
focus on a theme representative of
European values and common to several European countries;
follow a historical route or (in the case of cultural
tourism) a newly created route;
give rise to long-term multilateral co-operation
projects in priority areas (scientific research;
heritage conservation and enhancement; cultural and
educational exchanges among young Europeans;
contemporary cultural and artistic practices; cultural
tourism and sustainable development);
be managed by one or more independent, organised
networks (in the form of an association or a federation
of associations).
A technical body, the European
Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR), was set up in 1998 for
operational purposes. Its role is to examine
applications for new projects, to monitor activities in
the field and co-ordinate the work of partner
organisations and to disseminate and archive information
documents.
Study on European Cultural Routes impact on SMEs
innovation and competitiveness
The Study on European Cultural Routes impact on SMEs innovation, competitiveness, and clustering was jointly launched by the European Commission (EC) and the Council of Europe (CoE) in September 2010 aiming to provide insights on the effects produced by the CoE Cultural Routes Programme on SMEs performance, network and cluster development. The study sough also to examine the potential of the Cultural Routes for promoting sustainable and quality tourism in Europe, strengthening European identity, disseminating the richness of European cultures and fostering the intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. In particular, the Study tends to analyse how much Cultural Routes networks can benefit SMEs, especially in less-known destinations, where the local culture and heritage are the main resource for development, and how SMEs’ clusters can create a solid basis for promoting Europe as
"the world's No 1 tourist destination".
The Cultural Routes programme was launched by the Council of
Europe in 1987. Its objective was to demonstrate, by means
of a journey through space and time, how the heritage of the
different countries and cultures of Europe contributes to a
shared cultural heritage. The Cultural Routes put into
practice the fundamental principles of the Council of
Europe: human rights, cultural democracy, cultural diversity
and identity, dialogue, mutual exchange and enrichment
across boundaries and centuries.
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