The Cultural heritage of Minorities in the EU: Weaknesses or Opportunities?

Abstract

This chapter focuses on minority cultural heritage and identifies a substantial gap in its protection in the EU. It argues that although the cultural heritage of minorities and their contribution is recognized within the EU, such recognition falls short of the emerging international standards of the protection of cultural heritage of sub-national groups. Traditionally, the EU is focusing on the culture that celebrates the common EU culture, so sub-national groups have not been at the core of relevant developments. Intangible cultural heritage within EU member states are somewhat protected by European minority rights instruments, but the tangible cultural heritage of minorities is very much in the control of the state. The chapter maintains further that the standards of non-discrimination, recognition and protection of minority rights that bound EU member states are inadequate to address important issues of minority control of their cultural heritage and to guarantee their effective participation to the development of and decision-making on minority cultural heritage.