Recommendation 806
(1977)
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 18 March 1977. See Doc. 3944, report of the Committee on Culture and Education.
The Assembly,
1. Aware of the need to find ways of making Europe's artistic and cultural heritage more accessible ;
2. Wishing to encourage museums, where so much of this heritage is stored, in their efforts to improve their display and presentation of this heritage ;
3. Noting that the Museum of the Year Award scheme in the United Kingdom has stimulated new initiatives and improvements in the museum field since 1973, and has contributed especially to the development of interest surrounding certain local museums ;
4. Appreciating the extent to which independent sources have shown themselves prepared to assist in the financing of the United Kingdom award ;
5. Believing that an extension of this experience to other countries and to a European level would contribute to a greater cultural awareness and sense of cultural identity at the various levels from local to European ;
6. Welcoming plans that are being made to set up a European Museum of the Year Award in conjunction with the European Cultural Foundation, the International Council of Museums and various existing national museum associations,
7. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :
a ask member governments to encourage the setting up in member countries of schemes for national museum of the year awards ;
b associate the Council of Europe with the European Museum of the Year Award :
by according the auspices of the Council of Europe to this award ;
by providing facilities for the annual presentation of this award in the Council of Europe building in Strasbourg ;
c institute a special Council of Europe museum prize, in the first instance of 10 000 FF, that will be awarded each year, in conjunction with the European Museum of the Year Award, by the Parliamentary Assembly to museums which it considers to have made a significant European contribution, and with particular reference to the following criteria :
presentation of a European perspective ;
presentation in a manner understandable by the European public ;
initiative in presenting exhibitions on European themes ;
co-operation in loan or exchange schemes.
