The Council of Europe is an international organization promoting co-operation between all countries of Europe in the areas of legal standards, human rights, democratic development, the rule of law and cultural co-operation including heritage. The Council of Europe was founded on 5 May 1949 by the Treaty of London and now has 47 member states with some 800 million citizens.
It is not controlled by, and should not be confused with, the European Union. Unlike the European Union, the Council of Europe cannot make binding laws. However it has an important 'moral' influence, especially in the fields of its competence.
Article 1(a) of the Statute states that "The aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage and facilitating their economic and social progress."
It was the Council of Europe who designated 1975 as the European Architectural Heritage Year and who lays at the origins of the European Heritage Days / Journées européennes du Patrimoine
Usefull texts, resolutions and recommendations
(list under construction)
- Industrial Archaeology - (1983) Assembly Recommendation 872 (Concl(82)350/47, CM(82)153, CM(83)73)
- Recommendation no. r (90) 20 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the protection and conservation of the industrial, technical and civil engineering heritage in Europe (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 13 September 1990 at the 443rd meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)
- Report Industrial Heritage in Europe (Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media), 15.02.2013, adopted 08.03.2013 :
- Industrial heritage in Europe (Resolution 1924 (2013), text adopted by the Standing Committee, acting on behalf of the Assembly, on 8 March 2013
- Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the European Cultural Heritage Strategy for the 21st century (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 22 February 2017 at the 1278th meeting of the Ministers' Deputies)