Damien HELLY
(Independent, Brussels, Belgium)

Keywords: Cultural Heritage Protection Conflict European Union

Abstract:
This article aims to identify under which circumstances the European Union, in the next ten years, would be able to become an influential actor in the field of cultural heritage protection in the context of violent conflicts and the Middle East in particular. The wider rationale of this research is to engage policy-makers and experts in the field of international cultural relations in debates on scenario configurations, with a first specific focus on the 2018 European Year for cultural heritage.
The article first reviews the existing literature on heritage protection in the context of recent violent conflicts in the Middle East (Syria and Iraq in particular), emphasising recent legal, practical and theoretical debates. It then provides with an overview of EU actions in the field of heritage protection, from prevention to crisis management and the fight against terrorism, both within the EU and abroad. The third part consists of building up a scenario framework made of key necessary factors, trends or determinants affecting the evolution of the EU as an actor in the field of cultural heritage protection in the context of violent conflicts. The article finally identifies three main scenario configurations based on assumptions regarding progress in EU regional integration: Bamiyanisation, leadership, hard and security-focused short term approach.

Relevance for the conference: This foresight and interdisciplinary article clarifies under which political, financial and professional conditions the EU could invest more in the field of cultural heritage protection in conflict.
Relevance for the session: The article fosters a debate on what should be done to enhance the role of Europeans in the field of cultural heritage protection in conflict.
Innovation: By using scenario methodologies, the article provides a framework for debate that help experts to think of actions they could take to enhance their collective potential in the field of heritage protection in conflict.
References:
• The recently adopted EU New Agenda for Culture
• The 2016 EU communication on international cultural relations