Kiri

Dear, I am writing to express my concerns regarding the proposed funding level for the common European data space for cultural heritage in the current draft of the Digital Europe Programme Work Plan 2025-2027, which is being developed by the European Commission in cooperation with Member States. According to the Ministry of Culture of Estonia , this data space is a pivotal initiative for the cultural heritage sector, both at the European level and nationally. The data space is instrumental in driving the digital transformation of Europe’s cultural sector, and fostering accessibility and reuse of cultural collections. It significantly enhances the online visibility and reach of Estonia’s cultural heritage, enabling a broader European audience to discover, engage with, and benefit from our cultural assets. Currently, Estonian cultural heritage institutions contribute over 750,000 digitised assets to Europeana.eu and the data space, underscoring our commitment to this flagship initiative. The data space also supports the capacity building and networking of Estonian cultural heritage institutions and professionals. It plays a key role in standardising digitisation practices across Europe, promoting interoperability and openness. Additionally, by fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, it helps accelerate the 3D digitisation of at-risk monuments and most visited heritage sites in Europe, in line with the objectives set forth in the European Commission's Recommendation of November 2021. The indicative budget of €15 million (€7.5 million annually) proposed in the first draft of the DEP Work Plan is inadequate and does not meet the EU and Member States' shared ambitions for the data space. Additionally, it is regrettable that this draft does not allocate any funding for data space supporting projects, which are essential for the success of the data space and drive innovation and experimentation in areas like Artificial Intelligence and 3D. Adequate funding for the common European data space for cultural heritage within the DEP Work Plan 2025-2027 is crucial to ensure its continued development and expansion. I urge the European Commission to allocate €12 million annually for the core data space service to ensure its operational capacity, long-term sustainability and lasting impact on both national and European cultural heritage sectors. Additionally, the Work Plan must allocate €2 million annually for data space supporting projects, as no funding has been designated for this vital aspect thus far. Once this funding is secured, it is equally important to adjust the co-funding rate to a maximum of 25% from participating institutions. This adjustment is essential to reduce participation barriers for small and medium-sized organisations, which make up the majority of the heritage sector and were identified as key data space contributors in the 2021 Recommendation. I trust the European Commission will provide the decisive support needed to secure adequate funding for the data space. This investment is crucial for realising our shared vision of a thriving, sustainable data space that delivers maximum benefits to the cultural heritage sector, Europe’s citizens, and our broader society and economy. Saatja: "Harry Verwayen" <[email protected]> Saaja: "KUM min" <[email protected]> Teema: Urgent support and adequate funding for the common European data space for cultural heritage under the Digital Europe Programme Work Plan 2025 - 2027 Kuupäev: 2024-09-26 08:20 To the personal attention of Ms. Heidy Purga Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia Dear Minister Purga, On behalf of the Europeana Initiative, we urgently seek your support in securing adequate funding for the common European data space for cultural heritage <https://www.dataspace-culturalheritage.eu/en> within the Digital Europe Programme (DEP) Work Plan 2025-2027, which is currently under development by the European Commission and EU Member States. As you know, this data space, deployed by the Europeana Initiative, accelerates the digital transformation of our sector and fosters accessibility and reuse of cultural collections. It supports the development of robust, forward-looking and harmonised digital heritage policies across Member States. While Digital Europe acknowledges the need to enhance digital infrastructures in culture as a matter of public interest, the data space is the only earmarked cultural project and therefore the sole opportunity to achieve this goal. The indicative budget for the data space in the first draft of the DEP Work Plan is set at €15 million, with an annual allocation of €7.5 million. With funding for the data space already heavily under pressure due to stagnant budget allocations which have not kept pace with inflation, this proposal jeopardises the operational capacity of the data space. It also falls short of the ambitions of the Europeana Initiative, the EU and the cultural sector in Member States, as outlined in the European Commission Recommendation <https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news/commission-proposes-common-european-data-space-cultural-heritage> of 2021. The data space supports Member States to continue their digitisation efforts, expand the reach of their data across Europe and accelerate 3D digitisation of at-risk and most visited monuments, while enhancing preservation and supporting reuse across sectors. Realising these goals requires a budget that reflects their importance. Additionally, it is regrettable that the first draft of the DEP Work Plan does not allocate any funding for data space supporting projects, which are essential for the success of the data space. These projects enable contributions by cultural institutions in your country and support them to experiment and innovate in areas like Artificial Intelligence and 3D. As discussions on the draft Work Plan progress, we are mobilising efforts across Europe to secure the necessary funding for this flagship initiative. We now seek your support which is vital to help us achieve this goal. Given the current financial needs, a detailed cost analysis and future projections, we kindly request your support in advocating to the European Commission for an annual budget of €12 million for the core data space service. This funding is essential to sustain the data space’s operations and networking, ensure its long-term viability, and maximise its impact on the cultural sector at both Estonia and Europe-wide level. Additionally, we seek your backing for an annual allocation of €2 million annually for data space supporting projects, with a maximum co-funding rate of 25% from participating institutions. In the first two years of data space, we have established a robust and interoperable infrastructure building on Europeana, improved data aggregation systems, and provided tailored support so that the Member States and the sector can benefit fully. Building on this strong foundation, the data space can scale operations and deliver greater value to you. But supporting you in your ambitions and achieving the targets of the 2021 Recommendation requires additional efforts and greater resource allocation. We would be most grateful for your support on this matter. If you are in agreement, we respectfully ask you to advocate for our request by sending a formal appeal to Mr. Roberto Viola, Director General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology at the European Commission, who is responsible for the Digital Europe Programme Work Plan. For your convenience, we have enclosed a template letter with key messages that you may find helpful. Should you find it useful, we kindly invite you to adapt the template as you see fit. We hope to count on Estonia to secure an annual investment of €14 million for the data space (€12 million for the core service and €2 million for supporting projects). This will allow the data space to thrive, enhancing the preservation and promotion of our shared heritage, and unlocking new opportunities for data reuse across various sectors in your country, including tourism, media, education and research. As Europe strives to enhance its global digital leadership and sovereignty, investing adequately in the common European data space for cultural heritage - one of the few operational data spaces to date - is crucial. Your support is crucial to making this vision a reality. Yours sincerely, Harry Verwayen General Director, Europeana Foundation On behalf of: Rob Davies Chair, Europeana Network Association Kerstin Arnold Chair, Europeana Aggregators’ Forum -- Harry Verwayen | General Director M: +31(0)6 10884060 E: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Be part of Europe's online cultural movement - join the Europeana Network Association: Sign up for the Association <https://pro.europeana.eu/network-association/sign-up> | #EuropeanaCommunities | @Europeanaeu <https://twitter.com/Europeanaeu> | Europeana Pro website <https://pro.europeana.eu/> Disclaimer: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this email. 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