The governments signatory
hereto, being members of the Council of Europe,
Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve a greater
unity between its members for the purpose, among others, of safeguarding and
realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage;
Considering that the achievement of this aim would be furthered by a greater
understanding of one another among the peoples of Europe;
Considering that for these purposes it is desirable not only to conclude
bilateral cultural conventions between members of the Council but also to
pursue a policy of common action designed to safeguard and encourage the
development of European culture;
Having resolved to conclude a general European Cultural Convention designed
to foster among the nationals of all members, and of such other European
States as may accede thereto, the study of the languages, history and
civilisation of the others and of the civilisation which is common to them
all,
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
Each Contracting Party shall
take appropriate measures to safeguard and to encourage the development of
its national contribution to the common cultural heritage of Europe.
Article 2
Each Contracting Party shall,
insofar as may be possible:
encourage the study by its
own nationals of the languages, history and civilisation of the other
Contracting Parties and grant facilities to those Parties to promote
such studies in its territory; and
endeavour to promote the
study of its language or languages, history and civilisation in the
territory of the other Contracting Parties and grant facilities to the
nationals of those Parties to pursue such studies in its territory.
Article 3
The Contracting Parties shall
consult with one another within the framework of the Council of Europe with
a view to concerted action in promoting cultural activities of European
interest.
Article 4
Each Contracting Party shall,
insofar as may be possible, facilitate the movement and exchange of persons
as well as of objects of cultural value so that Articles 2 and 3 may be
implemented.
Article 5
Each Contracting Party shall
regard the objects of European cultural value placed under its control as
integral parts of the common cultural heritage of Europe, shall take
appropriate measures to safeguard them and shall ensure reasonable access
thereto.
Article 6
Proposals for the application
of the provisions of the present Convention and questions relating to the
interpretation thereof shall be considered at meetings of the Committee of
Cultural Experts of the Council of Europe.
Any State not a member of the
Council of Europe which has acceded to the present Convention in
accordance with the provisions of paragraph 4 of Article 9 may appoint a
representative or representatives to participate in the meetings provided
for in the preceding paragraph.
The conclusions reached at
the meetings provided for in paragraph 1 of this article shall be
submitted in the form of recommendations to the Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe, unless they are decisions which are within the
competence of the Committee of Cultural Experts as relating to matters of
an administrative nature which do not entail additional expenditure.
The Secretary General of the
Council of Europe shall communicate to the members of the Council and to
the government of any State which has acceded to the present Convention
any decisions relevant thereto which may be taken by the Committee of
Ministers or by the Committee of Cultural Experts.
Each Contracting Party shall
notify the Secretary General of the Council of Europe in due course of any
action which may be taken by it for the application of the provisions of
the present Convention consequent on the decisions of the Committee of
Ministers or of the Committee of Cultural Experts.
In the event of certain
proposals for the application of the present Convention being found to
interest only a limited number of the Contracting Parties, such proposals
may be further considered in accordance with the provisions of Article 7,
provided that their implementation entails no expenditure by the Council
of Europe.
Article 7
If, in order to further the
aims of the present Convention, two or more Contracting Parties desire to
arrange meetings at the seat of the Council of Europe other than those
specified in paragraph 1 of Article 6, the Secretary General of the Council
shall afford them such administrative assistance as they may require.
Article 8
Nothing in the present
Convention shall be deemed to affect:
the provisions of any
existing bilateral cultural convention to which any of the Contracting
Parties may be signatory or to render less desirable the conclusion of
any further such convention by any of the Contracting Parties, or
the obligation of any
person to comply with the laws and regulations in force in the territory
of any Contracting Party concerning the entry, residence and departure
of foreigners.
Article 9
The present Convention shall
be open to the signature of the members of the Council of Europe. It shall
be ratified, and the instruments of ratification shall be deposited with
the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
As soon as three signatory
governments have deposited their instruments of ratification, the present
Convention shall enter into force as between those governments.
With respect to each
signatory government ratifying subsequently, the Convention shall enter
into force on the date of deposit of its instrument of ratification.
The Committee of Ministers of
the Council of Europe may decide, by a unanimous vote, to invite, upon
such terms and conditions as it deems appropriate, any European State
which is not a member of the Council to accede to the present Convention.
Any State so invited may accede by depositing its instrument of accession
with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. Such accession shall
take effect on the date of receipt of the said instrument.
The Secretary General of the
Council of Europe shall notify all members of the Council and any acceding
States of the deposit of all instruments of ratification and accession.
Article 10
Any Contracting Party may
specify the territories to which the provisions of the present Convention
shall apply by addressing to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe
a declaration which shall be communicated by the latter to all the other
Contracting Parties.
Article 11
Any Contracting Party may
denounce the present Convention at any time after it has been in force for
a period of five years by means of a notification in writing addressed to
the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, who shall inform the other
Contracting Parties.
Such denunciation shall take
effect for the Contracting Party concerned six months after the date on
which it is received by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
In witness whereof the undersigned, duly authorised thereto by their
respective governments, have signed the present Convention.
Done at Paris this 19th day of December 1954, in the English and French
languages, both texts being equally authoritative, in a single copy which
shall remain deposited in the archives of the Council of Europe. The
Secretary General shall transmit certified copies to each of the signatory
and acceding governments.
