Since 2019, PROCULTHER initiatives have progressively strengthened cultural heritage protection within the UCPM through a shared Methodology, a European community of practice within the UCPKN, operational tools and institutional recognition. PROCULTHER-4ALL now builds on these achievements through promoting a whole-of-society approach aligned with the EU Preparedness Union Strategy
In recent years, cultural heritage protection has become an increasingly important component of European disaster risk management and civil protection. The Union Civil Protection Mechanism-UCPM supported this evolution by strengthening the protection of cultural heritage at risk through methodological development, capacity-building activities, and large-scale exercises.
Within this framework, PROCULTHER, the DG-ECHO funded project and its successive phases, have contributed to transforming cultural heritage protection from an emerging topic into an established component of the Mechanism. Over the years, the initiative has evolved from the development of a common Methodology to the validation of operational tools and knowledge-transfer activities, as well as the establishment of a European community of practice within the Union Civil Protection Knowledge Network-UCPKN, and the institutional recognition of cultural heritage protection within the UCPM. This laid the foundation for PROCULTHER-4ALL, the current phase of the initiative, which aims to further reinforce this framework, in line with the EU Preparedness Union Strategy by providing elements to integrate a whole-of-society approach into cultural heritage protection.
From 2019 to 2021, PROCULTHER promoted the inclusion of cultural heritage protection into disaster risk management processes by developing common European approaches, tools, and standard operating procedures under the UCPM framework. The project's main output was the Key Elements of a European Methodology to Address the Protection of Cultural Heritage during Emergencies, a shared operational framework that integrates cultural heritage protection into disaster management processes. By translating cultural heritage needs into procedures compatible with civil protection systems, this living document has strengthened interoperability and cooperation between civil protection authorities and cultural heritage professionals. The Methodology provided also the structure and knowledge basis for the first PROCULTHER advanced training module for experts from the disaster risk management and cultural heritage (2021) sectors across UCPM States. Beyond its operational and training outcomes, the Methodology, supported by the advocacy efforts of project partners and stakeholders at both European and international levels, contributed to the recognition of cultural heritage protection as a civil protection sector to be fully integrated into the structures of the Mechanism. This recognition also enabled the development of the terms of reference for a deployable UCPM module to support preparedness and emergency response for cultural heritage at risk, both within and outside the EU.
Subsequent phases of PROCULTHER consolidated and operationalised these achievements, leveraging the knowledge-sharing opportunities offered by the UCPKN. In this context, PROCULTHER-NET (2022 - 2023) laid the foundations for a European community of practice on cultural heritage protection within the UCPKN. It fostered innovation and research through a series of open-access publications, the Technical Bulletins, presenting practices and technical solutions adopted and promoted by a wide range of stakeholders in the field for integrating cultural heritage protection into disaster risk management processes. At the same time, it implemented an expanded capacity-building programme combining advanced trainings with the PCH–Protecting Cultural Heritage Course (2023) and knowledge exchange, and advocacy actions for the integration of cultural heritage into DRM processes. During the same period, the war in Ukraine prompted the largest emergency response in the history of the UCPM. The mobilisation activated also in support of the country’s precious cultural heritage demonstrated that heritage protection can be effectively integrated and protected within UCPM emergency operations. This experience also increased the visibility of PROCULTHER-NET at both the European and international levels, reinforcing its contribution to the development of EU policies and operational approaches for the cultural heritage at risk.
The last phase, PROCULTHER-NET 2 (2024 - March 2026), capitalised on goods results obtained by combining operational experience with the UCPKN knowledge-based approach. This further consolidated cultural heritage protection as a recognised civil protection sector while strengthening capacities for disaster risk governance and management. The project engaged a network of more than 280 institutions from 55 countries and delivered additional editions of the PCH–Protecting Cultural Heritage Course, bringing the total number of trained experts to 166, representing 75% of the Mechanism’s States.
This was also supported by the publication of four additional issues of the Technical Bulletins which further enriched the collective knowledge base within the UCPKN. A key innovation introduced during this phase was the formalisation of a peer-review process involving technical experts. As a result, a pool of 118 qualified professionals contributed to the publications, including 53 reviewers from the fields of cultural heritage, disaster risk management, civil protection, and academia whose involvement strengthened the scientific rigor, methodological soundness, and credibility of the publications, while also enhancing knowledge exchange and dissemination across the thematic community. In addition, while the first two numbers focused primarily on lessons learned and best practices from the consortium partners, the four additional issues developed within PROCULTHER-NET 2 significantly broadened the scope. Overall, 57 articles have been published, representing the contributions of 13 countries, covering a wide range of expertise including academic and research institutions, thereby expanding both the geographical representation and disciplinary diversity of the community.
As a result, the Bulletins have effectively created a practical body of reference literature for all stakeholders interested in strengthening their preparedness in this field thus contributing to the Mechanism’s resilience.
In this sense, a decisive turning point was achieved in October 2024, when PROCULTHER-NET 2 advocacy efforts enabled the inclusion of a cultural heritage scenario in an EU MODEX exercise for the first time. The exercise, held in Venice, enabled the testing, validation and refinement of project tools under realistic operational conditions, while providing valuable feedback from participants and evaluators.
Finally, the adoption of the Implementing Decision of 10 April 2025 provided a regulatory framework for cultural heritage protection and marked the transition from methodological development and capacity building towards its formal integration within the Mechanism. In response, the project further refined its approach by incorporating lessons learned from the EU MODEX in Venice and feedback collected during the 2025 editions of the PCH in order to fine-tune the damage and impact assessment templates proposed in the Methodology.
PROCULTHER-NET 2 also expanded the Knowledge Library with 61 publications, representing 11% of the 535 references currently available. The dissemination of the Technical Bulletins, which also serve as a key vehicle for updating the PROCULTHER Methodology, has further supported its uptake across the community. Together with the numerous requests from countries interested in adapting the Methodology to their national context or exploring its policy implications, this demonstrates the relevance, scalability, and transferability of the project's results.
The publication of the EU Preparedness Union Strategy provided the basis for the next stage of this work and gave impetus to PROCULTHER-4ALL (April 2026 - March 2028). While previous projects have established a whole-of-government, multi-hazard and multi-stakeholder framework, this new phase aims to further strengthen the protection of cultural heritage through the adoption of a whole-of-society approach aligned with the EU Preparedness Union Strategy. Rather than developing new foundations, it will broaden participation and strengthen collaboration beyond institutional and academic actors, by engaging private-sector stakeholders, civil society organisations, volunteers and citizens.
The Consortium managing the PROCULTHER-4ALL project is made of 17 partners, all combining disaster risk management and cultural heritage expertise, and representing 8 UCPM countries: the Italian Civil Protection Department (Italy), as coordinator, the Ministry of Interior-Disaster and Emergency Management Authority - AFAD (Türkiye), the German Archaeological Institute - DAI (Germany), the Ministère de l’Intérieur - Direction Générale de la Sécurité Civile et de la Gestion des Crises (France), the Fondazione Hallgarten – Franchetti Centro Studi Villa Montesca (FCSVM), the Warrant Officers School of the State Fire Service in Kraków - SA PSP Kraków (Poland), and Museums and Monuments of Portugal- MMP (Portugal). To further enhance the expertise made available for the project implementation, the following associated partners joined the Consortium: UNESCO, the Ministère de la Culture- MC-Fr and the Bouclier bleu de France - BS-FR (France), the Federal Agency for Technical Relief - THW (Germany), the Direçao General do Patrimonio Cultural - MC-PT (Portugal), the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations - IGSU (Romania), the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Regional Government of Castilla y León (Spain), CORILA and the Bursa Provincial Directorate of Disaster and Emergency Management - Bursa-AFAD (Türkiye).
PROCULTHER-4ALL is structured around three main lines of action: consolidation and capacity-building of the PROCULTHER community, knowledge dissemination, and cross-fertilisation with other UCPM and EU-funded initiatives. At the same time, PROCULTHER-4ALL envisages a more ambitious dimension, aligned with the evolving EU policy framework. In particular, the project will support the shift towards a whole-of-society approach through:
The project will work to identify needs and capacities in this field capitalising on existing methodologies, training approaches, and operational tools, further integrating them into UCPM structures and activities, including training programmes and exercises such as the EU MODEX. Further actions include tailored mechanisms to engage citizens and the private sector, support to new Cultural Heritage Protection Modules, and enhanced knowledge-sharing through the Technical Bulletins.
Furthermore, the involvement of new partners in the managing Consortium will allow for the project contribution to the UNDRR “Making Cities Resilient 2030” (MCR2030) campaign. Interested cities will facilitate the implementation of pilot activities with a specific focus on cultural heritage to support the ability of local communities to understand and address risk scenarios thus strengthening their capacities to assess urban resilience.
Finally, the experiences documented under PROCULTHER-4ALL, particularly those related to strengthening stakeholder engagement and community participation, will directly inform future updates of the Methodology, supporting the integration of a whole-of-society approach into disaster risk management for cultural heritage.
To sustain this progress, PROCULTHER-4ALL continues to advance a UCPKN-based framework that ensures continuity, prevents fragmentation, and strengthens the cross-border dimension of the work carried out to date. In this context, Technical Bulletins and training activities remain key instruments for knowledge management, supporting the documentation, exchange and dissemination of operational practices across the UCPM community.
As part of this effort, PROCULTHER-4ALL will soon launch a call for papers for the next two issues of the Technical Bulletin, scheduled for publication in December 2026 and May 2027.
Contributions from private entities, professional associations, civil society organisations and community-based initiatives engaged in the protection of cultural heritage at risk will be particularly encouraged.
Disaster risk managers, cultural heritage professionals, researchers, academics, local, national and international stakeholders will be invited to propose case studies, lessons learned, innovative practices, and research contributions.
Through this call, PROCULTHER-4ALL aims to further expand the knowledge base of the community, foster collaboration among stakeholders, and continue advancing the protection of cultural heritage at risk across borders.