On 19 December 1954, in Paris, the European Cultural Convention of the Council of Europe is opened for signature. The authentic texts are English and French. The depositary is the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The Convention has eleven articles.

Article 1 requires each Party to take appropriate measures to safeguard and to encourage the development of its national contribution to the common cultural heritage of Europe. Article 2 requires each Party, insofar as may be possible, to encourage the study by its own nationals of the languages, history and civilisation of the other Parties and the study of its language, history and civilisation in the territory of the other Parties, and to aid nationals of the other Parties in such studies. Article 3 requires mutual consultation within the framework of the Council of Europe in order to concert action in promoting cultural activities of European interest.

Article 4, insofar as may be possible, requires the facilitation of the movement and exchange of persons as well as of objects of cultural value. Article 5 requires objects of European cultural value protected in the territory of a Party to be regarded as integral parts of the common cultural heritage of Europe, and appropriate measures to be taken to safeguard them and to ensure reasonable access to them.

Article 6 designates the Secretary General as the addressee of the notifications provided for. Article 7 allows the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to make recommendations to the Parties with a view to implementing the Convention.

Article 8 opens the Convention for signature by the members of the Council of Europe and subjects it to ratification; instruments shall be deposited with the Secretary General. Article 9 provides that the Convention shall come into force as soon as three members have deposited their instruments of ratification. Those conditions were later met; the Convention entered into force on 5 May 1955. For each member which subsequently ratifies, it shall come into force on the date of deposit. After entry into force the Committee of Ministers may invite any other European State to accede. Article 10 permits denunciation after five years from the date on which the Convention entered into force for the Party concerned, with six months notice; denunciation takes effect on the expiry of that period. Article 11 requires the Secretary General to notify members of signatures, deposits, entry into force, invitations to accede and denunciations.

It is not the European Convention on Human Rights of 1950. It is not the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage.

Image: French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Quai d Orsay, Paris; Jebulon, 18 December 2011; CC0, Wikimedia Commons. Cropped to 16:9.

Source consulted: European Cultural Convention. Treaty text: European Cultural Convention, Paris, 19 December 1954.