The Heritage at Risk Mission
The “Heritage in Danger” mission, entrusted to Stéphane Bern, is a participatory mechanism to identify real estate assets in risk and to seek innovative solutions to ensure the financing of essential works, in liaison with the Ministry of Culture and the Heritage Foundation. Thanks to the “heritage lotto”, the objective is to safeguard the built heritage in its diversity throughout the country.
16 September 2017, on the occasion of the European Heritage Days (JEP), the President of the Republic entrusted Mr. Stéphane Bern with the mission «Heritage in Danger».
The first edition of the mission “Heritage at Risk” was launched in 2018 as part of an agreement between the Ministry of Culture and the Heritage Foundation, under the patronage of the President of the Republic on February 13, 2018, for a period of 3 years. This Convention has been renewed by the Ministry of Culture and the Heritage Foundation, in the presence of La Française des Jeux (FDJ), February 22, 2021 for a duration of 4 years.
Heritage at Risk mission stands out as a unique opportunity for the French to commit themselves to the protection of the heritage, in metropolis or overseas.
Persons, whether public or private, who wish to report a building of heritage interest and whose conservation they consider necessary, whether or not it is protected under the title of historic monuments, have a right to form online to “report a site”.
The objectives of the mission
The “Heritage in Danger” mission is part of in the desire to ensure the restoration, maintenance, promotion and transmission of heritage buildings protected or not under the title of historic monuments and in particular of local heritage.
Building restoration projects The Commission’s proposal for a Directive on the protection of the environment and the protection of the environment and the protection of the environment and the protection of the environment, as well as for the protection of the environment and the protection of the environment, has been adopted.
Serving the Revitalization of the Territories, this selection is carried out in accordance with the triple objective of protecting national heritage wealth (castral or military heritage, religious, industrial or artisanal heritage, agricultural or rural, mills, civil heritage, etc.), the preservation of territorial diversity and the development of the sites' potential for economic attractiveness.
A participatory reporting process
The choice of operations likely to benefit from the funds raised under the “Heritage in Danger” mission is based on the buildings reported on the dedicated digital platform on the mission site by owners or owners of works.
The identification of signs and the verification of the files presented are provided by the regional delegations of the Heritage Foundation, in connection, for historical monuments, with the regional directorates of cultural affairs (regional conservation of historical monuments).
In the course of the first quarter, the selection committee selects 18 “iconic” monuments (one per region). In the second quarter, the selection committee draws up the list of so-called «mesh» monuments, one project per department.
The “heritage lotto”, an innovative financing method
The “Heritage in Danger” mission entrusted Stéphane Bern operates according to an innovative financing method, which complements the credits of the State, local authorities and owners for the protection of heritage properties.
Indeed, the Finance Act correction for 2017, (article 90 of law no. 2017-1775 of 28 December 2017) has opened the possibility of making a levy on the sums bet on games dedicated to the heritage marketed by La Française des Jeux, in order to contribute to the financing of restoration operations. In addition, the grants granted by the Heritage Foundation as part of the “Heritage in Danger” mission may be supplemented by grants paid by the Ministry of Culture under its “Historic Monuments” appropriations.
Finally, the Heritage Foundation may call upon public generosity or corporate patronage to supplement the financial effort made to restore the selected buildings.
“Heritage Lotto” Assessment
Since 2018, over 4,800 buildings reported to the “Heritage in Danger” mission were identified on the dedicated platform.
Out of a total of 645 projects selected, 363 projects are started or completed.
This record reflects the very favourable response that the mission has been able to find among our fellow citizens, thus underlining the crucial importance of preserving the local heritage in the eyes of the French.