José Apolinário, president of the Coordination and Regional Development Commission (CCDR) of the Algarve, criticizes the reorganization of the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) which disregards the «principle of subsidiarity» as it will integrate the monuments managed by the Regional Directorate of Cultural do Algarve in a company, based in Porto, and in an institute, based in Lisbon.
The CCDR leader is against this «centralization» in the management of monuments, as it undermines the principle of subsidiarity.
In a statement sent to the media, Apolinário argues that the «reform of the organization of the State in the administration of Cultural Heritage must follow the principle of subsidiarity, capacity building and a critical regional dimension, valuing the transfer of CCDR to a public institute».
«Investment in classified cultural heritage needs greater coordination and appreciation through its inclusion in the regional development strategy», he argues.
At the Council of Ministers last Thursday, June 22, the Government approved the reorganization of the DGPC, which will be divided into two entities.
One will be the public institute Cultural Heritage, to be headquartered in Porto, and the other the public company “Museus e Monumentos de Portugal”, with a “business management” profile, headquartered in Lisbon.
After the Council of Ministers, the Minister of Culture said that the institute will have «competences for safeguarding and conserving immovable and intangible cultural heritage», while the company will be responsible for «managing the museums that have national collections and the monuments that are heritage of Humanity», as is the case of the Fortress of Sagres.
In his position, José Apolinário even mentions that the Government's program «advocates a reform of the State based on the principle of proximity and subsidiarity», something that is not fulfilled in this reorganization of the DGPC.
«Strengthening the role of culture in sustainable tourism, social inclusion and innovation requires articulation at sub-national level, ensuring a proximity response in safeguarding cultural heritage. An example from the Algarve: The Promontório de Sagres is a European Heritage Brand due to the perseverance and will of the regional entities, starting from the CCDR Algarve itself, the Regional Directorate of Culture – promoter of the candidacy – and the Municipalities, in particular the Municipality of Vila do Bishop", recalls the CCDR leader.
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