26 years ago the Maastricht Treaty was signed by the EU. The treaty partly shaped the EU we know today. The treaty introduced EU's aims to ensure and safeguard cultural heritage within the union. The Maastricht Treaty states that cooperation between Member States should be encouraged and that support should be given to actions within the following areas:
- improvement of the knowledge and dissemination of the culture and history of the European peoples
- conservation and safeguarding of cultural heritage of European significance
- non-commercial cultural exchanges
- artistic and literary creation, including in the audiovisual sector
