Policy recommendations
The CRAFTOUR Policy Recommendations are the result of an interdisciplinary, collaborative effort involving expertise in research, crafts, digital technologies, cultural heritage, education, and business, drawn from six EU-funded projects and their partners. Developed through the combined expertise and findings of these projects, focused on crafts, cultural heritage, skills, innovation, tourism, and sustainability, they represent a shared vision for the future of the craft sector in Europe.
The recommendations were first presented to representatives of the European Commission during the CRAFTOUR Policy Round Table held in Brussels on 10 December 2025 and were further discussed during the CRAFTOUR General Conference in the European Parliament on 30 January 2026. These discussions confirmed the growing recognition of crafts as a strategic sector contributing not only to Europe’s cultural heritage, but also to innovation, sustainability, social cohesion and economic resilience.
CRAFTOUR considers crafts as a living ecosystem carrying economic, cultural, social and environmental value. Far beyond the products they create, crafts sustain local economies, preserve and renew cultural heritage, strengthen communities, support sustainable production models and contribute to Europe’s territorial identities and diversity.
The recommendations are structured around four strategic objectives:
Understanding, valorising and documenting European crafts, including the development of a common European framework for craft data, the creation of a European craft ontology and the establishment of a European Observatory of Arts and Crafts.
Safeguarding and promoting the authenticity of European crafts by supporting living craft ecosystems, strengthening transmission environments, improving public awareness and connecting authenticity to wider European policies.
Empowering the transmission of skills and know-how through formal and non-formal education, recognising the importance of intergenerational learning, non-formal training pathways, craft certification and innovative learning environments.
Reinforcing viable business models in the European craft sector by recognising crafts as an economic sector, supporting local supply chains, adapting financial instruments, encouraging innovation and strengthening professional networks.
Sustainability is not treated as a separate dimension, but as a principle that potentially runs through all aspects of craftsmanship.
These recommendations are intended as a contribution to future European policies for crafts, showing that crafts should not only be treated within the domain of cultural heritage and culture, but also extend to broader European policy agendas such as environmental policy, SMEs, economic policy, development, education and many others.
We hope they will provide a foundation for a more coherent and ambitious European framework that recognises the full value of crafts and supports their development across generations, territories, and sectors.
