The Decree on Immovable Heritage is an overall decree on monuments and landscapes elaborated by the Flemish Government. The Decree addresses the working instruments to protect and to manage immovable heritage in Flanders, such as:

• Scientific inventories of important heritage can be set legally;
• Four protection statutes support the heritage values of sites: instruments to manage heritage, permits to change immaterial heritage, premiums to conserve immaterial heritage and subsidies for an additional structural support. 

The Belgian partner in Innocastle, University College Ghent will further investigate the degree from the perspective of historic castles, manors and estates to find improvement points within Innocastle. Several ideas are already identified:  

• Historic castles, manors and estates which are listed on the inventory of architectural heritage get specific restrictions which can limit their possibilities for development
• The complexity and exhaustiveness of the regulations discourage owners to take initiatives to preserve, transform or exploit their monuments.
• The current subsidies are inadequate for a sustainable preservation.
• Heritage legislation often coincides with other (sectoral) legislations regarding nature, spatial planning, tourism and others.
• Heritage policy mainly focuses on identification, assessment and conservation. There is nearly no attention or expertise for the dynamics of the transformation of castles, manors and estates.
• The heritage policy in practice solely aims at listed or protected heritage. Non-listed heritage sites do not get the opportunity to work on development instruments such as management plans within this decree.

The Extremadura Operational Programme has allocated EUR 2 billion euro of funding with the aim to stimulate economic growth and strengthen the civil society in the Extremadura region.

One of the investment objectives addressed (6.3.1) is to boost protection, promotion and development of cultural heritage. The main objective of this instrument is the valorization of cultural and natural heritage resources of the region.

The creation of cultural heritage itineraries focused on castles and fortifications that are located mainly in rural areas with a great natural value (including their physical or virtual recreation) is a priority for the promotion of sustainable tourism in the region and the improvement of the economic development of isolated rural areas.

The operational programme has several issues at implementation level due to different factors. The political situation at a national and regional level, delays in information and approval of budgets, the limitation of resources, the necessity of new solutions for adequate exploitation of castles and fortifications (both public and private).

INNOCASTLE will address a clear necessity in the region of Extremadura, the correct valorization and sustainable exploitation of the local cultural heritage.

The main objective of the Policy Programme “Culture and Heritage” is to enhance the conservation of protected heritage in the province of Gelderland in combination with suitable use and a better experience of the heritage involved.

The main goals of this policy programme are:

• The positioning of heritage as a structural part of spatial plans based on actual information
• Well-organised heritage sector in the province
• Good condition of listed monuments, both buildings and gardens, parks, archeological monuments etc.
• Innovation of the heritage practice, notably on economic significance, sustainability, skills and financing. 

Owners of castles manors and estates in the Province of Gelderland, especially private ones, come forward with questions on economic viability, sustainability and financing the necessary measures.

At the same time, municipalities in the region are increasingly seeking the support of the province on applying the legislation and other rules on this important body of heritage.

The Province ofGelderland aims to investigate possible changes in the policy so that the needs of owners and municipalities could be met.