The preservation of world cultural heritage is a key issue for maintaining national identity and understanding the exchanges among civilizations throughout history. Cultural heritage (CH) artefacts that are based on paper, textiles or wood are prone to biological attack under improper conservation conditions. The application of ionizing radiation for the disinfection of CH artefacts has been successfully demonstrated in recent years, with the participation of museums and libraries. The wider use of this technique requires conclusively establishing that irradiation does not lead to unacceptable changes in the functional or decorative properties of the artefact and that its authenticity is not compromised. The CRP will focus on evaluating the effect of irradiation on the functional properties of such artefacts’ base materials and minor constituents, as well as on post-irradiation effects and appropriate irradiation procedures for wider use of the technique.