europa nostra newsletter

summer 2006
 


RAISING AWARENESS

 

European Heritage Days

Europa Nostra Heritage Tours 2007

30th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Vilnius

Culture 2000: selected projects in 2006

 

European Heritage Days 2006

In 2006, as in previous years, the European Heritage Days (EHD), a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission, will be celebrated in 48 countries across Europe during the month of September. In some countries activities are also organised in the period ranging from August to November). Each national co-coordinator has selected its own theme for 2006.

European Launch Ceremony in Saint Petersburg on 21 - 22 September 2006

This year the European Launch Ceremony of the EHD will take place at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg on 21 September, as part of the programme of the Russian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

In order to enhance the importance of this event, the Ministry of Culture and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation , the Council of Europe, and the Government of St Petersburg will also organise a Colloquium on “The Values of Europe’s Cultural Heritage” to take place in Tsarskoye Selo, near Saint Petersburg on 22 September 2006 . This event will seek to promote the principles of the "Council of Europe Framework Convention on the Value of Heritage for Society", adopted in Faro (Portugal) on 27 October 2005.

The Colloquium will explore the values of Europe’s cultural heritage for its citizens, its countries, its cities and villages, as well as for Europe’s future in the modern world. Speakers and participants will seek to illustrate the importance of Russian cultural heritage as an integral part of Europe’s cultural heritage, and to demonstrate the need for an ever stronger European cooperation between public authorities and among the civil society. The first session will explore "The Benefits of Cultural Heritage for Society" by focusing on "Heritage as an Asset for Sustainable Development" and "Heritage as a Tool for Civic Education". The second session will address the theme "Safeguarding and Managing Cultural Heritage in Europe: Innovative Practices" and focus on "Exemplary Initiatives by Public Authorities" and on "Exemplary Initiatives by Non-Governmental Actors".

Further information: Ms Tamara van Kessel, EHD Programme Co-ordinator, jep-ehd@europanostra.org

 

Europa Nostra Heritage Tours 2007

The Europa Nostra Heritage Tours Committee has announced the dates and destinations of the tours in 2007. The Heritage Tours Brochure 2007 with full descriptions will be available in October 2006.

  • 19-24 April: Lyon and surroundings, France
  • 8-14 May: Villas of the Veneto , Italy
  • September: Serbia
  • 16-21 October: Mallorca 's Heritage , Spain
  • 1-14 November: Syria (French speaking tour)

Further information: Barbara Zander, Heritage Tours Co-ordinator, om@europanostra.org, +31 70 302 40 54

 

UNESCO

The 30th session of the World Heritage Committee

8 to 16 July 2006, Vilnius, Lithuania

The World Heritage Committee, consisting of representatives from 21 States Parties to the Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and natural heritage, elected by the General Assembly of States Parties to the Convention, met in Vilnius from 8 to 16 July 2006. It identified (on the basis of nominations submitted by States Parties) cultural and natural properties of outstanding universal value which are to be protected under the Convention and to list those properties on the World Heritage List. These included 16 cultural sites (5 in Europe) and 2 natural sites (none in Europe). Moreover - 2 sites, 2 natural and 1 cultural - all in Europe, were extended. The World Heritage List now numbers 830 sites. The European cultural sites added in 2006 are: Centennial Hall in Wroclaw, Poland; Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape United Kingdom ; Genoa: Le Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli, Italy; Old town of Regensburg with Stadtamhof, Germany; Vizcaya Bridge, Spain. The three extended sites are Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (also placed on the World Heritage at Risk list, see below), Serbia; the Madriu-Perafita-Claror Valley, Andorra, and the Kvarken Archipelago / High Coast Finland, Sweden.

The current composition of the World Heritage Committee is: Benin, Canada, Chile, Cuba, India, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lithuania (Chair), Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand (Rapporteur), Norway, Peru, Spain, Republic of Korea, Tunisia, United States of America.

Further information : http://whc.unesco.org/; www.30whc.org/en/

 

European Commission



Culture 2000: selected projects in 2006

On 11 July 2006, the European Commission announced the projects receiving a grant within the framework of Culture 2000 Programme in 2006. They include 41 projects in the field of cultural heritage under action 1 (annual projects) and 8 projects in the field of cultural heritage under action 2 (multi-annual projects). The Culture 2000 programme contributes to the promotion of a cultural area common to the European Peoples. Each year the Community supports annual and multi-annual cultural events and projects carried out in partnership or in the forms of networks. The annual projects must involve cultural operators from at least three States and respectively the multi-annual projects must involve cultural operators from at least five States participating in the Culture 2000 programme.

http://ec.europa.eu/culture/eac/how_particip2000/pract_info/appel_2006_en.html

 

European Environmental Agency

Alarming report on the state of Europe ’s coastlines

3 July, Copenhagen , Denmark

The European Environmental Agency (EEA), published a report drawing attention to the rapid decline of Europe’s coastal environment, warning its quality is approaching a “point of no return”. The 107 page report analyses the recent trends in a wide range of sectors affecting the environment of our coastlines: urbanisation, transport and industry, tourism, agriculture etc. The coastal space is a limited resource appealing to a wide range of “users”. For the first time, a Europe-wide integrated spatial assessment is presented which also takes account of so-called “ecosystem services” (benefits people obtain from ecosystems), whose value is not always considered in mainstream analyses. The report shows a rapid increase in population density in coastal areas compared to the European average. Of particular concern is residential sprawl and infrastructure development which result in fragmentation of coastal habitats and the building up of large tracts of coastline. The seasonal mass migration of tourists poses considerable challenges to the management of coastal areas. The report is the EEA’s contribution to the review of the ongoing implementation of the “integrated coastal zone management” (ICZM) by the European Commission in 2006.

Further information : http://org.eea.europa.eu/documents/newsreleases/coastal2006-en