EUROPEAN AND INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE NETWORKS GET TOGETHER IN BRUSSELS

may 14

On 15 April, in order the mark the opening of its new liaison office in Brussels, Europa Nostra invited all the European/International networks or organisations active in the wider field of cultural heritage to take part in a first liaison meeting in Brussels. The purpose of the meeting was to get to know each other better, to learn about the main agendas and priorities of each of the organisations and to discuss ways in which we can develop synergies and strengthen the Voice of Cultural Heritage in Europe.

23 participants from 14 organisations - EAHTR (European Association of Historic Towns and Regions), ECCO (European Confederation of Conservator-Restorers Organisation), EFAITH (European Federation of Associations of Industrial and Technical Heritage) & Associacio del Museu de la Ciencia i de la Tecnica I d'Arqueologia Industrial de Catalunya, EHHF (European Heritage Heads Forum), EHLF (European Heritage Legal Forum), ELO (European Landowners’ Organisation), ENCATC (European Network of Cultural Administration Training Centres), ENCoRE (European Network for Conservation-Restoration Education), Erfgoed Nederland, representative of Europa Nostra on the European Civil Society Platform on Access to Culture, FEDECRAIL (European Federation of Museum and Tourist Railways), Fraunhofer Gesellschaft (German Research Alliance on Cultural Heritage), IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions), IHOE (Inventory of Heritage Organisations in Europe) and WTFC (Walled Towns Friendship Circle) - attended the meeting moderated by Rupert Graf Strachwitz, Council member and Chairman of the European Policy Committee of Europa Nostra, and followed by an exchange of views with Sheamus Cassidy, Project Coordinator at the European Commission, DG Education and Culture.

Europa Nostra was pleased to note that all organisations present shared a view that the Europe's heritage movement needs to get better organised in order to defend the interests of Europe's cultural heritage more forcefully and more effectively and was encouraged to organise, in the future, similar meetings to bring together all the cultural heritage defenders.