Europa Nostra and Hub delegation meets with Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos to discuss heritage as a driver of democracy, reconciliation and inclusion
On 8 October, a Europa Nostra and European Heritage Hub delegation had a meeting with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos to discuss the role of cultural heritage as an enrichment of the EU enlargement process and a driver of democracy, fundamental values, reconciliation and inclusion.
The delegation was composed of Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra, Jermina Stanojev, Research Coordinator at KU Leuven Institute for Cultural Heritage, Joachim Schneider, economist, urban planner and expert appointed by the EIB Institute, and Manon Richard, Project Manager of the European Heritage Hub.
It was a great pleasure to meet yesterday with EU Cssr for Enlargement @MartaKosEU to discuss the role of cultural heritage as an enrichment of the EU enlargement process and a driver of democracy, fundamental values, reconciliation and inclusion. ️ pic.twitter.com/c51pMShbZJ
— Europa Nostra (@europanostra) October 9, 2025
On this occasion, the Hub representatives presented the Policy Paper “Cultural Heritage and the Triple Transformation in the EU Enlargement Process”, created in the framework of the EU-funded European Heritage Hub and with the support of partner KU Leuven. The paper concludes that, across candidate countries, cultural heritage can accelerate democratic reform, the green and digital transition, economic recovery and social cohesion. This is a significant contribution of the heritage sector while EU enlargement is considered as the most successful foreign policy and currently the most important geopolitical investment for the future of Europe.
The meeting also highlighted 7 Most Endangered Programme, a key civil society initiative dedicated to saving Europe’s heritage at risk, run by Europa Nostra in partnership with the European Investment Bank Institute and with the support of the Creative Europe programme of the European Union. The discussion focus on heritage sites located in EU candidate countries that require urgent action due to immediate threat, such as the Generalštab Modernist Complex in Belgrade, Serbia, endangered due to undemocratic and unlawful practices, as well as the numerous heritage sites in Ukraine threatened by the ongoing Russian war of aggression. In the face of such challenges, Europa Nostra emphasised that cultural heritage is a positive force that has the potential to rally citizens in fighting for the respect of fundamental values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law.
The representatives of Europa Nostra also spotlighted the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, Europe’s most prestigious heritage awards, launched by the European Commission in 2002 and run by Europa Nostra ever since. Several outstanding heritage projects and heritage champions from EU candidate and neighbouring countries have been awarded since the launch of the Awards.
Europa Nostra is grateful to the European Commission, including the European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos for recognising the vital role of civil society in key conversations about EU policies, internal and external.
