Europa Nostra Council held insightful policy exchange with European Commissioner Glenn Micallef in Valletta, Malta

On 9-10 June, the Board, Council and Vice-Presidents of Europa Nostra held their bi-annual meetings in Valletta, Malta, coinciding with the 60th anniversary of Din l-Art Ħelwa (National Trust of Malta), one of the founding organisations of Europa Nostra and a member since 1967. The gathering provided a perfect setting for a fruitful policy exchange on 9 June with Glenn Micallef, European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, in the presence of Hon. Owen Bonnici, Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government of Malta, as well as Patrick Calleja and Simone Mizzi, current and former Executive Presidents of Din l-Art Ħelwa, respectively.

The policy exchange, which took place at the Valletta Local Council Office, was chaired by Hermann Parzinger, Executive President of Europa Nostra, and focused on the role of cultural heritage within the upcoming Culture Compass for Europe.

The Culture Compass, the Commission’s flagship initiative in the field of culture, is an ambitious, strategic and future-proof approach to supporting culture and cultural heritage. It aims at showcasing Europe as a global cultural powerhouse, and ensuring that policies align with citizens’ expectations and needs, and that our shared heritage continues to inspire and unite us.

“I carry the immense responsibility of nurturing and promoting our cultural heritage across Europe. This task is critical, not only because our heritage reflects the tapestry of who we are, but also because it stands as a powerful catalyst for positive change. I am both glad and honoured to know that in this vital task, I am not alone. I have the support of all of you, alongside Europa Nostra, working diligently – across borders and beyond – to safeguard the cultural legacy that defines us and inspires our future. Together, we strive to ensure that these precious symbols of our identity and history are protected for generations to come”, emphasised European Commissioner Glenn Micallef.

In his welcome address, Minister Owen Bonnici thanked Europa Nostra for its tireless efforts, bringing together so many voices across the heritage sector. “This is not only important but necessary. You are showing that heritage must be central and not only peripheral to the European project,” he stated.

Joining online, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, Secretary General of Europa Nostra and Project Leader of the European Heritage Hub pilot project, underlined that discussing the Culture Compass in a heritage building is symbolic as this is a place with a soul mirroring the multiple identity of Malta and of Europe as a whole. She then conveyed some concrete suggestions for important European policy and priority themes which are relevant for heritage and for which heritage is a vector, ranging from intergenerational dialogue, security, peace, democracy, economy, research, health and well-being, climate action and sustainability, to the enlargement, the new Pact for the Mediterranean and external relations in general.

“Literally, all EU policies are relevant for heritage and heritage is relevant for all of these policies. This is the most transversal portfolio of all, and this shall be duly taken into account to build an ambitious Culture Compass for Europe, which also ought to be accompanied by a strong culture programme and an appropriate budget in the next Multiannual Financial Framework,” stated Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović.

This was followed by a presentation from Vanessa Fraga Prol, Advocacy and Partnerships Manager at Europa Nostra, who shared key insights from a report based on a survey on the Culture Compass conducted by Europa Nostra. The survey was widely distributed across Europa Nostra’s network, including its individual members and partners, the European Heritage Alliance, and the European Heritage Hub Consortium.

The findings reveal overwhelming agreement, with over 84% of respondents recognising that heritage plays a crucial role in forging a shared European identity and fostering a sense of belonging. Furthermore, responses highlighted heritage as essential to Europe’s social, economic, and environmental future, with strong calls for:

• Improved working conditions and professional support for heritage professionals, endorsed by 96% of respondents, alongside appeals for dedicated EU funding streams, particularly to support smaller organisations and heritage conservation efforts.
• Prioritisation of education and youth engagement, with around 75% advocating for the integration of heritage education into school curricula, two-thirds supporting youth exchange programmes, and many calling for affordable access to heritage sites for young people.
• Broad endorsement of cross-border collaboration and protection of heritage in times of crisis, emphasising its vital role in climate adaptation, social cohesion, peacebuilding, and sustainable tourism that respects cultural authenticity.
• Enhanced integration of heritage into wider EU policies, including international cultural relations and diplomacy, advancement of digital innovation, skills development, active community involvement, and recognition of heritage as a key driver of economic growth and resilience.

A further open discussion provided an opportunity for participants to share perspectives on how the forthcoming EU strategy and funding programmes can most effectively support cultural heritage policy through the Culture Compass. In this context, participants emphasised the importance of allocating at least 2% of the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) to culture, including cultural heritage. Particular attention was given to the cross-cutting priority of youth engagement, as well as to both tangible and intangible heritage, including music.

Uwe Koch, President of Europa Nostra Germany, and Paul Dujardin, President of Europa Nostra Belgium, on behalf of Jorge Chaminé, Founder President of the Centre Européen de Musique, provided information on the Hub Conference “Music Now! Musica Nostra!” organised in April 2025 in Mafra, Portugal, putting a spotlight on music as a vital part of Europe’s intangible heritage and its essential role in fostering unity and peace in an increasingly challenging global context.

Sorina Neascu, President of ESACH – European Students Association for Cultural Heritage, and Jasna Popovic, Youth coordinator of the Hub, Hispania Nostra, presented the publication resulting from the Youth Heritage Days, which took place in March 2025 in Albarracin, Spain, gathering 60 young heritage professionals, who discussed the role of cultural heritage for rural development and as a solution to counter depopulation. The publication also puts forward recommendations to improve youth involvement and opportunities.

Agata Wasowska-Pawlik, Board Member of Europa Nostra, handed a fresh copy of the Mapping of the Heritage NGO sector in Central and Eastern Europe produced by the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Kraków, revealing more than 33,000 organisations throughout the region, with a majority working on addressing social inclusion, putting values at the heart of their mission.

Other contributions stressed the importance of skills and craftsmanship passed on throughout generations, of heritage as a unifying element across and beyond borders, especially in conflict areas, as a vital soft power for peace and security, and as a powerful element for economic growth and resilience. All participants underscored that such ambitions shall be accompanied by a suitable and effective budget for heritage stakeholders and civil society across Europe.

Reacting to the members’ contributions, European Commissioner Glenn Micallef affirmed that culture and heritage are not only important for Europe’s prosperity and resilience, but also for its safety and its cultural relations with its neighbourhood and the rest of the world. “In what we do, we need to start with people and bring them together to work towards the same goals. And we are bound by values – values that define us and tell who we are,” highlighted Commissioner Micallef.

To conclude this enriching exchange, Hermann Parzinger, Executive President of Europa Nostra, and our Council paid tribute to Simone Mizzi, outgoing Board Member of Europa Nostra and former Executive President of Din l-Art Ħelwa, for her life-long dedication to safeguarding Malta’s and Europe’s cultural and natural heritage, continuing the work of her father, Judge Maurice Caruana Curran, who founded the organisation in 1965.

On the same day, Commissioner Micallef and a small delegation of Europa Nostra visited the Msida Bastion – Gardens of Rest which was restored and is being maintained by volunteers of Din l-Art Ħelwa, and received the Silver Medal of Honour by Europa Nostra in March 2002. The delegation also visited MICAS – Malta International Contemporary Art Space, the mission of which is to energise Malta’s cultural ecology and impact that of the Euro-Mediterranean region it inhabits, and which was partly financed by the EU through the European Regional Development Fund.

The event concluded with a European Heritage Reception, hosted by Hon. Owen Bonnici, Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government of Malta, at MUŻA, the National Museum of Art, Valletta.