Europa Nostra General Assembly 2022 held in Prague
The General Assembly of Europa Nostra was held on 26 September at the Czech Museum of Music in Prague in the frame of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2022. The General Assembly endorsed the new Strategic Plan of Europa Nostra “Horizon 2025” and learned more about the newly created Europa Nostra Heritage Hubs in Kraków and Athens. On this occasion, the General Assembly paid tribute to Costa Carras from Greece, former Vice-President of Europa Nostra, who passed away on 28 February, as well as to Baron Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer from Belgium, former Executive President of Europa Nostra, who passed away on 26 July. Members also handled relevant statutory matters, including the approval of the Annual Report 2021, the approval of the preliminary budget for 2023 and various (re-) appointments to the Council and other governing bodies of Europa Nostra.
In a video message recorded for the meeting, the President of Europa Nostra, Cecilia Bartoli, thanked the members for her election as President of Europa Nostra and assured them of her dedication and commitment to promote Europa Nostra’s work and values. She also praised the Europa Nostra Strategic Plan: Horizon 2025.
The General Assembly paid tribute to the late Costa Carras, who worked for Europa Nostra in various capacities for 48 years, shaping the organisation to what it is today. One of the first printed copies of the newest edition of the Magazine Heritage in Action South East Europe Special, dedicated to the memory of Costa Carras, was presented to his wife and Council member Lydia Carras.
The General Assembly also paid tribute to the late Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer, who became Executive President of the organisation in 1992 and held this position until 2006. Europa Nostra’s Executive President, Hermann Parzinger, recalled his rich career. Europa Nostra’s Secretary General, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, having worked with Daniel Cardon de Lichtbuer during his 14 years as Executive President of the organisation, paid a moving tribute to him.
Following the detailed presentations made by the Executive President, the Treasurer, Huub Doek, and the Chair of the Internal Audit Committee, Sander Winckel, the General Assembly approved the Annual Report 2021, including the Audited Annual Accounts 2021, as well as the Draft Budget 2023. Both documents had been previously endorsed by the Council of Europa Nostra.
The General Assembly also (re-)appointed 21 new members of the Council of Europa Nostra nominated by Member Organisations and Country Representations for a mandate of 3 years (in alphabetical order): Jurn Buisman (The Netherlands), Alberto Cavalli (Italy), Jorge Chaminé (France), Alina Chiciudean (Romania), Peter Collins (UK), Hamza Yuksel Dincer (Turkey), Alexander Goodger (UK), Cristina Loglio (Italy), Vesna Marjanovic (Serbia), Marina Martinou (Greece), Sabine Nemec-Piguet (Switzerland), Pedro Ponce de Leon (Spain), Eltjana Shkreli (Albania), Georg Spiegelfeld-Schneeburg (Austria), Roger Thomas (international organisation based in Czechia), Laurence de la Vaissière (France), Patrizia Valle (Italy), John Vassalo (Malta), Emilio Rui Vilar (Portugal), Agata Wasowska-Pawlik (Poland) and Tina Wik (Sweden).
Special thanks were given to the leaving Council members and especially to six Council members who left the Council because they reached the maximum number of three mandates and were therefore not eligible for re-appointment: Bertrand de Feydeau (who remains Vice-President), Alexander Kottulinsky, Lida Miraj, Charles Pictet, Jacek Purchla (who remains Vice-President) and Alexander Fürst zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (who remains Vice-President).
The General Assembly also re-appointed two members of the Internal Audit Committee, Petr Svoboda and Enzo Unfer, as well as the external Auditor.
During the meeting, short presentations of the newly established Europa Nostra Heritage Hub for Central and Eastern Europe, based in Krakow, and Europa Nostra Heritage Hub for South East Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, based in Athens, were made, prior to the meetings dedicated to these Hubs.
Last but not least, following an important initiative taken by Europa Nostra representatives from three neighbouring countries, namely Czech Republic, Germany and Poland, a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding about interregional cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, under the umbrella of Europa Nostra, was signed by Petr Svoboda, Chair of Europa Nostra Czech Republic, Uwe Koch, President of Europa Nostra Germany, and Jacek Purchla, Vice-President of Europa Nostra from Poland.
