Europa Nostra’s governing bodies meet in Paris

Fruitful and productive meetings of Europa Nostra’s Board and Council, as well as its annual General Assembly, were held during the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2019 in Paris, France.

Council Meeting Paris - 27/10/19
Europa Nostra’s Board and Council met on 27 October at the historic Cercle de l’Union Interalliée

On the morning of 27 October, Europa Nostra’s Board met at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée to discuss, amongst other important topics, the overall programme of the Paris Summit, membership matters and Europa Nostra’s strategic direction for the five upcoming years. The meeting was chaired by Europa Nostra Executive Vice-President Guy Clausse. Denis de Kergorlay, Honorary President of Europa Nostra and President of the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée welcomed the group at the fitting historic venue which has been, since its creation in 1917, a place for dialogue and exchange.

During its meeting, the Board approved six new Member Organisations and one new Associate Organisation joining Europa Nostra. The new members are active in a wide variety of fields, ranging from game archives and museums, to national parks and historic cities. A key point on the agenda was the upcoming Europa Nostra Strategic Plan 2020 – 2025. After the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018 and heading towards Europa Nostra’s Diamond Jubilee in 2023, it is now a good moment to engage in deep reflection about the future direction of the organisation and to define the steps which will bring Europa Nostra to new heights. The Board with the International Secretariat shall carry forward the work on this strategic document and present a consolidated proposal to the Council and General Assembly prior to their next meeting in June 2020. The next Board Meeting is planned for 6-7 March 2020.

The Council assembled later that day in the same venue to exchange, among others, on governance matters and vote (re)appointments, latest European Policy Developments, progress on Europa Nostra’s main activities and financial issues. The meeting was chaired by Europa Nostra’s Executive Vice-President Guy Clausse with the assistance of the Secretary General Sneška Quaedvlieg – Mihailovic. The Executive Vice-President and the Secretary General warmly welcomed the group and thanked Denis de Kergorlay for hosting Europa Nostra’s governing bodies in such a splendid venue at the heart of Paris. The Council then discussed key European Policy Developments, including the composition and priorities of the new European Commission as well as the pressing issue of climate change- related impacts on cultural heritage. A key point in the agenda was the progress made within the selection of sites for the 2020 List of the 7 Most Endangered Programme. Within the next year’s edition, for the very first time nominations from Slovenia, Poland and Ireland were submitted. The first nominee related to intangible cultural heritage (from Armenia) was also submitted within the 2020 edition of the scheme. Europa Nostra’s Secretary General Sneška Quaedvlieg – Mihailovic recalled the future plans for the programme, including an increased financial support from the European Investment Bank Institute which will allow for issuing an annual list of 7 Most Endangered sites in Europe with the recruitment of the full-time Staff member responsible for the running of this flagship programme of Europa Nostra.

After a long day of meetings, Council and Board members joined a welcome reception held at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée as the opening of the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2019. The joyful evening was attended by over 250 participants coming from France and from all over Europe. Read separate news item here.

Welcome Reception Paris - 27/10/19
Europa Nostra’s General Assembly 2019 convened on 28 October at Paris City Hall

The General Assembly took place on 28 October at the stunning “Salle des Fêtes” of the Paris City Hall and was dedicated to statutory matters including the approval of the Annual Report for 2018, the approval of the preliminary budget for 2020, the adoption of amendments to the Europa Nostra Statutes, and various (re-) appointments to the governing bodies of Europa Nostra. The General Assembly was chaired by Europa Nostra’s Executive President Hermann Parzinger with the assistance of the Secretary General Sneška Quaedvlieg – Mihailovic. The Executive President briefly presented the Annual Report 2018, which highlights the numerous activities that Europa Nostra organised during the historic European Year of Cultural Heritage. The Report was unanimously approved.

The General Assembly (re-)appointed the following 20 Council members, nominated by Member Organisations and Country Representations for a mandate of 3 years: Bertrand de Feydeau (France), Karel Loeff (The Netherlands), Camelia Raluca Barbulescu (Romania), Jacek Purchla (Poland), Alexander Kottulinsky (Austria), Emílio Rui Vilar (Portugal), Alexander zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (Germany), Alexandra Prokopiou (Greece), Jorge Chaminé (France), Tina Wik (Sweden), Kirsi Moisander (Finland), Charles Pictet (Switzerland), Peter Collins (United Kingdom), Wenceslas De Lobkowicz (France), Elena Alliaudi (France), Slavica Vujović (Serbia), Pedro Ponce de León (Spain), John Vassallo (Malta), Patrizia Valle (Italy) and Lida Miraj (Albania). See full list of Council members.

At the end of her 6 years term as Vice-President of Europa Nostra, Professor Irina Subotic from Serbia was appointed as an Honorary Life Member of Europa Nostra in recognition of her long-standing commitment to promoting Europa Nostra’s mission and action. In her capacity as the founding President of Europa Nostra Serbia and as Vice-President of Europa Nostra, she has been especially active and effective as an Ambassador of Europa Nostra in South-East and East Europe.

The Executive President closed the General Assembly 2019 by thanking all participants and inviting them to visit the Exhibition “Marie-Antoinette, Metamorphoses of an Image” at the historical building of the Conciergerie. Read separate news item of the special evening and exhibition here.

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