Institutional Partners
Europa Nostra works closely with all institutions of the European Union to put cultural heritage high on their agenda. We also seek to actively contribute to a global mobilisation for heritage, especially through our close relations with UNESCO and the United Nations. You can find important information and reference documents, resolutions, conclusions and conventions, organised by institution.
European Commission
As the largest and most representative network of civil society organisations in the field, Europa Nostra has been a longstanding partner of the European Commission on issues related to cultural heritage. We collaborate closely with the Directorate General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, as well as with other Directorate Generals with cultural heritage responsibilities, from Regional and Urban Policy to Research and Innovation. Europa Nostra has also nurtured a close and trust-based relationship with Mariya Gabriel, the European Commissioner in charge of culture.
Thank you @europanostra for your tireless work to protect and promote our shared cultural heritage. I look forward to continue working with you #EuropeForCulture @hparzinger @SneskaEN pic.twitter.com/jB1KxIpmUf
— Mariya Gabriel (@GabrielMariya) January 29, 2020
Europa Nostra is a member of the Expert Group on Cultural Heritage of the European Commission, a platform for consultation and exchange on cultural heritage policies and programmes. Europa Nostra also contributes regularly to the Voices of Culture structured dialogue between the cultural sector in the European Union and the European Commission.
Since 2002, Europa Nostra has been organising the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards in partnership with the European Commission. Europa Nostra is also a partner in different EU-funded cooperation projects, such as ILUCIDARE, funded by the European Commission’s framework programme for research and innovation Horizon 2020, as well as Food is Culture and Cultural Heritage in Action, both financed by the Creative Europe of the European Union.
Related documents
- European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage
- Communication from the European Commission on the European Green Deal
- Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council – Towards an EU strategy for international cultural relations
- A New European Agenda for Culture
- Communication Towards an integrated approach to cultural heritage for Europe
Related news
European Parliament
The European Parliament is an important forum for political debate and decision-making at EU level. Representing the interests of citizens, the European Parliament is thus the democratic arm of the European Union and a natural interlocutor for a structured dialogue with civil society and heritage.
Over the years, Europa Nostra has built a fruitful cooperation with top level representatives of the European Parliament as well as several bodies dealing with cultural and heritage policy. The incumbent President of the European Parliament has supported the missions and activities of Europa Nostra on various occasions.
Our organisation also benefits from a privileged dialogue with the Chair and Members of the European Parliament’s Culture and Education Committee, and is increasingly cooperating with other Committees whose work is relevant to the enhancement of cultural heritage, such as the Committees on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on Transport and Tourism or on Regional Development.
Europa Nostra is also contributing and supporting culture and heritage related initiatives of the European Parliament, such as the New European Bauhaus Friendship Group and the Cultural Creators Friendship Group.
Related documents
- Resolution: Achieving an effective policy legacy for the European Year of Cultural Heritage
- Resolution: Establishing an EU strategy for sustainable tourism
- Resolution: Cohesion policy and regional environment strategies in the fight against climate change
Related news
Council of the EU and rotating Presidencies
The Council represents the executive governments of the EU’s member states. It adopts EU laws and coordinates EU policies. Europa Nostra actively follows its work and carries out advocacy efforts to place cultural heritage higher in the Council Agenda.
Every 6 months, one of the 27 member states takes the lead in the Council and chairs meetings helping to ensure the continuity of the EU’s work. The current presidency (January-June 2021) is held by Portugal, to be followed by Slovenia (July-December 2021). Member states holding the presidency work closely together in groups of three, called ‘trios’. Europa Nostra collaborates with the various Presidencies on heritage related issues and conferences.
We applaud the @EUCouncil conclusions on the key role of #culturalheritage for peace, democracy & sustainable development. The 🇪🇺 and its Member States can count on us and our wide network of partners to ensure their meaningful and effective implementation! https://t.co/ftXmUffgr2
— Europa Nostra (@europanostra) June 22, 2021
Related documents
- Council Conclusions on EU Approach to Cultural Heritage in conflicts and crises
- Council Conclusions on the Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022
- Council Conclusions on participatory governance of cultural heritage
- Council Conclusions on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe
Related news
Committee of the Regions
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is an European advisory body representing Europe’s regional and local authorities, composed of 329 members – including regional presidents, mayors or elected representatives of regions and cities – from all 27 EU countries. It is entitled to express its views on all major issues of local and regional relevance, including culture and cultural heritage.
Europa Nostra liaises on relevant dossiers with the Commission for Social Policy, Education, Employment, Research and Culture (SEDEC), which coordinates the work of the Committee of the Regions in Culture and Cultural Diversity. Europa Nostra has also nurtured an excellent relationship with the CoR President Apostolos Tzitzikostas.
Related documents
- Opinion: Culture in a Union that strives for more: the role of regions and cities
- Opinion: Towards more sustainable tourism for EU cities and regions
- Political priorities for 2020-2025: Europe closer to the people through its villages, cities and regions
European Economic and Social Committee
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) represents employers, workers as well as social, occupational, economic and cultural organisations, and acts in an advisory capacity. It is composed of 329 members appointed for a 5-year mandate. Its main missions are to ensure that European policies and legislation tie in better with economic, social and civic circumstances on the ground to promote the development of a more participatory European Union and to promote the values on which European integration is founded and advancing. Therefore, the EESC contributes to strengthening the democratic legitimacy and effectiveness of the European Union through civil society organisations.
The EESC committee responsible for cultural, heritage and education related policy issues is the Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship Committee (SOC).
Europa Nostra has cooperated with the European Economic and Social Committee on numerous occasions, notably as part of the annual Civil Society Days and the youth event ‘Your Europe, Your Say!’.
Related documents
- Opinion: A Renovation Wave for Europe
- Opinion: Contribution of Europe’s Rural Areas to the 2018 Year of Cultural Heritage
- Opinion: Economic, social and cultural rights in the Euro-Mediterranean region
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe is an international organisation at the basis of European integration and is the continent’s defender of human rights, democracy and the rule of law. It was founded in 1949 with its headquarters located in Strasbourg, France. In 1954, the Council of Europe adopted the European Cultural Convention, the very first document recognising the importance of Europe’s cultural diversity, of safeguarding European culture and Europe’s common cultural heritage that respects the same fundamental values.
Strasbourg 10/2: Many thanks to @MarijaPBuric, SG of @coe, for an open discussion on the need to revive Our Europe through a renewed commitment to our shared #CulturalHeritage as a catalyst for promoting #HumanRights #CitizensParticipation #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateAction pic.twitter.com/X7MelFbB5Q
— Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović (@SneskaEN) February 11, 2020
Today, the Council of Europe’s actions in the field of cultural heritage promote diversity and dialogue through improving access to heritage to foster a sense of identity, collective memory and mutual understanding within and between communities. It implements flagship initiatives, such as the annual European Heritage Days and the Cultural Routes programme.
Ever since its creation in 1963, Europa Nostra has closely cooperated with the Council of Europe, benefiting from an observer status in the organisation’s various bodies. To date, our organisation sustains a dialogue with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and its Committee on Culture, with the Council of Ministers and its rotating Presidencies, and is a member of the Council of Europe’s Conference of INGOs as well as its Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscape (CDCPP). This Committee is responsible for several important recent initiatives and programmes, such as the implementation of the Faro Convention, the European Heritage Strategy for the 21st Century and the HEREIN European Cultural Heritage Information Network, to which Europa Nostra has contributed.
Related documents
- Recommendation on promoting the continuous prevention of risks in the day-to-day management of cultural heritage
- European Heritage Strategy for the 21st Century
- Nicosia Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property
- Faro Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society
- Valletta Convention for the Protection of the Archaeological Heritage of Europe
- Granada Convention for the Protection of the Architectural Heritage of Europe
- European Cultural Convention
Related news
UNESCO
Europa Nostra is an officially recognised NGO partner of UNESCO and both organisations team up regularly on policy matters and campaigns. More recently, Europa Nostra has joined the Call for Action launched by UNESCO to raise awareness of the Historic Urban Landscape Recommendation and to accelerate its adoption. Europa Nostra is regularly invited to UNESCO meetings and conferences, such as the sessions of the World Heritage Committee.
Related documents
- UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape
- Vancouver Declaration: The Memory of the World in the Digital Age
- The Hangzhou Declaration: Placing Culture at the Heart of Sustainable Development Policies
- Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights
- Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Declaration concerning the Intentional Destruction of Cultural Heritage
- Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage
- Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity
- Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage
Related news
United Nations
Europa Nostra also cooperates with the United Nations, the intergovernmental organisation comprising 193 Member States which promotes international cooperation.
In particular, Europa Nostra is fully committed to the successful implementation of and the mainstreaming of cultural heritage in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development global framework.
Related news
G20
The G20 is the premier forum for international economic cooperation. In a historic move, the G20 put culture on its agenda for the very first time when Ministers of Culture came together in a joint meeting on “The rise of the cultural economy: a new paradigm”, on 4 November 2020. This marked the first time that G20 policy discussions recognized the growing contribution of culture to the global economy.
Europa Nostra has collaborated with the G20 under its Italian Presidency, notably by contributing to heritage and climate change related events.
