Nieuw keurmerk voor Europees erfgoed goedgekeurd (en)

Met dank overgenomen van Directoraat-generaal Onderwijs, jeugd, sport en cultuur (EAC) i, gepubliceerd op donderdag 19 mei 2011.

The aim of this new label is to highlight sites that celebrate and symbolize the history of Europe, European values and the building of the European Union

Today national Culture ministers in the Council reached a political agreement on a new European Heritage Label. The Council's agreement is the result of negotiations with the European Parliament on the basis of a proposal by the Commission.

The Label will be awarded to sites which symbolise European history, European values and the building of the European Union.

Ms Androulla Vassiliou, Commissionar for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, said: "Our aim, through this Label, is to give European citizens, especially young people, new opportunities to learn about our common yet diverse cultural heritage, and about our common history. I am convinced that it will help European citizens understand the European Union and its benefits better. I am also sure that the Label will help to increase cultural tourism, and bring many economic benefits. I congratulate the Council and European Parliament on their constructive discussions."

The European Heritage Label will complement other existing initiatives in the field of cultural heritage such as the UNESCO World Heritage List. It will be awarded to sites on the basis of their European symbolic value and educational work rather than on their architectural qualities or beauty.

The original European Commission proposal for the European Heritage Label was adopted on 9 March 2010. It was then sent to the European Parliament and Council to negotiate the final version of the text. Following today's confirmation of the Council's political agreement, the Decision establishing a European Heritage Label should now be officially adopted first by the Council in July and secondly by the Parliament in the autumn.

Preparatory work to set up the Label will be carried out in 2011 and 2012 and the first selection procedure will take place in 2013, with the first sites expected to be awarded the Label in early 2014.