To maintain the spirit of multi-stakeholder cooperation and continue the policy dialogue achieved during the European Year of Cultural Heritage, as one action of the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage, the European Commission has established, for the next three years, European Commission expert group – the Cultural Heritage Forum. The group will provide the European Commission with advice and expertise, as well as serve as a platform for consultation and exchange of information on cultural heritage policies to support the implementation of the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage.
This Forum will be a platform for consultation and exchanging ideas and best practices, involving different actors exchanging information between the Commission, Member States and stakeholders operating in the area of culture and cultural heritage on questions relating to the development of international, European and national legislations, programmes and policies in the field of Europe’s cultural heritage.
The group will provide the Commission with experts’ reports, opinions and analysis regarding to EU legislation, EU funding programmes and policies in the field of Europe’s cultural heritage or having an impact on Europe’s cultural heritage. Furthermore, it will monitor and if needed provide recommendations regarding the implementation of the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage, including its five strategic pillars and related clusters of actions.
Members of this group are individuals in a personal capacity, having an extensive expertise in protection, management and enhancement of cultural heritage and European organisations active in the field of culture and cultural heritage. These type members have been selected via an open call for application. HERITAGE-PRO team is well represented in the group with two experts and one organisation:
- Jermina Stanojev (appointed member in a personal capacity),
- Johanna Leissner (Board Member of HERITAGE-PRO coordinator Kultur und Arbeit e.V.),
- ENCATC (represented by Managing Director Gianna Lia Cogliandro) as one of European organisations.
Members of this group are also Member States’ authorities with responsibilities for cultural heritage policies (appointed via Permanent Representations (Cultural Affairs Committee) and representatives of relevant international organisations (appointed on the basis of an invitation letter from the Commission, e.g Council of Europe, OECD, ICOMOS, UNESCO etc).
The first meeting of the European Commission expert group on cultural heritage was held on 15th and 16th October 2019 in Brussels where HERITAGE-PRO team members took active participation.
The topic of cultural heritage skills has been discussed as representatives from Voices of Culture and EU Member States’ experts (OMC) had an opportunity to briefly present their reports. More info about the first meeting can be found here.
(Picture: first meeting of the European Commission expert group on cultural heritage – Cultural Heritage Forum; picture credit: Jermina Stanojev)