Chrysoula Paliadeli, on the European Heritage Label: “strengthen the intercultural dialogue, and the sense of belonging to the EU”

The European Heritage Label was created in 2006 as an intergovernmental initiative. Why did the EU feel the need to SET up its own Label?

The aim of transforming the Label into an EU action is to improve its operational efficiency, specify the practical procedures for the implementation of the project, enhance its impact and also enable it to take on a new dimension. Operated as a European Union initiative, the European Heritage Label will also have greater stability, credibility, visibility and increased prestige.

To my view, the new label should not merely be seen as a transformation of the old one. The new well-defined, common, clear and transparent criteria, the networking, the panel and the new selection and monitoring procedures of the new action imply a different and improved concept. It will be a new action based on the experience accumulated during its existence as an intergovernmental initiative.


Other Labels are already existing (UNESCO's World Heritage List, Council of Europe's Cultural Route). Does the European Heritage Label duplicate or overlap these existing Labels?

Absolutely not. The new European Heritage Label will not be awarded to sites of extreme architectural beauty, but to those that promote (or have promoted) the idea of a common European identity. It will focus on symbolism and/or educational value, rather than on the beauty of a site, it will not focus on the conservation of sites in itself but rather the activities they offer and their educational dimension, especially for young people. It will insist on close cooperation among the labelled sites so as to share best practices and initiate common projects. The label will contribute to supporting mutual understanding in its Member States, strengthening the intercultural dialogue of their peoples, and their sense of belonging to the EU, based on shared elements of history and cultural heritage. It will create new opportunities for Europeans to learn the democratic values and human rights that underpin European integration.


How will the sites be chosen and how many of them will be concerned by the initiative? What will be the main criteria to obtain such label?

According to the Commission’s proposal, the Member States have the possibility to preselect up to a maximum of two sites per year. A panel of independent experts will choose between the pre-selected sites a maximum of one site per Member State. The final decision is left to the European Commission based on the recommendation of the panel.

To my view, a yearly award of the Label to a maximum of 27 sites per annum -as foreseen in the proposal- would not only dramatically multiply the number of sites bearing it in the early years, but would run a definite risk of lowering the Label's prestige. In addition, this would impact the quality of the monitoring procedure, especially by the European panel, whose task will be to review the Member States reports and issue recommendations. I believe that a bi-annual selection of sites would ensure better quality both of the process and of the selected sites, that it would give more time for the pre-selection (at the Member State level) and the following selection (at the European level), while facilitating site monitoring.

The European Heritage Label will be awarded to sites which have a symbolic European value and have played a key role in the history and the building of the European Union. Member States will have to justify the cross-border or pan-European nature of the sites as well as their role in European history and European integration or their role in the development and promotion of the common values such as freedom, democracy, respect for human rights, cultural diversity, tolerance and solidarity.


What will be the procedure of the Label grant? What will be the role of the different European institutions?

The label will be attributed by the Commission to maximum 1 site per Member State. The designation will take place during the year following the selection procedure. The decision of the Commission shall be based on the recommendations of the panel of independent experts.

The European Institutions participation is mainly guaranteed through the panel of independent experts, as it shall consist of members selected by the European Institutions: four of the members shall be nominated by the European Parliament, four by the Council, four by the Commission. Adding a member by the Committee of the Regions was recommended in my report, as that would give voice to the local and regional authorities, and thus make it more representative and also attract local and regional interest.

For reasons of transparency, I suggested that the Commission should publish a full list of preselected sites and inform the European Parliament, the Council and the Committee of the Regions thereof.


Photo Credits (c), European Parliament, 2010