2005-11-25

European Cultural Heritage Forum in Brussels

Europa Nostra, the pan-European federation for heritage, is organising a major European Cultural Heritage Forum on 7 December in Brussels, "Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe" with the cooperation of the European Economic and Social Committee.
What are the benefits of cultural heritage for the on-going process of the building of Europe? What can Europe do to encourage the safeguard and enhancement of Europe's cultural heritage? The European Cultural Heritage Forum will seek to answer these questions by launching and encouraging a regular and constructive policy dialogue between representatives of EU Institutions, representatives of Europes civil society committed to heritage conservation, education and enhancement, as well as representatives of other key international partners, in particular the Council of Europe.

The Forum will be attended by representatives of public and private bodies concerned with heritage from all over Europe. The European Commission will be represented by Commissioner Mr Ján Fige?, and Mr Nikolaus van der Pas the Director-General for Education and Culture. The European Parliament will be represented by Mr Nikos Sifunakis, MEP, Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Education and Mr Vasco Graça Moura, MEP, the European Parliament Rapporteur on the Culture 2007 Programme. The Council of Europe will be represented by its Deputy-Secretary General, Mrs Maud de Boer-Buquicchio.

The Forum is supported by the European Economic and Social Committee, as part of its commitment to serve as a bridge between Europe and organised civil society and whose President, Mrs Anne-Marie Sigmund will be addressing the closing session of the Forum. This last session will also be addressed by Europa Nostras President, HRH the Prince Consort of Denmark.

The panel discussions will particularly focus on the issues of Cultural Heritage and Active Citizenship and Cultural Heritage and Sustainable and Economic and Social Development with key note speakers Mr Simon Murray (UK), Director of Operations, The National Trust for England, Wales and Northern Ireland and Mr Donovan Rypkema (USA) of Heritage Strategies International.

At the current uncertain phase of the building of Europe which is marked by a growing gap between Europes citizens and Europes Institutions as well as by increasing misgivings of the public about the on-going enlargement of the European Union, the renewed debate on Europe of the Culture needs to be pursued with even more intensity and with the full involvement of all stakeholders. In this context, special attention should be given to our common cultural heritage which enjoys today great popularity among millions of European citizens and which is promoted by a growing number of civil society organisations throughout Europe, said Otto von der Gablentz, Europa Nostras Executive President announcing the Forum.

The Forum is organised with the kind support of HDYRO, Banca Intesa and VOLVO.

Europa Nostra European Cultural Heritage Forum:
Date: Wednesday 7 December 2005 (9.00-18.30)
Venue: European Economic and Social Committee, 99, rue Belliard, B-1040 Brussels

For further information and press accreditation, please contact Charlotte O'Connor, Communications Officer, Europa Nostra +31 70 302 4055 / co@europanostra.org

For more details on the EESC, please contact:
Karel Govaert ou Christian Weger at the EESC Press Office.
Rue Belliard 99, B-1040; Bruxelles
Tel.: 02 546 9396/9586; Mobile: 0475 753 202
e-mail : press@esc.eu.int
Website: http://www.esc.eu.int/press/index_en.asp

To download Europa Nostras position paper Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe which will serve as a basis for discussions at the Forum, download this file: PDF

The Forum Programme can be found at:
http://www.europanostra.org/brussels_forum.htm
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