International initiatives: Historical heritage to get “European Heritage Label”

The European Heritage Label should be established as a EU-wide initiative, Culture Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou suggested, presenting plans to highlight historical sites across Europe that "symbolize European integration, ideals and history". 

An existing intergovernmental project launched in 2006 has seen 64 sites in 17 member states receive the European Heritage Label already. These include the house of Robert Schuman, the French statesman considered as one of the founding fathers of the EU.

The European Commission hopes that making the heritage label an official initiative of the European Union will give it "greater credibility, visibility and prestige". Member states will be asked to nominate up to two sites per year to receive the revamped label. A panel of independent experts will then assess the nominations before designating on an annual basis a maximum of one site per country. 

Rather than architectural quality or beauty, sites will be chosen according to their "European symbolic value" and particularly their educational significance for young people. 

The new plans will be submitted for adoption to the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, which represents EU member states, and if approved could come into effect in 2011 or 2012.