European Heritage Label

The Committee on Culture and Education adopted the recommendation for second reading contained in the report drafted by Chrysoula PALIADELI (S&D, EL) in which it recommends the European Parliament to approve the Council position at first reading with a view to the adoption of a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European Union action for the European Heritage Label.

The report note that the Council's first reading is based on the agreement negotiated after Parliament's first reading. The key elements of this agreement, which incorporated fully, in part or in spirit the great majority of Parliament's first-reading amendments, concern the following:

• selection of sites: each Member State may pre-select up to two sites every two years: both a national and a transnational site. The quota for the transnational site is used for the coordinating country only in order not to discourage Member States from actually taking part in these sites. A panel of independent experts will choose a maximum of one site per country to be eligible for the label;
• geographical scope: the Union action is open to 27 Member States. During the first evaluation of this action a widening of its geographical scope should be examined;
• transitional provisions: transitional provisions are clarified and simplified;
• national thematic sites: several sites located in the same Member State may put forward a single application focusing on a specific theme.

In this context, Members recommend the adoption, without amendment and with no further delay, of the first reading position of the Council.