The European Year of Cultural Heritage

2018 has been declared the European Year of Cultural Heritage. The purpose is to encourage as many people as possible to discover and cherish Europes cultural heritage and to promote a common sense of ownership

Mihai Pelin, 16.02.2018, 13:25

The European Parliament and European Council have declared 2018 the European Year of Cultural Heritage. Officially launched in Bucharest, the program will consist of thousands of events aimed at familiarizing Romanians with Europes cultural heritage. With a €8-million budget, the program contributes to educating and informing the public.

The head of the European Commissions Representation in Bucharest, Angela Cristea has more details: “We are hosting this series of events because we believe heritage is not a luxury product that is solely the remit of public authorities. People should be able to visit a museum, see an opera show or a concert even if they dont afford it. We want to make sure cultural heritage is easy to access. Many of our events will have free access, so people are invited to take part. At the same time we are fostering a very democratic and broad concept of European heritage.

In April 2017, the European Parliament ratified a report on this topic drafted by Romanian MEP Mircea Diaconu, the vice-president of the European Parliaments Culture and Education Committee.

Mircea Diaconu told Radio Romania how the year will unfold: “In 2018 each Member State will present the elements that it considers best represent itself in terms of heritage and national identity so as to create a sort of European puzzle. The year is very promising, especially for Romania, a country that has a lot to say and that is still discovering itself. Its a very good opportunity for us. Maybe we will succeed to stand on a par with other states and bring something important to the table, our heritage, our history, our culture, something that makes us competitive. We can thus be perceived as a great nation, one of the greatest in Europe, culturally speaking.

Unfolding under the heading: “Our heritage: where the past meets the future, the project makes for an excellent opportunity to know and understand the role of Europes cultural heritage and to promote a common sense of ownership. Over the course of 2018 national authorities are set to organize events and awareness-raising campaigns to determine citizens to get involved in actions aimed at preserving cultural heritage. The goal is to trigger a genuine change in the way people perceive, preserve and promote their heritage, so that 2018 should bring long-term benefits to all citizens.