Brussels, 10/05/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 10 May, the Spanish Presidency presented to the Council of Ministers a progress report on the setting up of a European heritage label, which already exists informally in an initiative currently undertaken by 17 member states. Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said the label could be a source of pride at local level and she was sure a decision would soon be taken by the Council and EP to this effect.
In November 2008, the Council of Ministers asked for the European heritage label to become an EU measure, following on from a proposal unveiled by the European Commission. The draft decision submitted by the Commission in March 2010 was warmly welcomed by the member states, which want a high-quality EU label to be set up, participation in which would be voluntary. The member states' delegations are still examining the details of how the label should be introduced and various options have arisen during the discussions. The European Commission suggested that the label should initially only be for member states, but some countries want it to extend wider than the EU. Opinion is divided over the selection of heritage sites. Some delegations agree with the Commission's idea that each year, no more than two sites should be shortlisted by each member state, but others argue that in order to make the heritage label more credible, the selection procedure should only take place once every three years. The final selection of a site in each member state would be made by a jury of independent experts but many countries believe the final decision should be taken by the EU Council of Ministers, based on a proposal submitted by the European Commission. The Commission suggests a re-assessment of sites that have already been granted the label to ensure the sites meet the same criteria as more recent sites, but some member states want a less onerous procedure for the re-evaluation process. Delegations agree that similar sites located in two or more member states should be allowed but want the Commission to provide further clarification on the definition of sites and to examine problems that may arise at a practical level when deciding on heritage sites. (I.L./transl.fl)