Brussels, 16/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - The report on the European heritage logo was adopted in plenary on Thursday 16 December by a majority of 497 votes to 18 and 41 abstentions. Chrysoula Paliadeli (S&D, Greece), who wrote the report, rallies to the European Commission's proposal to transform the existing intergovernmental regime since 2006 (involving 17 member states plus Switzerland) into an initiative of the European Union. Sites are currently selected independently by participant countries, without the oversight of a body at European level. The Parliament has taken a stance to re-launch the project as an EU initiative and has rejected the proposal to include sites already bearing the logo. The heritage logo is attributed to natural, archaeological, urban and cultural sites that have played a significant role in the history and culture of Europe or in European integration. The label could thus be granted to places of remembrance and even to “intangible heritage” associated with a place and to “contemporary heritage”. The new programme will initially concern member states only but MEPs do not rule out the possibility that, in future, this may be extended to third countries further to assessment, as the Commission suggests.
Member states should pre-select two sites every two years (instead of each year as the Commission proposes), MEPs say. A maximum of one site per country will then be selected by the Commission with the help of a geographically-balanced panel of experts appointed by the Parliament, Council, Commission and Committee of the Regions. Countries may also put forward sites together and these requests will receive special attention. MEPs underline that “the attribution of the European label shall not entail any obligation of an urban planning, judicial, landscaping, mobility or architectural nature”. Nonetheless, member states will be obliged to monitor labelled sites and ensure access to them for the widest possible public, including internet access, with special attention to the elderly and persons with disabilities. Although the logo would normally be awarded permanently, it could under certain circumstances be withdrawn by the Commission or by countries themselves. (I.L./transl.jl)