Brussels, 27/05/2014 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has repeated its confidence in the Europa Nostra Foundation for the organisation of the annual European cultural heritage prize. On 26 May, following a call for proposals launched at the beginning of the year as part of the “Creative Europe” programme, it named the foundation as the organising partner for the next four years (2015-2018). Karel Bartak, Head of Unit at the Commission's DG Culture, in charge of the “Creative Europe” programme state: “We - the European Commission and me personally - are happy to continue to manage the EU Price for Cultural Heritage, together with Europa Nostra. Thanks to your organisation, the prize has become over the years, prestigious, visible… a really solid example of European added value and a symbol of the dedication of the EU to its cultural heritage”. Dennis de Kergorlay, Executive President Europa Nostra added: “Europa Nostra is very proud to continue its fruitful partnership with the European Commission. Much has been achieved over the past 12 years: we have put a spotlight - both the European and national level - on almost 400 remarkable heritage achievements and have thus celebrated excellence and promoted cross-border exchanges of best practices in a heritage field”.
The European cultural heritage price was launched in 2002 by the Commission to reward the best European achievements in helping to protect the European architectural, archaeological and artistic landscape in Europe and has always been organised in partnership with Europa Nostra. At the most recent award ceremony on 5 May, Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, responsible for culture, hailed this excellent collaboration and thanked the president of Europa Nostra, Placido Domingo and his secretary general, Sneska Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic, “for the inspiration you have given me and I wish you much success in the future”. (IL)