On 20 May, members of the the cooperation project Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe were invited to attend the European Heritage Alliance 3.3 meeting in Brussels. Sigrid Van der Auwera from the Raymond Lemaire International Centre for Conservation presented a progress report on the project ‘Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe’ to the Alliance 3.3 members. In addition to the progress report, Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe partners stressed the need for data and studies, in particular from the following countries which are underrepresented at the time: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Malta. Nevertheless additional studies from other countries are still very welcome.

The Alliance 3.3 meeting was also beneficial for the CHCFE partnership as they listened to invited guest, Lina Mendoni, Secretary General of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Sports, who presented the Conclusions on cultural heritage as a strategic resource for a sustainable Europe, which were adopted the following day under the leadership of the Hellenic Presidency of the European Union.

Michel Magnier, Director ‘Culture and Creativity’ of the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission also joined the meeting and exchanged views with the members of the Alliance on the EC Communication on cultural heritage, which is currently being finalised.