What is the heritage label?

It is hoped that it will help strengthen Europeans' sense of belonging to the EU and promote mutual understanding in Europe.

Care has been taken to ensure the scheme does not overlap with other cultural heritage initiatives such as the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Council of Europe Cultural Routes or the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage – Europa Nostra Awards.

The focus will not be on preservation – this should be guaranteed by existing protection regimes – but rather on promoting the European dimension of sites, making them accessible and providing high-quality information and activities.

Specifically the European Heritage Label will:

• designate sites which have played a significant role in the history of Europe and the building of the EU
• choose sites on the basis of their European symbolic value, rather than beauty or architectural quality
• help people learn about our shared cultural heritage, the history of Europe, the building of the EU, and the democratic values and human rights underpinning it
• encourage networking between the sites and heritage professionals, to share experience and best practice
• help increase cultural tourism, with the economic benefits which flow from it.