Armenia, new member of the Emerald Network

[14/12/2007] The official launching of the Emerald Network of Areas of Special Conservation Interest in Armenia took place in Yerevan on 1-2 November 2007. Specialists of different scientific fields, government experts, and non-governmental organisations participated to a Workshop and worked, in particular, on the methodology to apply for the implementation of the Emerald Network in that country.

40 years of European Diploma

[14/12/2007] The 40th anniversary of the European Diploma of protected areas awarded to the Krimml Falls in Austria was celebrated on 26 October in the Hohe Tauern National Park. The European Diploma, awarded in 1967 and continually renewed since, enabled the implementation of concrete measures to effectively protect this exceptional natural monument and to harmoniously develop the surrounding valley.

Cities in the lead

[13/12/2007] 12 cities from 11 countries were short-listed, among 45 candidates, as possible participants in the Intercultural cities project. The final selection was made following visits on the spot during the first months of 2008.

Cross-border cinema culture

[11/12/2007] The Kyiv Initiative Regional Programme for the Black Sea and South Caucasus has launched a project on cross-border cinema culture. The project assists four participating states - Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova - to take stock of local cinema policies and legislation and to seek to make them more efficient. Action will also focus on local audiovisual heritage preservation, the setting-up of networks, professional training and exchange between filmmakers and cinema journalists.

Director attended ISESCO Conference

[06/12/2007] Robert Palmer, the Director of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage, addressed the fifth Islamic Conference of Culture Ministers held in Tripoli, Libya, on 21-23 November 2007. Robert Palmer: "With many common interests, now is an ideal moment to extend our partnership with ISESCO and its member states, particularly in relation to intercultural dialogue. Sharing information on cultural policies, developing exchanges between artists and involving ISESCO in the activities of the Council's North-South Centre are a few avenues we should explore.” ISESCO is the International Islamic Organization for Education, Science and Culture, established in 1982. It represents 50 member states of the Islamic world .

Cultural values for Europe

[04/12/2007] A forum has presented the results of the project "Cultural Identities, Shared Values and Citizenship" on 3 December 2007 in the Council of Europe and was followed by a round table at the Odyssée Cinema in co-operation with the magazine les Saisons d’Alsace. How can culture and the understanding of heritage contribute to a better awareness in Europe of these fundamental values and encourage their implementation in order to live together more harmoniously? The forum tried to find answers to this question, by suggesting ways and means.

Strengthening cultural policy in Ukraine

[13/12/2007] 12 cities from 11 countries have been short-listed, among 45 candidates, as possible participants in the Intercultural cities project. The final selection will be made following visits on the spot during the first months of 2008.

Recognition for heritage rehabilitation projects

[22/10/2007] The Council of Europe and the European Commission have jointly awarded 107 "plaques" to ongoing rehabilitation projects in the Balkans. The approach implemented as part of their joint programme for the integrated rehabilitation of the cultural heritage in South East Europe is innovative in that it reconciles heritage preservation and the social and economic development of local communities. The "plaques" to be placed on the monuments and sites benefiting from these projects will be awarded in the future on an annual basis during targeted ceremonies.

Environment for Europe

[23/10/2007] The Council of Europe actively participated in the discussions on biodiversity which took place in the framework of the 6th Conference of Ministers of Environment - "Environment for Europe" - organised by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

The Pan-European Ecological Network : taking stock

[15/10/2007] The creation of the Pan-European Ecological Network on the Eurasian continent is one of the key measures established in the framework of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy to call a halt to the loss of biodiversity. Today, this project refers to the several initiatives which, at national, regional and transregional levels, implement ecological networks throughout Europe. This publication appears in the Nature and Environment Series (No.146) and can be ordered from Council of Europe Publishing.

New Cultural Routes

[24/9/2007] The Council of Europe has accredited seven new Cultural Routes which open a window to exciting and sometimes little known dimensions of Europe's culture and heritage - Romanesque art, the vestiges of Phoenicians' culture, the heritage of Europe's migrants and more.

20 years Council of Europe Cultural Routes: dialogue and development

[21/9/2007] In 1987, the Paths of Santiago de Compostela became the first European Cultural Route. Today, Council of Europe Cultural Routes involve 35 countries in Europe and beyond, over 1000 local communities, 170 NGOs and universities. These cultural projects bring together close to three million participants in a thousand cultural and educational events and well above five million visitors to historic sites. Interest in culture and the discovery of heritage is shown year after year to be one of the strongest tendencies of tourist practices. A new approach, based on local cultural values related to a dimension of a diverse European identity, serves as a basis for a tourist product whose success is growing day by day.

The potential of culture for citizenship

[7/9/2007] The Council of Europe just issued a new publication on the social effects of culture, exploring how cultural participation contributes to building citizenship capacity and thus social cohesion. Policy makers should tap into this potential of culture and use it as a strategic asset when dealing with the growing challenges of modern societies. A Reflection on the function of culture in building citizenship capacity appeared in the series of the Cultural Policy Notes and can be ordered from Council of Europe Publishing.