On 22 and 23 May 2025, the Bureau of the Steering Committee for Culture, Heritage and Landscapes (CDCPP) met in Strasbourg to discuss the ongoing work of the Steering Committee and receive updates from the Secretariat. 

The meeting was presided by Carmen Croitoru, Chair of the CDCPP since the beginning of the year. It was the first official meeting of the newly composed Bureau which was elected in November 2024. 

Matjaž Gruden, Director for Democracy, made an opening intervention, sharing news and the information on the events in the Council of Europe that are of relevance to the CDCPP. The agenda of the meeting covered a wide range of topics related to the current work by the Committee. Key points of the discussion concerned updates on the specific deliverables from the 2025 Terms of Reference of the Committee, as for example the presentations by Free to Create expert team about the preparation of the discursive platform, an online awareness raising course and the general report on the state of freedom of artistic expression in Europe.  Furthermore, the Secretariat provided updates about the Landscape, Faro and Nicosia Conventions, as well as on the European Heritage Days. A preliminary Draft Recommendation on the role of culture and heritage in promoting equality and non-discrimination was also presented. The Bureau received representatives of the World Forum for Democracy team to brainstorm ideas on the CDCPP’s contribution to this year’s edition. Members of the Bureau also discussed the possible contribution of culture and heritage to the New Democratic Pact, an initiative launched by the Secretary General earlier this year. Finally, the Bureau members considered topics to be discussed during the plenary session of the Steering Committee in November 2025, in particular at the annual Thematic debate.