On 13-14 February, the Bureau of the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) held its meeting at the Cultural Centre of Neumünster Abbey, in Luxembourg.

Mr. Levan KHARATISHVILI, Vice-Minister of Education, Culture and Sports of Georgia and Vice-Chair of the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA), chaired the Meeting. Margarita LIOULIA, EPA Representative from GREECE, and Julien VUILLEUMIER, EPA Representative from SWITZERLAND took part in the meeting. Ambassador Mr. Stephan MÜLLER, Chair of the Statutory Committee of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) and Permanent representative of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to the Council of Europe, also attended the meeting. Stefano DOMINIONI, EPA Executive Secretary and Marie SAUTIN, Executive Assistant, represented the EPA Secretariat.

In preparation for the EPA Governing Board meeting of 1-3 April which will took place in Mondorf-les-Bains (Luxembourg) under the auspices of the Georgian Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, Bureau members gathered to discuss the evaluation cycle 2019-2020 for the regular 3-year evaluation of 8 certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe, the exceptional evaluation of 1 certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, and the evaluation of 3 candidates for certification.

The 8 certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe under regular 3-year evaluation (2019-2020 cycle) are:

1. Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Routes
2. The Hansa
3. Via Francigena
4. Routes of El legado andalusí
5. Pyrenean Iron Route
6. Iter Vitis Route
7. European Route of Ceramics
8. Fortified Towns of the Grande Region

3 candidates are under evaluation for certification:

1. Nikola Tesla Network
2. European Network of Historic Gardens
3. Via Romea Germanica

The meeting was also the opportunity to discuss  the 10th Annual Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe that will take place in Chania (Crete, Greece) on 7-9 October 2020, and the other activities of the year.