The HEREIN network in the garden is part of the HEREIN program, created by the Council of Europe in 2001 at the request of the member states. A unique network for cooperation in the field of cultural heritage, it enables the evolution of heritage legislation and practices in Europe to be monitored and information to be exchanged between heritage institutions and professionals.

This European network brings together the European administrations responsible for national policies and strategies in the cultural heritage sector in 46 countries. Each country is represented by a national coordinator, appointed by the competent national ministry.

The national coordinators of the HEREIN network provide information on heritage protection policies, legislation in force, competent authorities and also respond to thematic surveys on topics of current interest or common concern.

Since 2015, a "sub" HEREIN network in the garden has been formed to exchange and revive cooperation in the fields of parks and gardens, a shared heritage that must be preserved, restored, publicized and promoted, and which is increasingly popular with the European public.

This network has already achieved many results since its creation in 2015:

  • 2016: creation of the dedicated website and putting online descriptive sheets on national policies in favor of gardens
  • 2017-2018: ERASMUS + project "exchange of knowledge and know-how in historical gardens in Europe", 100% financed by the European Commission and design of a multilingual thesaurus of gardens (a hundred terms translated into 16 European languages).
  • June 2-3, 2018: 1st European edition of Rendez-vous in Gardens: 19 countries participate simultaneously, on the same theme "Europe of gardens" and with the same visual adapted in the national languages
  • June 7-9, 2019: Bilingual publication on "The Europe of gardens", in the collection Carnets HEREIN, by the Association Internationale HEREIN AISBL and 2nd European edition of "Rendez-vous aux Jardins", simultaneously in 20 countries, on the theme "Animals in the garden"
  • June 4-6, 2021: 3rd European edition of the Rendez-vous in Gardens, on the theme of "The transmission of knowledge", simultaneously in 23 countries
  • June 3-5, 2022: 4th European edition of the Rendez-vous in Gardens, on the theme "Gardens and climate change", simultaneously in 20 countries
  • June 2-4, 2023: 5th European edition of the Rendez-vous in Gardens, on the theme "Gardens’ melodies"

This network meets every year, usually in February, in conjunction with the study day devoted to the theme of the Rendez-vous aux jardins :

  • November 2015 - 1st meeting of correspondents in charge of garden policy (Belgium-Walloon, Belgium-Flanders, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovakia and the former President of IFLA- Europe), in Paris.
  • January 2016 - Creation of the "HEREIN in the garden" network, correspondents from administrations in charge of garden policy, from 25 countries
  • January 2017 - 2nd meeting of the network and finalization of the Erasmus + project "exchange of good practices" (2 February 2017 - submission of the ERASMUS project)
  • February 2018: 3rd meeting of the network and official launch of the European edition of the Rendez-vous aux jardins on the 1st weekend of June, with the same visual and the same theme ("Europe of gardens" in 2018)
  • February 2022: 4th meeting of the HEREIN network in the garden, online
  • February 2023: 5th meeting of the HEREIN network in the garden, in Paris or in a hybrid format (to be confirmed)