On Wednesday 22 October, during the Official Opening session of the 14th Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes in Cappadocia, the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA) formally welcomed the Netherlands and Ireland as new member states.

The accession ceremony was presented by Ambassador Patrick ENGELBERG, Chair of the EPA Statutory Committee. The Netherlands was represented via a video message by Susan LAMMERS, General Director of the Cultural Heritage Agency, while Ben DE VRIES, International Coordinator at the Cultural Heritage Agency, attended in person.

Ireland’s delegation was represented by Karen VINCENT, Consul and Second Secretary at the Embassy of Ireland in Türkiye, together with Emer CONNOLLY, Director of the National Monuments Service.

The Netherlands is currently crossed by thirteen Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: the “Santiago de Compostela Pilgrim Route”, the “Hansa”, the “Vikings Route”, the “Saint Martin of Tours Route”, the “European Cemeteries Route”, the “European Route of Ceramics”, the “Impressionisms Route”, the “European Route of Megalithic Culture”, the “European Route of Emperor Charles V”, the “European Route of Industrial Heritage”, the “Liberation Route Europe”, the “European Route d’Artagnan” and the “Pyrenees Freedom Route”.

Ireland is crossed by four Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe: the “Vikings Route” the “European Cemeteries Route”, the “European Route of Industrial Heritage”, and the “European Fairy Tale Route”.

The inclusion of the Netherlands and Ireland reflects continued interest across Europe in multilateral cooperation to promote shared heritage, sustainable local development and intercultural dialogue through the Cultural Routes programme.