The themes must satisfy all of the following criteria:

• Be representative of European values and common to at least three countries of Europe;
• Be researched and developed by groups of multidisciplinary experts from different regions of Europe Europe so as to ensure that the activities and projects which illustrate it are based on consensus;
• Be illustrative of European memory, history, and heritage and contribute to an interpretation of the diversity of present-day Europe;
• Lend itself to cultural and educational exchanges for young people and hence be in line with the Council of Europe's ideas and concerns in these fields;
• Permit the development of initiatives and exemplary and innovative projects in the field of cultural tourism and sustainable cultural development;
• Lend itself to the development of tourist products in partnership with tourist agencies and operators aimed at different publics, including school groups;
• Be clearly reflected in the name of the cultural route; it must be concise and easily understandable.

Cultural routes must pertain to the following priority fields of action, while fulfilling the criteria enumerated below for each field of action:

1. Co-operation in research and development: projects must play a unifying role around major European themes and show how these themes are representative of European shared values;

2. Enhancement of memory, history and European heritage: projects must enhance tangible and intangible heritage, especially in lesser know areas, and explain their historical significance through Europe;

3. Cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans:  projects must organise activities with young people in order to promote the concept of European citizenship;

4. Contemporary cultural and artistic practice: projects must encourage activities and artistic practice which explore the links between their European theme and contemporary culture;

5. Cultural tourism and sustainable cultural development: project must promote dialogue between urban and rural cultures, developed and disadvantaged regions, and between majority and minority. They must actively involve media and seek partnerships with tourism organisations to draw attention on their European heritage and be part of the sustainable territorial development.

Cultural Routes shall form a multidisciplinary network located in several Council of Europe member States. In order to apply for certification, the network must:

• present a conceptual framework based on research carried out into the theme chosen and accepted by the different network partners;
• involve several Council of Europe member States through all or part of its activities without excluding activities of a bilateral nature;
• plan to involve as large a number as possible of States Parties to the European Cultural Convention (ETS No. 18) as well as, where appropriate, other States;
• ensure that the projects proposed are financially and organisationally viable;
• have a legal status, either in the form of an association or a federation of associations registered in a Council of Europe member State, established at least two years prior to submission of theapplication;
• operate democratically, ensure the widest membership among member States represented in its governing bodies, gender equality, and rotation in its elective positions.

In support of the submission of its application, the network must:s

• Submit a multiannual comprehensive programme of activities and specify its objectives, methods, partners, participating countries (current and envisaged) and the overall development of the programme in the medium and long term; 
• Demonstrate how its activities relate to the five priority fields of action in Part II of the Appendix to Resolution CM/Res(2023)2 (research and development, enhancement of memory, history and heritage, cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans, contemporary cultural and artistic practice, cultural tourism and sustainable cultural development); 
• Identify, in the various member countries of the Council of Europe, the main initiators, participants and other potential partners likely to form a network; specify, where appropriate, at international level, other partner organisations;
• Specify the regions concerned by the cultural route; 
• Provide details of its financing and operational plan; 
• Append the basic text(s) relating to its legal status;
• Define and implement indicators aimed to measure the impact of the activities of cultural routes.

The theme must represent European values and be common to at least three countries in Europe.
It must be illustrative of European memory, history and heritage and contribute to an interpretation of the diversity of present-day Europe.

In co-ordination with their scientific committee, project initiators should identify the elements of tangible and intangible heritage linked with the route’s theme and define a common narrative for the sites recognised as part of the route.

A European network with legal status, bringing together the sites and the stakeholders, needs to be established, either in the form of an association or a federation of associations, with members in at least three Council of Europe member states.
Each network has to work in a democratic and participatory way with respect to its management, research and programme of activities. The Route’s initiators must ensure that the association responsible for managing the cultural route is organisationally and financially viable.

The Route has to encourage cultural co-operation and stimulate scientific and social debate around its theme.
The Cultural Routes must be active in five priority fields of action, including :

• co-operation in research and development;
• enhancement of memory, history and European heritage;
• cultural and educational exchanges for young Europeans;
• contemporary cultural and artistic practice;
• cultural tourism and sustainable cultural development.

To ensure visibility across Europe, each route is required to create a visibility charter with a common logo designed for the route.
Following certification, both the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” logo and the Cultural Route’s own logo designed for the route must appear on all of its signs and communication materials.