The Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes (EPA) welcomed three new member States so for this year: Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Georgia recently acceded to EPA, which now comprises 27 member states. Poland and Finland requested Observer status during 2016 with a view to a possible future accession in 2017. Following the EPA Governing Board (April 2016), the Fortified Towns of the Greater Region network was certified, becoming the 32nd Cultural Route of the Council of Europe.

Forthcoming EPA events include: the evaluation cycle 2016-17 for certified cultural routes (4 regular evaluations, 3 exceptional evaluations) as well as for new candidate routes (7 projects expressed an interest in applying for 2017 certification), a fundraising seminar for cultural routes managers (European Institute of Cultural Routes, Luxembourg, 22-23 September) as well as the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe Annual Advisory Forum (Vilnius, 26-27 October).

Implementation of the 2015-2017 Joint Programme with the European Commission is well underway with many activities and events organised throughout the year including the bloggers’ trip along the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe “TRANROMANICA” and the “Roman Emperors along the Danube” (Austria, Slovenia and Serbia, 25 – 30 August).