At the meeting of the Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council in Brussels on 27 November, EU Ministers of Culture adopted, among others, conclusions on the Work Plan for Culture 2019-2022, stressing the importance of sustaining the legacy of the European Year of Cultural Heritage (EYCH) 2018. Ministers acknowledged that “the European Year of Cultural Heritage […] has considerably raised public and political awareness about culture and heritage in Europe, and the importance of taking this momentum forward to tap the full potential of the social and economic value of culture for Europe”.
During a press conference, Gernot Blümel, Federal Minister for the EU, Arts, Culture and Media of Austria, who chaired the meeting for the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU, briefly outlined the 5 priorities of the future Work Plan, which includes sustainability of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, the contribution of culture and heritage to social cohesion, framework conditions for artists and the creative sector – here, with a focus on the digital economy -, gender equality and the development of a strategic approach to international cultural relations of the EU.