Tibor Navracsics, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport

Our shared cultural heritage is at the heart of the European way of life. It surrounds us in our towns and cities, natural landscapes and archaeological sites. It is literature, art and monuments, crafts learnt from our ancestors, the stories we tell our children, the food we enjoy and the films we watch and in which we recognise ourselves. Cultural heritage defines who we are and strengthens our sense of belonging to a common European family. We all belong to a peaceful community of more than 500 million citizens with rich histories and interwoven cultures.