Eligibility criteria

Candidate sites for the European Heritage Label will have to demonstrate in their application

• their intrinsic European values
• the role they played in European culture and history and/or the build-up of the Union

Eligible countries

The list of eligible countries participating in this action is defined in the  Decision establishing the European Heritage Label action.

What forms of heritage are eligible?

The list of heritage that is eligible is defined in the legal framework establishing the European Heritage Label action. It encompasses the following:

• monuments
• natural, underwater, archaeological, industrial or urban sites
• cultural landscapes
• places of remembrance
• cultural goods
• objects
• intangible heritage associated with a place, including contemporary heritage

Although most applications to date concern tangible or material cultural heritage sites, some applications relate to intangible heritage. The use of the term ‘site’ in relation to the EHL can also include aspects of intangible heritage such as folklore, traditions or skills that do not have a physical location.

Who can apply?

The European Union awards the European Heritage Label to three types of applicants:

1. a single application by one site
2. a national application where several sites, located in the same country, come together to focus on a specific theme and submit a joint application
3. a transnational application where several sites, located in different EU countries, come together to focus on a specific theme and submit a joint application. This also applies to a site that is located on the territory of at least two EU countries

For transnational applications, the label is awarded to the site as a whole  under a single common name. Where  a transnational site meets all the criteria, priority is given to that application during the selection process. 

Selection process

Selection criteria

For each biannual selection process each participating country may pre-select up to 2 sites for submission to the European panel who will then select 1 site per participating country.

Article 7 of the legal framework sets out the criteria for the preselection.

Pre-selection process

Each participating EU country establishes its own procedures and its own calendar for the pre-selection process, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.

Participating countries send the application forms for the pre-selected sites to the European Commission by 1 March of the year of the selection procedure, according to the calendar of the legal framework.

Selection process

A European panel of independent experts carries out the selection of the sites at an EU level under the responsibility of the European Commission. This panel selects a maximum of one site per participating country.

The panel issues a report on the pre-selected sites including a recommendation for the attribution of the label.

The European Commission then designates the sites to be awarded the label, having due regard to the recommendation of the European panel.

Candidate sites not selected on this round may submit new applications for pre-selection at national level in the following years. Assistance will be provided by the EHL Bureau with the application if requested.

Application documents

As specified in the guidelines document for candidate sites, candidate sites should contact the European Heritage Label national coordinator for information on national-level pre-selection. Please submit the completed application form to the respective national coordinator.

For specific questions, contact the European Commission at EAC-EUROPEAN-HERITAGE-LABEL-COORDINATION@ec.europa.eu.

For additional information and general questions about the application process, contact the national coordinator in the respective Member State.

Validity of the label awarded

The European Union awards the Heritage Label on a permanent basis.

The relevant Member State monitors regularly each award-winning site to ensure that it continues to meet the criteria for the attribution of the label and that it respects the project and work plan submitted with the application.

Sites may renounce the label at any time. They shall notify the Member States concerned, which shall in turn inform the Commission. More information on monitoring, withdrawal, or renunciation is available in the Decision establishing the action.

Previous selections

Find the European panel reports on selections procedures under the Reports section, at the end of the page.