Europa Nostra at EIB Board of Directors’ Seminar with civil society
Europa Nostra’s Secretary General, Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, and Council member, Laurie Neale, attended the European Investment Bank (EIB) Board of Directors’ Seminar with Civil Society, held to discuss the bank’s strategy and operations, at the EIB’s headquarters in Luxembourg on 4 February. After participating in the main sessions concerning the EIB’s efforts to achieve sustainable jobs and growth in Europe, with an emphasis on climate action and inclusive development, the Secretary General seized the opportunity to convey a message to the EIB Board of Directors, following the launch of Europa Nostra’s partnership with the EIB within the ‘7 Most Endangered Programme’.
European Investment Bank in Luxembourg. Photo: Palauenc05 CC-BY-SA-3.0
Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović congratulated the EIB’s leadership for having regular and open dialogue with civil society, emphasizing that with Europa Nostra such dialogue has led not only to an exchange of ideas but also to tangible results. “We are very proud of our new flagship programme ‘The 7 Most Endangered’, recently launched with the European Investment Bank Group, represented by the EIB Institute, as a founding partner. By supporting this programme, which will identify endangered monuments and sites in Europe and mobilise public and private partners on a local, national and European level to find a sustainable future for those sites, the EIB demonstrates a vision that cultural heritage is an important resource for Europe, and, furthermore, recognises that it is a fragile, non-renewable resource. That is why we need to team-up to save our wonderfully rich heritage”, she stressed.
The Secretary General also conveyed Europa Nostra’s desire to take this mutually beneficial cooperation further. “We very much hope that the partnership with Europa Nostra will inspire and encourage the EIB to incorporate cultural heritage concerns within its overall environmental and social strategy, as part of its commitment to long-term, responsible and sustainable investment for the future of Europe, not only in 2020 but also in 2050”.
Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović concluded her speech with the hope that “the European Investment Bank’s powerful example will be followed by other organisations”.
