Cultural heritage is both the manifestation of cultural diversity passed down from previous generations and a resource for sustainable cultural, social, environmental and economic development in Europe. Conservation, preservation and safeguarding, research, educational activities and knowledge transfer, financing, participatory governance and contemporary interpretation are key areas that will benefit from a comprehensive strategic approach. During the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, a large number of diverse activities took place all across Europe. To ensure its legacy, follow-up measures and mainstreaming activities need to be developed, including an Action Plan for Cultural Heritage by the Commission. The work of the European Year's national coordinators should be taken into account as well.

Some relevant developments:

• As a key outcome of the Open Method of Coordination (OMC) expert group working on ‘Sustainable Cultural Tourism’, a list of recommendations has just been released. Over the course of 18 months, 23 of the EU's Member States plus Iceland worked together to formulate recommendations for policy makers and practitioners on how to successfully unite the possible risks and benefits of tourism with promoting and protecting cultural heritage. See: http://europa.eu/cultural-heritage/toolkits/sustainable-cultural-tourism-recommendations_en
• The Open Method of Coordination (OMC) expert group on 'Heritage professions', composed of 22 EU Member States and Iceland, has released an executive summary on heritage skills, training and knowledge. Challenges to cultural heritage, such as public budget cuts and the digital shift, require new skills and competences as well as a more integrated and participatory approach to managing heritage. This executive summary provides recommendations for leveraging skills and competences to preserve Europe's heritage for the future, and precedes a full report that will appear in March 2019. See: https://europa.eu/cultural-heritage/toolkits/new-european-landscape-heritage-professions_en