European Union (Shutterstock)
On May 8, the Europa Nostra Serbia organization welcomed the adoption of the European Parliament’s report on Serbia in which, in their words, serious concern was expressed over the growing political interference in the system of heritage protection in Serbia, including the abolishing of protection status of cultural monuments and ignoring the legal procedures which regulate their protection.
The statement reads that this assessment from the EP’s report represented “a strong international warning that undermining the system of institutional protection of cultural heritage had become a matter of the rule of law, democratic procedure and honoring of European values.” “The decision for the issue of the General Staff building and other similar examples to find a place in the adopted report of the European Parliament is immensely significant for all the actors who advocate the preservation of Serbia’s cultural heritage of public interest,” the Europa Nostra Serbia organization stated.
They urged the relevant institutions of Serbia to “urgently reconsider all the decisions that jeopardize cultural heritage, to end political pressure on the sector of heritage protection and to return to legal, professional and transparent action, in keeping with domestic laws and international obligations.”
The international organization Europa Nostra, which has worked for more than 60 years now on the preservation of European heritage, culture and values, of which Serbia is one of the members, received the Empress Theophano Prize for 2025, which is granted on the basis of particular contribution to the promotion of common European values.
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