(Brussels) Today, the leaders of the EU Parliament and Council reached a temporary agreement that proposes 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage. “Cultural heritage includes assets of the past, in many different forms and dimensions. They include monuments, sites, traditions, knowledge and expressions of human creativity, as well as the collections guarded and run by museums, libraries and archives”, the EU explains in a notice. “The purpose of this initiative is to raise awareness of European history and values and strengthen the feeling of European identity. At the same time, attention is drawn to the opportunities provided by our cultural heritage as well as to the challenges that it must deal with, such as the impact of transition to the digital world, environmental and physical pressure on heritage sites, and illegal trafficking of cultural property”. The main goals of this European Year are: promoting cultural diversity, intercultural dialogue and social cohesion; emphasising how the cultural heritage contributes to economy in cultural and creative areas; emphasising the role of the cultural heritage in the EU’s external relations, such as conflict prevention, post-conflict reconciliation and the reconstruction of any destroyed cultural heritage. 8 million euros’ funds will be provided for the European Year.