European heritage label action : 2024 monitoring exercise : report of the European panel to the European Commission, in application of Decision 1194/2011/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 November 2011 establishing a European Union action for the European heritage label

The third monitoring exercise of the European Heritage Label (EHL) Action, aimed at assessing sixty designated Sites, took place in 2024. The key outcome of this monitoring is that all sixty Sites-twenty of which were monitored for the third time, eighteen for the second time, and twentytwo for the first time-continue to meet the criteria for the EHL designation, as confirmed by the Panel's recommendations. This success is the result of strong collaboration between all key stakeholders of the EHL Action-the Sites, National Coordinators, the European Commission, the EHL Bureau, and the EHL Panel-culminating in an intense year of monitoring. As was already observed in the 2020 Monitoring Report, the Panel once again recognises that this achievement is primarily driven by the enthusiasm of those who are deeply engaged with the EHL Sites. Through their dedicated work, they mobilise local, regional, and even national resources to support the initiative. The 2024 monitoring process demanded exceptional commitment from all stakeholders, as its scope expanded by 57% compared to the previous cycle and by 200% compared to the first one. Despite this significant growth, the timeframe-one year, including all related activities-and available infrastructure remained unchanged. The increasing number of Sites, combined with comparisons to previous monitoring reports, provided a fresh perspective not only for individual Sites but also for the broader evolution of the EHL Action over the past decade.