The European Commission has announced the 27 winners of the 2011 European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage Europa Nostra Awards that will be presented on 10 June during a ceremony in Amsterdam. Six of these winners will also be recognized as 'grand prix' laureates in this ceremony as 2011’s most outstanding heritage achievements. All of these projects represent outstanding experiences of appreciation for the potential that cultural heritage has as motor for growth and development.

The 27 winners of the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage Europa Nostra 2011 have been selected from nearly 140 projects which submitted their candidature in any of the four categories presented at the launch of the Prize in April 2010. The winning projects have been selected by juries composed of independent experts from across Europe. Among all winners, six projects are to be recognized with the 'grand prix', and will receive 10,000 Euros and a plaque for the winning building or a trophy for projects.

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, which are funded by the Culture Programme of the European Union, are awarded every year by Europa Nostra, an organisation chaired by Plácido Domingo which brings together and represents 250 non-governmental organisations, 150 associate organisations and 1500 individual members from more than 50 countries who are committed to safeguarding Europe’s cultural heritage and landscapes. Every year Europa Nostra selects the most outstanding projects in the field of cultural heritage in each of the four categories of the Prize: Conservation, Research, Dedicated service and Education, training and awareness-raising.

European Cultural Heritage, a motor for growth and employment

Cultural heritage brings a significant contribution to growth and job creation which is often not sufficiently underlined. A Commission's report presented in March 2011 highlighted the role that cultural and creative industries have as motor for growth in the European Union. It is estimated that the sector represented by cultural and creative industries provide jobs for 8.5 million people in the EU and contribute 4.5% to Europe's GDP.

This important economic potential also represents an important spending on conservation of cultural heritage by public and private bodies which is worth an estimated € 5 billion a year. In this line, estimates from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) show that 40% of worldwide international tourism has a cultural dimension. Finally, cultural heritage is also a key resource for sustainable development and social cohesion.