Cultural heritage technical committee receives more EU funds

The European Commission is earmarking an additional €2.5 million to support the technical committee on cultural heritage in Cyprus, as part of ongoing efforts to provide assistance to facilitate the reunification of Cyprus, it was announced on Tuesday.

The funds are being made available under the EU’s Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community.

“The project is entering the eighth phase with a new delegation agreement between the European Commission and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), providing an addition of €2.5 million in support of the work of the Technical Committee on Cultural Heritage for the years 2022-2025,” the Commission said.

The new phase of the project provides an updated set of measures for digitising and bringing cultural heritage online to ensure maximised access and visibility of Cyprus unique heritage.

The European Commission supports the work of the technical committee in protecting and safeguarding the diversity of cultural heritage of Cyprus and in raising the public awareness on the role that heritage plays in peace building, it said.

“It is with these guiding principles in mind that the European Union has been funding cultural heritage in Cyprus and it will be proud to continue this important support,” it added.

Since 2012, the European Commission has been the major contributor to the work of the TCCH, which brings the total contribution to over €24 million, demonstrating the strong commitment of the European Commission to confidence building and reconciliation efforts in Cyprus.

To date, with a long-standing partnership with UNDP, the TCCH has restored, conserved, structurally supported or physically protected, including with non-structural small-scale works, 102 cultural heritage sites across the island.