On the fringes of this year’s EKS Seal of Approval award ceremony on April 22 in Brussels, Glenn Micallef, EU Commissioner for Intergenerational Justice, Youth, Culture and Sport at the European Union, invited selected EKS site managers, including CISTERSCAPES and National EKS Coordinators, to the so-called “Implementation Dialogue”.

A total of 15 representatives were asked to report on the challenges and opportunities of the EKS seal from their perspective. However, the aim was also to contribute concrete ideas for the further development of the seal. The results of the dialog will be incorporated into the ongoing EKS revision. This should be completed by the end of 2026.

The two-hour meeting was a unique opportunity, especially for the transnational Cisterscapes site, which also unites most of the partner sites in five countries, to address specific concerns directly to the responsible bodies.

Background: Each Commissioner organizes two so-called Implementation Dialogues per year within their own area of expertise. The EKS label itself has been awarded by the EU Commission since 2011 to sites that symbolize the values and the growing together of Europe. With this year’s 13 new awards, the number of EKS sites has increased to 80. Further information at https://ehl-bureau.eu