Picture caption: Signing ceremony of the Joint Declaration “Europe for Culture – Culture for Europe” with President Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, and Nikos Christodoulides, President of the Republic of Cyprus, representing the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Credits: European Union
The Architects’ Council of Europe warmly welcomes the Joint Declaration “Europe for Culture, Culture for Europe”, signed on 18 June 2026 by the European Parliament, the Council of Europe, and the European Commission. The Declaration places culture at the heart of EU policymaking and recognises its strategic role in shaping Europe’s future.
The Declaration is structured around 12 principles, addressing topics ranging from artistic freedom and fair working conditions for cultural professionals to youth participation, heritage protection, ethical AI, and the role of culture in regional resilience.
Two principles are particularly relevant to the architectural profession: Principle 9, which focuses on safeguarding tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and Principle 11, which explicitly recognises architecture, design, heritage safeguarding, and landscape management as drivers of environmentally responsible development.
This approach builds on a long-standing position championed by ACE, later reflected in the 2018 Davos Declaration on Baukultur, co-signed with UNESCO, International Council on Monuments and Sites, and Europa Nostra. It affirms the principle that building is culture, and that it creates the spatial framework for cultural life.
This perspective is further reinforced today by the New European Bauhaus initiative, which integrates sustainability, beauty, and inclusion into a shared framework for Europe’s built environment. The initiative is supported by the New European Bauhaus.
ACE President Daniel Fügenschuh stated:
“Architecture is a cultural act. Supporting young architects is essential to driving the sustainable transformation of our built environment and delivering inclusive, climate-resilient and high-quality places for all.”
