Mr Javier Hernández-Ros - European Commission

1. Europeana: Achievements
and challenges ahead
Europeana AGM 2015
Javier Hernandez-Ros
Head of Unit
DG CONNECT/G-2 Creativity

2. Overview
• Update on current Europeana project
• CEF CALL 2015
• CEF WP 2016
• Dutch Presidency and digital culture -
future of Recommendation
• Homework

3. Update on current project (1)
Achievements/highlights
•only significant Europe-wide initiative of digitisation of cultural
heritage
•45 million items, over 3,000 institutions, vibrant network
•Has supported cultural institutions in bring their content
online, inspired national initiatives such as the DDB and
institutions to open their collections, contributed to a more
positive ecosystem (copyright debate)
•standardisation, interoperability, EDM
•Europeana 1914-1918, Ms Merkel's TV interview
•recognition in the professional community, international
export (DPLA, Brasil...)

4. Update on current project (2)
Shortcomings
•Portal and search to be improved; better presentation of
results; improvements in multilingualism
•poor metadata, low image resolution
•masterpieces and high profile institutions missing
•more open content needed
•usage figures are low
•poor visibility beyond the professional community
•need for higher engagement from cultural institutions beyond
content provision
•Sustainability: Commission cannot pay the full cost under
grants, MS contributions are crucial, but in decline

5. Connecting Europe Facility 2015
CEF 2015 call for proposals
•CEF mechanics: annual calls
•2015 call: closes 19 January 2016, budget: 10 MEUR
•Support for Europeana core service from mid-2016 for
minimum duration of 1 year
•Call addresses shortcomings, putting emphasis on
improvements to portal, channels, search.
•Focus on quality of services

6. Connecting Europe Facility 2016
CEF Work Programme 2016
•Work Programme currently under discussion
•Support for Europeana is foreseen

7. Dutch Presidency – 1st semester 2016
• Intends to adopt Council Conclusions on digital culture,
including Europeana after taking stock of its mission,
governance and funding after 10 years
• Opportunity to get Europeana back on political agenda
with enhanced MS support, but will also highlight
shortcomings
• Ideally to concretise future support to Europeana,
financially and in kind
• will also look into digital culture issues addressing topics
part of the Commission Recommendation on digitisation
• Focus on quality of services

8. Conclusions and Homework
• 2016 will be an important year
• Think of what you can do for Europeana, not the other
way round: you are the network, the sales force,
ambassadors at local level
• Your role on channels, enhanced content, open data,
visibility, engagement is a MUST
• Make Europeana known in your countries, highlight it
successes, work on its shortcomings
• if we all contribute, the future can be bright...
• other collaborative projects in the cultural field have
done amazing things... Let's be one of them …