About
The 7 Most Endangered Programme is run by Europa Nostra – the leading European heritage civil society network – with the support of the European Investment Bank Institute. It is also supported by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, through the network project Europa Nostra Heritage Agora.
Since its launch in 2013, the 7 Most Endangered Programme has become a key civil society initiative dedicated to saving Europe’s heritage at risk. It acts as a catalyst for mobilising expertise, halting unsuitable or unsustainable development, bringing key stakeholders together in dialogue and fostering necessary public and private support. Between 2021 and 2026, each site on the final list was eligible to receive an EIB Heritage Grant of €10,000, supporting the first steps towards its safeguarding.
Sites
Since 2013, 77 threatened monuments and heritage sites from 35 countries across Europe have been selected. The first list was published in 2013, the second list in 2014, the third list in 2016, the fourth list in 2018, the fifth list in 2020, the sixth list in 2021, the seventh list in 2022, the eighth list in 2023, the ninth list in 2024, the tenth list in 2025 and the eleventh list in 2026.
In addition, in 2016, the Venice Lagoon in Italy was declared as THE most endangered heritage site in Europe; and in 2022, the Board of Europa Nostra declared the rich and diverse heritage in Ukraine as THE most endangered heritage in the whole of Europe.
Nominations
Nominations are welcome from:
– Public and private organisations active in the heritage field, registered in a country that is a member of the Council of Europe or Kosovo*; or
– Individual members of such organisations, who are permanent residents in a Council of Europe member country or Kosovo*.
Each valid nomination must include at least 2 letters of support (in English) from public or private heritage organisations, including at least one from a Europa Nostra Member or Associate Organisation (see the full list).
Selection
An international Advisory Panel, comprising specialists in history, archaeology, architecture, conservation, urban planning, management and finance, assesses the nominations and recommend a pre-selection of sites to the Board of Europa Nostra, who selects the final list of 7 Most Endangered monuments, sites and practices. Only the final list will be publicly promoted.
The selection is made on the basis of the selection criteria published in the Call for Nominations. Selection criteria include the outstanding heritage significance and cultural value of each of the sites as well as the serious danger that they are facing. The level of engagement of local communities and the commitment of public and private stakeholders to saving these sites are considered as crucial added values. Another selection criterion is the potential of these sites to act as a catalyst for sustainable socio-economic development as well as a tool for promoting peace and dialogue within their localities and wider regions.
What happens next?
Following the announcement of the selected sites, the Programme enters its implementation phase, which typically spans one year and requires the active engagement of the nominators throughout. Each site benefits from a mission led by European experts in heritage and finance, nominated by Europa Nostra, and conducted in close cooperation with the nominators. The European expert teams assess the threats facing the site and help shape a practical action plan for its safeguarding, working with relevant national and local public and private stakeholders, including the site owner(s). The findings and recommendations are subsequently published in mission reports, making the expertise and proposed actions publicly available and providing a basis for further advocacy and follow-up.
The findings and recommendations are published in Reports available on the 7 Most Endangered website.
