Heidy Purga
Kultuuriminister 05.09.2025
Kultuuriministeerium nr 10.1-13/847-1
Austatud minister
Edastame Teile Euroopa Komisjoni juhtiva asepresidendi Henna Virkkuneni 04.09.2025 kirja
nr Ares(2025)7248756 (Estonia’s positions on the long-term preservation of digital heritage).
Lugupidamisega
Katrin Juhandi
Esinduse asejuht Coreper I küsimustes
Tiiu Noobel +32 2227 4337
[email protected]
Rue Guimard 11/13 1040 Brüssel Tel: +32 2 227 39 10
[email protected] https://eu.mfa.ee/et/
Executive Vice-President
Tech Sovereignty, Security
and Democracy
Dear Minister,
Thank you for your letter dated 7 July 2025, with which you draw my attention to the need for
cross-border, long-term preservation of digital cultural heritage and for sharing Estonia’s
analysis and concrete proposals. I also thank you for raising this important issue at the last
meeting of the Council in its Education, Youth, Culture and Sport configuration in Brussels on
13 May.
I fully agree with your concerns and on its importance for the cultural heritage sector in the
European Union and for society at large. I would like to reassure you that the Commission its
utmost to support the preservation of digital heritage, within the main policy framework in the
sector, the ‘Recommendation for the common European data space for cultural heritage’. The
recommendation puts indeed a strong emphasis on the need to ensure long-term digital
preservation. The case of Ukraine, where the Commission helped to find solutions to store
Ukrainian digital cultural assets safely in European data centers overnight, is a case in point
which shows the strong link between preservation and preparedness policies, and the need to
cooperate across borders.
Work on the matter at hand has already started at the technical level in the framework of the
common European data space for cultural heritage. The data space offers structured and
sustainable solutions at European, cross-border level, including common data exchange
standards and metadata compatibility. Its governance includes our Commission Expert Group
on the common European Data Space for Cultural Heritage, representing Member States in
operational discussions on cross-border coordination for the digital preservation of cultural
heritage, as well as the Commission and the Europeana Foundation, the main contractor and
representative of the consortium that manages the data space. Estonia’s contribution, as
enclosed with your letter, will provide key input to the reflections of the Commission and the
work of the expert group.
I want to reiterate our full support for the long-term digital preservation of European cultural
heritage, and I look forward to our further dialogue on this matter.
Yours sincerely,
(e-signed)
Henna Virkkunen
Ms Heidi Purga
Minister of Culture of the Republic of Estonia
E-mail:
[email protected]
Electronically signed on 01/09/2025 14:33 (UTC+02) in accordance with Article 11 of Commission Decision (EU) 2021/2121
Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussels, Belgique/BELGÏE – Tel. +32 2299 11 11
Tiiu Noobel
From: WIEDECKE Christiane <
[email protected]>
Sent: neljapäev, 4. september 2025 17:06
To: Esindus EL juures üldaadress
Cc: WIEDECKE Christiane
Subject: Letter from EVP Henna Virkkunen on Estonia’s positions on the long-term
preservation of digital heritage
Attachments: 2025-07-25 reply Estonian position (1).pdf
Dear Sir or Madam,
We would be thankful if you could forward the enclosed le er from Execu ve Vice-President Henna Virkkunen to
the Estonian Minister of Culture Heidy Purga.
Thank you in advance.
Kind regards,
Chris ane Wiedecke
Assistant
Cabinet of Execu ve Vice-President Henna Virkkunen
Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy
European Commission
Rue de la Loi 200 – 12/327
B-1000 Brussels/Belgium
Office: +32 2 29 80569
Chris
[email protected]
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