Kiri

Commission européenne/Europese Commissie, 1049 Bruxelles/Brussels, Belgique/BELGÏE – Tel. +32 2299 11 11

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

Rue Guimard 11/13 1040 Brüssel Tel: +32 2 227 39 10 [email protected] https://eu.mfa.ee/et/

Heidy Purga

Kultuuriminister

Kultuuriministeerium

05.09.2025

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]

1

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]