Each year in May, the Governing Board of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes meets to issue the certification “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” to the Cultural Routes under regular evaluation as well as networks seeking certification.

Representatives from each member State of the EPA (Ministries of Culture and/or Tourism) take part in the decision-making process and have the opportunity to meet representatives of both the certified Cultural Routes under evaluation and the candidate networks.

The EPA Governing Board also discusses other issues such as the organization of the Annual Advisory Forum on Cultural Routes, which the EPA Secretariat co-organizes each year with a Member State of the EPA.

The EPA Governing Board is defined in the Committee of Minister Resolution CM/Res(2013)66 Article 3:

3.1 The Governing Board of the EPA shall be composed of one representative appointed by each member of the EPA.

3.2 A member of the relevant intergovernmental committee to which the Governing Board reports on its decisions, shall be invited to participate in its meetings, in order to facilitate this committee’s consultative role concerning decisions on certification provided for in Resolution CM/Res(2013)67. The modalities of the consultation are the subject of a provision of the Rules of Procedure of the Governing Board.

3.3 The Governing Board shall elect from among its members a Bureau comprised of a chair, one vice‑chair, three other members, for a term of office of two years, renewable only once.

3.4 The Governing Board shall:

• be responsible for the general implementation of the tasks conferred to the EPA;
• award the Council of Europe Cultural Route certification in accordance with Resolution CM/Res(2013)67-rev the rules for the award of the “Cultural Route of the Council of Europe” certification;
• adopt the draft annual programme of activities of the EPA and submit it, in conformity with the Financial Regulations of the Council of Europe, to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe relating to the elaboration of the draft annual budget, prior to its transmission to the Statutory Committee;
• decide on projects consistent with the Council of Europe’s political priorities;
• oversee relations with the European Cultural Routes Institute in order to ensure the consistency between its actions and the EPA programme of activities;
• monitor the implementation of the programme of activities;
• adopt and transmit an annual activity report to the Committee of Ministers.

3.5 The Governing Board shall meet once a year. It may invite representatives of the relevant Council of Europe bodies to attend its meetings, without voting rights, according to the items on its agenda.

3.6 The Governing Board may assign operational tasks to its Bureau by a two thirds majority. The Bureau shall be convened by the chair of the Governing Board at least once a year.

3.7 The Governing Board shall adopt its decisions by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast, with each member having one vote. Procedural matters shall be settled by a majority of the votes cast. In all other matters, the Governing Board shall adopt its own rules of procedure and any other arrangements for the implementation of its activities.

The EPA Governing Board meets each year in May.