The World Heritage Committee meeting today (25 June) in Seville decided to remove the Dresden Elbe Valley from UNESCO's World Heritage List.

In response to this decision, Minister of State for Europe Günter Gloser issued in Berlin the following statement:

“I regret the World Heritage Committee's decision to delete the Dresden Elbe Valley from the World Heritage List. Unfortunately, despite intensive efforts, no compromise could be found over the new bridge in Dresden, on which building work has already begun.

One thing is clear, however: Dresden is a one-off case. Since its accession to the World Heritage Convention in 1976, Germany has been involved in implementing it with considerable success, as the inscription of 32 German sites on the World Heritage List impressively demonstrates. I am convinced that also in future Germany's cultural and natural heritage sites stand a good chance of being added to the World Heritage List.”

The Dresden Elbe Valley was inscribed in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004. Due to Dresden's plans for a new bridge, on which building work has now begun, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2006 placed the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger.