BRUSSELS, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Representatives for member states of the European Union (EU) and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on Thursday to establish a European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018.

The bloc's decision makers want to raise awareness of European history and values and to strengthen a sense of European identity through the event.

Meanwhile, the event is expected to draw attention to the opportunities offered by Europe's cultural heritage, but also to the challenges, such as the impact of the digital shift, environmental and physical pressure on heritage sites, and the illicit trafficking of cultural objects.

"As Europeans, we have a particularly rich cultural heritage born of our long shared history. I welcome the opportunity to celebrate that heritage and to take pride in all that makes up our common European identity," Owen Bonnici, Malta's minister for justice, culture and local government, said in a statement released by the meeting.

The European Year of Cultural Heritage will be funded through the redeployment of budgetary resources from existing EU programs, the statement said.