Humanities-based speakers and delegates to the European Commission conference on "Social Sciences and Humanities in Europe: New Challenges, New Opportunities" gathered at the end of the meeting to develop a proactive Humanities special interest group. The result was a round-table conference organized by the Humanities Higher Education Research Group, the international group based in and supported by the Open University's Institute of Educational Technology, to which senior humanities scholars and members of the European Community (EC) Working Party on Future Priorities for the Humanities were invited. This article provides a brief overview of these discussions, which developed around two issues: (1) What should be said to Europe about the Humanities and what they can offer?; and (2) What "are" the distinguishing features of the Humanities? A major conclusion of the conference was to propose to the EC that the question of what distinguishes the Humanities should itself be a research strand earmarked for support. (Contains 1 note.)