Perennial fruit crops phenology such as cherry is an ideal bio-indicator of climate change due to their long-lasting features, in particular, dates of flower opening and full bloom. This implies i) the use of several generations of cherry trees/ orchards and ii) the use of the same original cherry cultivars, which existed as bearing trees and were replanted after the orchard had been grubbed. A comparison of available definitions of phenological stages in cherry previously used independently throughout Europe showed overlaps and shortcomings; hence, harmonisation was reached in this respect in the COST Cherry FA 1104 working group 2 (cherry phenology and climate change) based largely on the acceptance of the BBCH scale. This contribution presents the agreed phenology stages in both visual and wording evidence. Similarly, this contribution presents the agreed cultivars to be monitored in future for phenology and climate change effects for harmonisation. For sweet cherry, this EU-wide harmonisation includes 'Burlat', 'Cristobalina' and 'Rita' as early, 'Stella' and 'Van' as medium flowering and 'Sweetheart', 'Regina' and 'Bigarreau Noire de Meched/Germersdorfer' for late flowering cultivars for climate change effects. For sour cherry, this harmonisation resulted in 'Meteor korai' and 'Anglaise Hative' for early flowering, 'Chrisana Pandy' and 'Erdibotermo' for medium flowering and 'Schattemorelle', 'Iiva, Ujfehrtoifurtos (Balaton)' for late flowering.