EP - 'European Capitals of Culture' after enlargement

At its meeting on Monday, the Culture Committee adopted a co-decision report by Michel ROCARD (PES, F) on changes to the procedure for selecting the cities as European Capital of Culture.

The initiative was launched in 1985 to highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures as well as to promote the European dimension of our common heritage. The purpose of the Commission's current proposal is to adapt the system to reflect the enlargement of the European Union.

MEPs in the Culture Committee accepted the Commission's proposal to complete the schedule and establish a system whereby, from 2009, two cities, one from a new Member State in tandem with one from a current Member State, will be chosen as European Capitals of Culture each year.

The rapporteur expressed concern about the budgetary impact of having two 'capitals' and argued for considerably more competition in the selection procedure. The committee as a whole, however, rejected any major changes at this stage, adopting instead amendments calling for adequate funding for the 'two capitals' approach, and for each Member State concerned to nominate at least two cities, so there is some competition. Commissioner Viviane Reding welcomed this compromise.

The pairs of cultural capitals will therefore come from Member States in the following order:

2009 Austria - Lithuania
2010 Germany - Hungary
2011 Finland - Estonia
2012 Portugal - Slovenia
2013 France - Slovakia
2014 Sweden - Latvia
2015 Belgium - Czech Republic
2016 Spain - Poland
2017 Denmark - Cyprus
2018 Netherlands - Malta

15.03.2004: Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport
In the chair: Michel ROCARD (PES, F)
Procedure: Co-decision, first reading

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• The New European Union of 25 (6/5/2003)