Decision 1419/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 May 1999 establishing a Community action for the European Capital of Culture event for the years 2005 to 2019
Date: 1999-05-25
Institutions: Council of the European Union, European Parliament
Subjects: EU Member State, EU action, European integration, capital city, cultural event

1. 7. 1999

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Official Journal of the European Communities

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I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

DECISION 1419/1999/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE
COUNCIL

establishing a Community action for the European Capital of Culture event for
the years 2005 to 2019

of 25 May 1999

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL
OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 151 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the
Regions (2),

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in
Article 251 of the Treaty (3),

(1) Whereas, throughout its history, Europe has been
the site of exceptionally prolific and varied artistic
activity; whereas urban life has played a major role
in the growth and influence of
the European
cultures;

(2) Whereas Article 151 of the Treaty grants powers to
the Community in the cultural field; whereas all
Community activity designed to promote cultural
activities should therefore be undertaken on this
legal basis, in accordance with the objectives and
means assigned to the Community by the Treaty;

(3) Whereas, on 13 June 1985, the Ministers respons-
ible for Cultural Affairs meeting within the
Council, adopted a resolution concerning the
the
annual event
main aim of which was to open up to the European
public particular aspects of the culture of the city,
region or country concerned, an event for which
the Community has provided financial support;

‘European City of Culture' (4),

(1) OJ C 362, 28.11.1997, p. 12.
(2) OJ C 180, 11.6.1998, p. 70.
(3) Opinion of the European Parliament of 30 April 1998 (OJ C
152, 18.5.1998, p. 55), Council Common Position of 24 July
1998 (OJ C 285, 14.9.1998, p. 5) and Decision of the Euro-
pean Parliament of 11 March 1999 (OJ C 175, 21. 6. 1999).
Council Decision of 10 May 1999.

(4) OJ C 153, 22.6.1985, p. 2.

(4) Whereas a study which has been carried out into
the results achieved by European Cities of Culture
shows that the event has a positive impact in terms
of media resonance, the development of culture
and tourism and the recognition by inhabitants of
the importance of their city having been chosen;

(5) Whereas the positive impact has none the less not
always produced results lasting beyond the duration
of the project itself and whereas, while recognising
their competence to decide about the content of
their project,
the attention of public decision-
makers in the cities chosen should be drawn to the
into a
need to integrate the cultural project
dynamic medium-term process;

(6) Whereas

this

important both for
strengthening local and regional identity and for
fostering European integration;

initiative is

(7) Whereas,

in the discussions leading up to its
opinion of 7 April 1995 (5) on the Kaleidoscope
programme established by Decision No 719/
96/EC (6),
the European Parliament asked the
Commission to present a specific programme on
the European City of Culture after the year 2000 on
the basis of Article 151 of the Treaty;

(8) Whereas the importance and impact of the City of
Culture event calls for the creation of a rotational
system of designation which will ensure that each
Member State will have one of its cities chosen at
regular intervals; whereas a predictable, consistent
and transparent rotational system is best achieved
through a single decision whereby the order in
which Member States will hold the event
is
decided;

(5) OJ C 109, 1.5.1995, p. 281.
(6) Decision No 719/96/EC of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 29 March 1996 establishing a programme to
support artistic and cultural activities having a European
dimension (Kaleidoscope)

(OJ L 99, 20.4.1996, p. 20).

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(9) Whereas it is appropriate for the Council to desig-
nate the Capitals of Culture in view of the great
symbolic importance in the Member States of such
a designation;

(10) Whereas any Community initiative to promote the
European City of Culture must satisfy predefined
objectives and use the resources provided for by the
Treaty;

(11) Whereas the Community has in the past made a
contribution to the European City of Culture and
the European Cultural Month events under the
Kaleidoscope Programme, which is due to expire
in 1999;

(12) Whereas on 22 September 1997 the Council
adopted a Decision regarding the future of Euro-
pean cultural action (1) in which it called on the
Commission, in accordance with Article 208 of the
Treaty, to table proposals for a single programme
for culture by May 1998,
into which an action
European Capital of Culture will be incorporated,
including funding arrangements;

(13) Whereas the Commission has submitted to the
European Parliament and the Council a commun-
ication on the first European Community frame-
work programme in support of culture, including a
single
proposal
financing and programming instrument for cultural
cooperation,

a decision establishing a

for

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

A Community action entitled ‘European Capital of
Culture' shall be established. Its objective shall be to
highlight the richness and diversity of European cultures
and the features they share, as well as to promote greater
mutual acquaintance between European citizens.

Article 2

1. One city of a Member State shall be designated as
European Capital of Culture, in turn, as set out in Annex
I. The chronological order set out in Annex I may be
altered by mutual agreement between the Member States
concerned. The nomination or nominations shall be noti-
the
fied to the European Parliament,
Commission and the Committee of the Regions by the
Member State concerned, possibly accompanied by a
recommendation from the latter, no later than four years
before the event in question is due to begin.

the Council,

2.
The Commission shall each year form a selection
panel which shall issue a report on the nomination or
nominations judged against the objectives and character-
istics of
shall be
this action. The selection panel
composed of seven leading independent figures who are
experts on the cultural sector, of whom two shall be

(1) OJ C 305, 7.10.1997, p. 1.

two by the
appointed by the European Parliament,
two by the Commission and one by the
Council,
Committee of
the Regions. The selection panel shall
submit its report to the Commission, the European Parlia-
ment and the Council.

3.
The European Parliament may forward an opinion
to the Commission on the nomination or nominations
not later than three months after receipt of the report.
The Council, acting on a recommendation from the
Commission drawn up in the light of the opinion of the
European Parliament and of the selection panel’s report,
shall officially designate the city in question as a Euro-
pean Capital of Culture for the year for which it has been
nominated.

Article 3

The nomination shall include a cultural project of Euro-
pean dimension, based principally on cultural coopera-
tion,
in accordance with the objectives and action
provided for by Article 151 of the Treaty.

The submission shall specify how the nominated city
intends:
(cid:190) to highlight artistic movements and styles shared by
Europeans which it has inspired or to which it has
made a significant contribution,

(cid:190) to promote events involving people active in culture
from other cities in Member States and leading to
lasting cultural cooperation, and to foster their move-
ment within the European Union,

(cid:190) to support and develop creative work, which is an

essential element in any cultural policy,

(cid:190) to ensure the mobilisation and participation of large
sections of the population and, as a consequence, the
social impact of the action and its continuity beyond
the year of the events,

(cid:190) to encourage the reception of citizens of the Union
and the widest possible dissemination of the various
events by employing all forms of multimedia,
(cid:190) to promote dialogue between European cultures and
those from other parts of the world and, in that spirit,
to optimise the opening up to, and understanding of
others, which are fundamental cultural values,

(cid:190) to exploit the historic heritage, urban architecture and

quality of life in the city.

Article 4

European non-member countries may participate in this
action. Any such country may nominate one city as a
European Capital of Culture and should notify its nomi-
nation to the European Parliament,
the
Commission and the Committee of the Regions. The
Council, acting unanimously on a recommendation from
the Commission, shall officially designate one of these
nominated cities as a European Capital of Culture for
each year, bearing in mind the desirability of four years’
preparation time.

the Council,

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Article 5

Article 6

Each city shall organise a programme of cultural events
highlighting the city’s own culture and cultural heritage
as well as its place in the common cultural heritage, and
involving people concerned with cultural activities from
other European countries with a view to establishing
lasting cooperation. In addition to the foregoing, the list
indicating planning and evaluation criteria set out
in
Annex II should be taken into account to the greatest
possible extent by the designated city in planning its
programme. In principle this programme should last one
year but as an exception designated cities may opt for a
shorter period of time. Cities may choose to involve their
surrounding region in their programme. A linkage
between the programmes of the designated cities of the
same year should be made.

Each year the Commission shall produce a report evalu-
ating the results of the previous year’s event, including an
analysis by the organisers of the latter. This report shall be
presented to the European Parliament, the Council and
the Committee of the Regions. The Commission may
also make any proposals for revision of this Decision
which it judges necessary for the smooth operation of this
action and, in particular, with a view to the future enlarge-
ment of the Union.

Done at Brussels, 25 May 1999.

For the European Parlia-
ment

The President

For the Council

The President

J. M. GIL-ROBLES

H. EICHEL

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ANNEX I

ORDER OF ENTITLEMENT TO NOMINATE A EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Ireland

Netherlands

Luxembourg

United Kingdom

Austria

Germany

Finland

Portugal

France

Sweden

Belgium

Spain

Denmark

Greece

Italy

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ANNEX II

LIST INDICATING PLANNING AND EVALUATION CRITERIA

Possible elements of designated cities’ programmes:

(cid:190) promotion of shared artistic movements and styles in the development of which the city has played a

particular role,

(cid:190) organisation of artistic events (music, dance, theatre, visual arts, cinema, etc.) and improvement of the

promotion and management of the arts,

(cid:190) promotion of European public awareness of the figures and events which have marked the history and

culture of the city,

(cid:190) organisation of specific activities designed to encourage artistic innovation and to generate new forms of

cultural action and dialogue,

(cid:190) organisation of measures to increase access to and awareness of fixed and movable artistic assets and artistic

productions specific to the city,

(cid:190) organisation of specific cultural projects designed to bring young people to the arts,

(cid:190) organisation of specific cultural projects designed to increase social cohesion,

(cid:190) taking the planned activities to a wider public, particularly through the use of multimedia and audiovisual

means and a multilingual approach,

(cid:190) contribution to the development of economic activity, particularly in terms of employment and tourism,

(cid:190) need to develop high-quality and innovative cultural tourism with due allowance being made for the
importance in this connection of managing the cultural heritage on a sustainable basis and reconciling the
wishes of visitors with those of the local population,

(cid:190) organisation of projects designed to encourage the development of links between the architectural heritage

and strategies for new urban development,

(cid:190) joint organisation of initiatives designed to promote dialogue between the cultures of Europe and the

cultures of other parts of the world.