Common Position (EC) No 4/2005 of 21 October 2004 adopted by the Council, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, with a view to the adoption of a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 1419/1999/EC establishing a Community action for the European Capital of Culture event for the years 2005 to 2019
Date: 2004-10-21
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU Member State, EU action, EU financing, accession to the European Union, cultural event, cultural policy, town

1.2.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 25 E/41

COMMON POSITION (EC) No 4/2005

adopted by the Council on 21 October 2004

with a view to the adoption of Decision No.../2005/EC of the European Parliament and of the
Council of... amending Decision No 1419/1999/EC establishing a Community action for the Euro-
pean Capital of Culture event for the years 2005 to 2019

(2005/C 25E/04)

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EURO-
PEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com-
munity, and in particular Article 151 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of
Regions (1),

the Committee of

the

Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article
251 of the Treaty (2),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Decision 1419/1999/EC of the European Parliament and
of the Council of 25 May 1999 establishing a Com-
munity action for the European Capital of Culture event
for the years 2005 to 2019 (3) is geared towards high-
lighting the wealth, diversity and shared characteristics
of European cultures and contributing to improving
European citizens' mutual knowledge.

Annex I to Decision 1419/1999/EC sets out the chrono-
logical order according to which the Member States can
submit nominations for this event. That Annex is limited
to the Member States at
the time the Decision was
adopted on 25 May 1999.

Article 6 of Decision 1419/1999/EC states that that deci-
sion may be revised,
in particular with a view to the
future enlargement of the European Union.

In the light of the 2004 enlargement, it is important that
the new Member States should likewise be able within a
short period of
time to submit nominations in the
context of
the European Capital of Culture event,
without changing the order for the other Member States
so that, from 2009 onwards and until the end of the
current Community action, two capitals may be selected
each year in the Member States.

(5)

Decision 1419/1999/EC should therefore be amended,

1. The following Recital shall be inserted:

‘(12a) Whereas account should be taken of the financial
consequences of this Decision in such a way as to ensure
that there is adequate and appropriate Community funding
for the designation of two European Capitals of Culture;’;

2. Article 2(1) shall be replaced by the following:

Cities in Member States shall be designated as Euro-
‘1.
pean Capital of Culture,
in turn, as set out on the list
contained in Annex I. Up until 2008 inclusive the designa-
tion shall apply to one city of the Member State appearing
on the list. From 2009 onwards, the designation shall apply
to one city of each of the Member States appearing on the
list. The chronological order set out in Annex I may be
altered by mutual agreement between the Member States
its
concerned. Each Member State shall submit,
nomination of one or more cities to the European Parlia-
ment, the Council, the Commission and the Committee of
the Regions. This nomination shall be submitted no later
than four years before the event in question is due to begin
and may be accompanied by a recommendation from the
Member State concerned.’;

in turn,

3. Annex I shall be replaced by the text appearing in the

Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the twentieth day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Union.

It shall apply from 1 May 2004.

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Done at Luxembourg,

Decision 1419/1999/EC is hereby amended as follows:

Article 1

For the European Parliament
The President

For the Council
The President

(1) OJ C 121, 30.4.2004, p. 15.
(2) Opinion of the European Parliament of 22 April 2004 (OJ C 104 E,
30.4.2004), Council Common Position of 21 October 2004 and
Position of the European Parliament of … (not yet published in the
Official Journal).

(3) OJ L 166, 1.7.1999, p. 1.

C 25 E/42

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

1.2.2005

ORDER OF ENTITLEMENT TO NOMINATE A ‘EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE’

ANNEX

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

Ireland

Greece (1)

Luxembourg

United Kingdom

Austria

Germany

Finland

Portugal

France

Sweden

Belgium

Spain

Denmark

Netherlands (1)

Italy

Lithuania

Hungary

Estonia

Slovenia

Slovakia

Latvia

Czech Republic

Poland

Cyprus

Malta

(1) The Culture/Audiovisual Council, at its meeting of 28 May 1998, noted the exchange of positions between Greece and the Nether-

lands in accordance with Article 2(1) of Decision 1419/1999/EC.

1.2.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 25 E/43

STATEMENT OF THE COUNCIL'S REASONS

I. INTRODUCTION

1. On 17 November 2003, the Commission submitted to the European Parliament and to the Council
a proposal for a decision, based on article 151 of the EC Treaty, amending Decision 1419/1999/EC
establishing a Community action for the ‘European Capital of Culture’ event for the years 2005 to
2019.

2. The European Parliament delivered its opinion at a first reading on 22 April 2004. The Commission

made an oral presentation of its modified proposal on 29 April 2004.

3. The Committee of the Regions delivered its opinion on 21 April 2004 (1).

4. On 21 October 2004, the Council adopted its common position in accordance with Article 251(2)

of the EC Treaty.

II. AIM OF THE PROPOSAL

The proposal aims to allow the new Member States to participate in the European Capital of Culture
event before the current decision expires in 2019. It does not change the existing order of entitlement
for nominations from Member States, but establishes a new system appointing two Member States
eligible to submit nominations each year from 2009 onwards, so that two capitals may be selected in
the Member States.

III. ANALYSIS OF THE COMMON POSITION

1. General comments

The Council did not make any amendment to the Commission's proposal. The Commission
accepted in full one of the five amendments proposed by the Parliament (amendment 1).

2. Amendments made by the European Parliament

2.1. Amendments accepted by the Council

The Council endorsed in full the amendment proposed by the Parliament and accepted by the
Commission (amendment 1).

2.2. Amendments not integrated by the Council

The Council, like the Commission, considered that amendments 2, 3, 4 and 5 went beyond the
scope of the proposal and did not regard it as appropriate to incorporate them.

III. CONCLUSIONS

The Council considers that its common position is balanced and fully in line with the main objective
of the Commission's proposal, thereby facilitating the participation of the new Member States in the
European Capital of Culture event as soon as possible.

(1) OJ C 121, 30.4.2004, p. 15.