Interim evaluation of selection and monitoring procedures of European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) 2010-2016

Summary:

The special role that cities play in culture has been recognised since the “European City of Culture” concept was introduced in 1985 – a year-long event during which a city would operate a programme of events to highlight its contribution to the common cultural heritage and welcome people and performers from other Member States. A 1999 Decision of the European Parliament and of the European Council later transformed the concept into the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) and sought to create a more predictable, consistent and transparent rotational system for the designation of the title. However, the 1999 Decision made no provision for monitoring ECoC either during their development phase or during the title year, though the European Commission took informal steps to support the development of ECoC.