PURPOSE: to amend Decision No 445/2014/EU establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2017/1545 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 445/2014/EU establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033.

CONTENT: Decision 445/2014/EU sets out the framework for selection, designation and monitoring of the cities to be awarded the title of European Capitals of Culture from 2020. European Capitals of Culture make a crucial contribution to promoting the values of the Union.

The European Capitals of Culture initiative aims to:

promote the richness and the diversity of cultures in Europe and at highlighting the common features they share while increasing citizens' sense of belonging to a common cultural area, thus encouraging mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue, and bringing common cultural heritage to the fore. foster the contribution of culture to the long-term development of cities , which can involve their surrounding areas, in accordance with their respective strategies and priorities, with a view to supporting smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.

Currently, the action applies to the candidate or potential candidate countries for accession to the European Union, provided that they participate in the ‘ Creative Europe ’ programme or in subsequent Union programmes at the date of publication of the call for applications.

The objective of amending Decision 2017/1545 is to allow access to the action to the countries of the European Free Trade Association which are parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EFTA / EEA countries), namely Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein .

The Decision provides that:

cities in EFTA/EEA countries, in candidate countries and in potential candidates which participate in the Creative Europe Programme or in the subsequent Union programmes supporting culture at the date of publication of the call for submission of applications, may apply for the title for one year in the framework of an open competition organised in accordance with the calendar set out in the Annex; cities in EFTA/EEA countries, in candidate countries and in potential candidates shall only be allowed to participate in one competition during the period from 2020 to 2033; each EFTA/EEA country, candidate country or potential candidate shall only be allowed to host the title once during the period from 2020 to 2033.

As the calls for submission of applications need to be published at the latest 6 years before the year of the title, a candidate country, potential candidate or EFTA/EEA country should host the European Capital of Culture in 2028 instead of 2027 so as to allow those countries to negotiate their participation in the Union programme supporting culture subsequent to the Creative Europe Programme for the period 2021 to 2027.

Networking activities should be further encouraged between past, present and future cities holding the title of European Capital of Culture in order to foster the exchange of experiences and good practices.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 5.10.2017.

The European Parliament adopted by 606 votes to 54, with 6 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 445/2014/EU establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033.

The European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading, following the ordinary legislative procedure, amended the Commission proposal.

Parliament stated that Decision No 445/2014/EU aims at:

safeguarding and promoting the richness and the diversity of cultures in Europe and at highlighting the common features they share while increasing citizens' sense of belonging to a common cultural area, thus encouraging mutual understanding and intercultural dialogue , and bringing common cultural heritage to the fore ; fostering the contribution of culture to the long-term development of cities, which can involve their surrounding areas, in accordance with their respective strategies and priorities, with a view to supporting smart, sustainable and inclusive growth .

The amended text also stressed that European capitals of culture make a crucial contribution to promoting the values of the Union.

Moreover, the text stated that networking activities should be further encouraged between past, present and future cities holding the title of European Capital of Culture, in order to foster the exchange of experiences and good practices.

PURPOSE: to amend Decision No 445/2014/EU establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: in comparison with previous Decision No 1622/2006/EC , Decision No 445/2014/EU extends the action to candidate countries and potential candidates to EU membership, providing that they participate in the Creative Europe Programme or in the subsequent Union programmes supporting culture at the date of publication of the call for applications.

As a result, every third year starting from 2021 (i.e. in 2021, 2024, 2027, 2030 and 2033), cities from candidate countries or potential candidates may hold the title.

However, Decision No 445/2014/EU does not include European Free Trade Association countries which are parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area ("EFTA/EEA countries") (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein).

In order to reinforce the cultural links between the European Union and EFTA/EEA countries, it is proposed to modify Decision No 445/2014/EU so as to make it possible for cities from EFTA/EEA countries which participate in the Creative Europe Programme or in the subsequent Union programmes supporting culture, to apply for the ECOC title .

Furthermore, the inclusion of EFTA/EEA countries would also be in line with Article 81 of the EEA Agreement and Article 13 of its Protocol 31 on the cooperation in specific fields outside the four freedoms.

CONTENT: in its proposal, the Commission proposes:

to open the ECOC action to the participation of cities from EFTA/EEA countries providing that these countries participate in the Creative Europe Programme or in the subsequent Union programmes supporting culture at the date of publication of the call for submission of applications; in this perspective, to extend the open competition for cities from candidate countries/potential candidates to cities from EFTA/EEA countries; to have an ECOC title in a city from a candidate country/potential candidate or an EFTA/EEA country in 2028 instead of 2027 so as to make it possible for these countries to negotiate their participation in the Union programme supporting culture that will follow Creative Europe for the period 2021 to 2027 before the Commission publishes the relevant call for submission of applications at the latest six years before the year of the title; to modify the calendar in the Annex of Decision No 445/2014/EU accordingly.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the Commission's proposal has no direct budgetary implication, as the Melina Mercouri Prize and the costs of the members of the expert panel designated by Union institutions and bodies are covered by the existing resources of the Creative Europe programme for the 2014-2020 financial framework, or will be covered by the subsequent Union programmes supporting culture for the years after 2020.

Furthermore, the proposal will not result in a higher number of European Capitals of Culture over the period from 2020 to 2033 because the cities from EFTA/EEA countries will compete with cities from candidate countries/potential candidates which were already part of the competition.