The legislation in question focuses on European Capitals of Culture. This annual initiative is a chance to bring European citizens together, celebrating the diversity of European cultures. The programme was established by the European Union to promote a greater understanding of the peoples and cultures that make up the continent. Each year, one or two cities are selected as European Capitals of Culture, giving them the opportunity to showcase their cultural heritage to the rest of Europe.
This document lays out the procedure for selecting cities to be European Capitals of Culture and describes the evaluation process for applications. The European Commission recommends candidates to the EU Parliament, which then makes the final decision based on the expert panel’s evaluation. The legislation also outlines the rotating system, which allows each member state to promote four candidates each. Furthermore, it establishes that non-EU countries can submit a candidate for the title of European Capital of Culture, thereby including and emphasising different cultures within Europe.
The document explains how the European Capitals of Culture programme is intended to help bring Europe’s citizens closer together through disseminating cultural knowledge, creating opportunities for artists and cultural workers, promoting cross-border projects and ushering in greater collaboration among European cities. It further highlights the selection of Stavanger as the European Capital of Culture for 2008 and the quality of their programme. Overall, this legislation aims to stimulate artistic creation and cultural development, promoting unity, and interaction between European citizens.
