Parliamentary questions

Question for written answer

Subject: European Capital of Culture 2020

Many cities in Croatia have announced that they will compete for the title of European Capital of Culture 2020, when one Croatian and one Irish town will be awarded this prestigious title. On 30 October 2013, the Croatian Minister of Culture sent a letter to the Chair of the EP's Committee, Doris Pack, expressing her concerns regarding the way the European Capital of Culture project is currently being run and the risk that an agreement will not be reached on Article 11 of the proposal for a decision of the Commission on European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033. As no agreement currently exists between Parliament and the Council, and given that time is a factor and that the European Capital of Culture competition must be organised six years before the prestigious title is awarded, there is now a fear among Croats that the European Capital of Culture 2020 project is standing under a question mark and that Croatian and Irish cities will not have the opportunity to compete for the prestigious title. Is the Commission taking all steps available to it in order to ensure that the future of this vital project for European — and hence for Croatian — culture does not come into doubt, as well as to ensure that one Croatian city is awarded the European Capital of Culture title for 2020?