And we at EcocNews hope that it will not just be a celebratory event. Our hope is that this appointment will be an opportunity to reflect on the future of this programme, given that in 2033, that is to say in a very short time, the cycle of the programme will come to an end.

Almost as if it had listened to us, the European Commission did well to start questioning the good things done in recent years and the things that need to be repaired in order to better plan for the future of this competition and to better construct the new rules.

And so the European Commission, thanks also to the sensitivity and competence of Sylvain Pasqua, Senior Expert - Team leader for the coordination of the European Capital of Culture action, has launched an online public consultation open to all the stakeholders who revolve around this programme.

EcocNews will also try to participate in this consultation. But we hope that many people will participate in order to help the Commission to improve the programme and to build a selection and organisation procedure that can produce even more positive effects for cities, perhaps not only related to tourism, but also to culture in general.

The consultation is open until 24 September 2024 here.

The Commission has opened a public consultation to seek feedback from all stakeholders involved in the implementation, management, and delivery of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) action as well as from the wider public who are either interested or participate in culture.

It seeks to identify the impact the action has made in the last ten years. Understand the full potential of the legacy of hosting a European Capital of Culture, provide lessons for future cities and cities interested in developing their culture strategies, and reflect on ways to improve the scheme.

The first European Capital of Culture took place in Athens in 1985 and since then over 60 cities across Europe have been awarded the title across Europe. In its current form (covering the ECoC titles 2020 to 2033), it has been designed to promote the diversity of cultures in Europe as well as to increase European citizens’ sense of belonging to a common cultural area. It also contributes to the regeneration of cities and their overall cultural, social, and economic development. 

The results of this consultation will be used together with other data to inform the ongoing first interim evaluation of the European Capital of Culture action 2020-2033.

Collectively, these will feed into a European Commission report submitted to the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union, and the European Committee of the Regions.

The evaluation will also help the European Commission to reflect on the future of the European Capital of Culture action after 2033.