The European Commission has published its first interim report about the European Capitals of Culture for the period 2020-2033.

The result is a very interesting document that already outlines the guidelines that will be at the heart of the new programme on which the Commission is already working.

We at EcocNews are very pleased with this report, not least because one of the new features is a greater focus on communication.

The only minor criticism concerns the part where it is pointed out that there is no institution that communicates what is happening in the world of European Capitals of Culture. However, we imagine that the text refers to “public institutions” because, in our own small way, we at EcocNews have been filling this gap since February 2021.

Below is a summary of the report's findings, which you can read in full and in all languages here.

Conclusions and Lessons Learned

The evaluation shows that ECoC is a successful flagship action of the EU with a strong cost-effectiveness with a very limited impact on the EU budget. Moreover, the action can have a transformative effect on the different candidates and selected cities as it requires long-term planning and the inclusion of culture in local city policy to be considered for the title. The action also has a strong coherence with other actions of the EU, in particular Creative Europe, and allows for the dissemination of EU values and of European cultural professionals and artists and their works in the EU and beyond.

The first interim evaluation of the European Capitals of Culture 2020-2033 highlighted both successes and challenges, offering key lessons for its future. The findings will guide the ECoC into its next phase after 2033, ensuring its continued success and relevance.

A stronger focus on the ‘European dimension’ in the competition: The ‘European dimension’ is a key element of the ECoC action and selection criteria. However, it appears that, based on feedback, it is often not fully understood by the different stakeholders. The European Commission could explore ways to develop the understanding of this dimension.

Long-term knowledge: Due to the absence of a formal ECoC network, there is risk of losing knowledge between newly appointed and past cities. The Commission could research how to foster knowledge-sharing in the ECoC community for the action to reach its full potential, in particular in relation to its European dimension.

Communication: The European Commission communicates actively about the official designation of the European Capitals of Culture with multiple channels, including press release, websites, and social media. However, there are currently no concentrated EU-level communication actions by the European Commission and other EU-wide institutions to promote the ECoC cities. This limits the Action’s visibility, impact, and public awareness. The ECoC would benefit from EU communication efforts to support and complement the work of the title-holding cities, in coordination with and with input from the Member States. Appointing ECoC ambassadors at political level could help the initiative.

Data: The set of indicators provided by the European Commission to the organisations in charge of setting up the different ECoC competitions should be revised based on the results and data gaps identified during the evaluation process.

Expert panel: It is important to ensure that the expert panel has the skills and resources to carry out its tasks effectively. The Commission could strengthen cooperation with other institutions to ensure the panel is diverse in both representation and expertise. In addition, a structured onboarding process for new members would help ensure they are well-prepared and support a smooth transition and handover from outgoing members.

Long-term planning: The evaluation has shown that the long-term impact of the action is not experienced to its full potential in some cities. The Commission could explore the reinforcement of the ‘contribution to the long-term strategy’ criterion and strengthen evaluation criteria and indicators to foster longer-term impacts in the different candidate cities.

In conclusion, the evaluation provides crucial insights into the programme’s progress and potential. After 40 years, the action remains relevant and well sought-after by cities and territories to develop themselves through culture. However, it is important to update the action to ensure its continued relevance in the future, in particular by taking into account emerging trends which appeared in the recent years, such as an increased number of smaller cities as title-bearers.

First interim evaluation of the European capitals of culture action 2020-2033