On 23 and 24 March the Commission celebrated this anniversary. Since the first European Capital of Culture held in Athens in 1985, over 40 cities across Europe have held the title.

More than 400 people attended this conference opened by President Barroso, Commissioner Vassiliou and Doris Pack, Member of the European Parliament. Most of the participants were, are or will be directly involved in the preparation of a European Capital of Culture.

The objective of this two day conference was to celebrate this anniversary, to raise the visibility and profile of the initiative, to provide a promotional opportunity for the current and future ECOC, and to have a strategic reflection on the impact of the initiative with a view to helping future Capitals make a long term success of the event.

The two days were useful also for the exchange of good practices between past, present and future cities. Actually, the Commission seeks to create a fruitful environment to improve the implementation of the event.

The success of this conference reflects the success of the event itself : over the past years, it has become one of the most visible and prestigious initiatives of the European Union. The scale of the initiative, its European dimension, and the potential economic and social benefits which it can bring to cities and regions make it a truly remarkable endeavour.