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- European Capitals of Culture
EU monitoring and funding
Once your city has officially been chosen as a European Capital of Culture, it enters a pre-event monitoring and guidance phase involving:
- 2 monitoring meetings
- 1 informal post-designation meeting (optional)
During this phase, progress in your city's preparations is overseen by a committee of 7 experts known as the monitoring and advisory panel.
After the 2nd (final) monitoring meeting, if the panel concludes your city meets the criteria for the event and has implemented the panel's recommendations, the Commission can award your city some funding for the event – the Melina Mercouri prize.
Timeline of monitoring phase
|
Timeline (n = 1 January, year of the event) |
Stage in the procedure |
Body responsible |
|
± 6 months after designation |
(possible)informal meeting between panel and host city |
European Commission |
|
n - 27 months (3 months before 1st monitoring meeting) |
Submission to Commission of mid-term progress report |
Host city |
|
n - 2 years (e.g. end of 2011, for an event in 2014) |
1st (mid-term) monitoring meeting between panel and host city |
European Commission |
|
n - 11 months (3 months before 2nd monitoring meeting) |
Submission to Commission of final progress report |
Host city |
|
n - 8 months |
2nd monitoring meeting between panel and host city |
European Commission |
|
n - 3 months |
(possible) award of Melina Mercouri prize |
European Commission |
|
n |
Year of the event |
Host city |
|
n + 1 year |
Evaluation ofthe event begins |
European Commission |
In depth
Summary of the 25 year anniversary conference 
[2 MB] on the European Capitals of Culture
The brochure: the road to success from 1985 to 2010 [8 MB]
Official documents
European Capital of Culture for the years 2007 to 2019
- Decision No 1622/2006/EC
- Guide to Candidate Cities
- Study on the European Cities and Capitals of Culture and the European Cultural Months (1995-2004)
Palmer report