41990X0703

CONCLUSIONS OF THE MINISTERS OF CULTURE MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL

of 18 May 1990

on future eligibility for the 'European City of Culture` and on a special European Cultural Month event

(90/C 162/01)

In regard to the 'European City of Culture` resolution of 13 June 1985, the Ministers of Culture note that designations of cities have been made for the years up to 1996 inclusive and that by then a first cycle of European Community Member States will have been completed.

They agree that for the years after 1996 not only Member States of the Community but also other European countries basing themselves on the principles of democracy, pluralism and the rule of law should be able to nominate cities for the event. They will begin to make further designations from 1992 onwards.

They note with interest that the current European City of Culture, Glasgow, will call towards the end of the year a meeting of organizers of the different Cities of Culture, with a view to pooling experience. One conclusion which can already be drawn is that greater publicity should be given to the event in the Member States other than the one in which it is taking place.

In view of the widespread interest in holding the event of European cities both inside and outside the Community, the Ministers agree to create a further cultural event, which would be a special European Cultural Month in one city (from a European country basing itself on the principles of democracy, pluralism and the rule of law) each year, to be known as 'Europe in [name of city], 199 . .` The Cultural Month event should be launched as quickly as possible and in the first instance for an experimental period.

The special European Cultural Month (1) would not affect the standing of the European City of Culture event or the support given to it and would not exclude the city concerned from a possible future designation as European City of Culture. Some linkage between the European City of Culture and the special European Cultural Month of the same year could be made. The Committee on Cultural Affairs should explore further the modalities of the special European Cultural Month, including the contribution which the Council of Europe might make to the event.

They note the willingness of the Commission to be associated with the organization of this new event.

A complementary method of bringing European cities outside the Community into a relationship with the European City of Culture event (already effected or planned in some cases) would be for a European City of Culture, on a voluntary basis, to make a special feature of such a city's culture within its own programme.

The Presidency and the Commission should jointly explore the possibilities for the first years and report to their next session on these.

(1) The Cultural Month could, if appropriate, last for a slightly longer period than one month.