§ Mr. Peter AinsworthTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if joint bids from more than one city are admissible in applications for European City of Culture status. [147433]
§ Mr. Chris SmithUnder the European City of Culture initiative, a single city usually holds the event though cities from different countries can share the title on the basis of intergovernmental agreement. There is no precedent for two cities from the same country hosting the event in a single year and I am not aware of any joint bids.
The European Union's Decision 1419/1999EC established a new community action which will come into effect in 2005. Each year from 2005 member states can, in turn, make nominations for the designation European Capital of Culture. Last September, I launched the competition to select the city that will be nominated by the United Kingdom as Capital of Culture for 2008. The criteria I have published state that
The term city refers to a conurbation with a distinct identity. It may be a town or a city, and it may choose to involve its surrounding region in its cultural programme, but in keeping with the Decision of the European Union, it is not, in principle, a consortium of geographically separate towns or cities.This reflects the terms of the EU's Decision.