The European
City of Culture is promoted by the Ministers of Culture of the
European Union to open up to the European public particular aspects of the city,
region and country concerned, as well as to emphasise wider European cultural
affinities.
List of European
Cities of Culture -- 1985 to 2004
Each city is free to determine
its own emphases and to organise programs and projects within a time scale and budget
which each city must determine. The impact and importance of the European
City of Culture concept has grown consistently and cities have been using
the designation in relation to other cultural and economic objectives.
To celebrate the turn of the century,
the EU designated nine cities of culture for the year 2000. They each presented a rich
cultural program related to the needs and tastes of the local and international community.
Moreover, they collaborated on various levels and worked closely on a number of joint
projects.
This cultural co-operation between European
cities was unique and created an unprecedented synergy between three cities in the north,
three in the centre and three in the south of Europe.
