The panel responsible for selecting the European Capital of Culture for 2014 recommended yesterday in Riga that the title be awarded to Riga. The other Latvian cities still in contention were Cesis and Liepaja. The formal nomination of Riga by the EU Council of Ministers will probably be in May 2010.
Pursuant to the Decision establishing the European Capitals of Culture, LATVIA and SWEDEN will be the two Member States hosting a European Capital of Culture in 2014. On 8 September Umeå was recommended as the European Capital of Culture for Sweden.
The European Capitals of Culture are chosen in two phases: a pre-selection phase, resulting in a shortlist of cities, followed by a final selection nine months later. The two cities chosen are then officially nominated by the Council of Ministers of the EU.
Applications are examined by an international panel made up of thirteen members, six appointed by the Member State concerned and the remaining seven by the European Institutions. They have to examine the applications on the basis of the criteria laid down in the above-mentioned Decision.
The cities vying for the title have to prepare a cultural programme meeting fairly strict criteria relating to the European dimension of the event and the participation of its citizens. The European dimension is illustrated by the subjects chosen and the cooperation between artists and players in the cultural field in various countries, all working together for the event. The programme must also have a lasting impact and contribute to the long-term cultural, economic and social development of the city.
