Started in 1985, the European Capitals of Culture are an initiative of the European Union.
Over the years, this initiative has grown into one of the most ambitious cultural projects in Europe both in scope as well as in scale.
Its aim is to celebrate the diversity of cultures in Europe and to highlight the common features they share, thereby promoting mutual understanding, intercultural dialogue as well as increasing citizens’ sense of belonging to a common cultural area.
Being a European Capital of Culture can also contribute to the long-term socio-economic development of cities as the title can for them and their regions be a powerful tool to regenerate themselves, inject new vitality into their cultural life, boost their creativity, raise their profile on both European as well as international level and to foster social cohesion.
In 2021, a city from one of the following candidate countries / potential candidates for EU membership will hold this prestigious title: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Montenegro and Serbia.
The competition has been launched by the publication of a call for submission of applications on 23 December 2014.
Interested cities are invited to read carefully this call and submit their application by 23 October 2015 at the latest:
https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/creative-europe/calls/general/2014-eac-a03_en.htm
The Commission will organise an information session in Brussels on 13 February 2015 (70 Joseph II street, 1000 Brussels). The working language will be English with no available interpretation. Interested cities can register by sending an e-mail to EAC-ECOC@ec.europa.eu before 30 January 2015 (maximum 2 representatives per city). Participation is free, within the limit of the number of places available.
To find out more about the “European Capitals of Culture”:https://ec.europa.eu/culture/tools/actions/capitals-culture_en.htm
