The European Commission will hold a conference in Brussels on October 15 to debate on European Capitals of Culture, one of the most successful European initiatives and best known by the public. This conference will allow to share best practices among cities which have hosted a European Capital of Culture in the past, current Capitals and cities willing to host a Capital in the future.

The conference will address key issues related to the preparation of a project such as budgetary and governance issues or the need to ensure the lasting effect of the initiatives in cities hosting these initiatives. It will be an opportunity to learn from past experiences, such as Guimarães in Portugal and Maribor in Slovenia who are European Capitals of Culture in 2012.

Moreover, this forum will introduce the new proposal for the European Capitals of Culture scheme as of 2020 put forward by the Commission in July 2012. It will be an opportunity to discuss this new scheme and solve issues which may arise. Further to the European Capitals of Culture conference, another conference will take place between October 16 and 17 which will focus on audience development in the cultural sector under the European Audiences: 2020 and beyond.

European Capitals of Culture are one of the most successful initiatives promoted by the Commission. Each year, cities awarded with title highlight the richness and diversity of different European cultures, their common features and the benefits of developing an intelligent cultural investment in cities.

Since its launch in 1985 the initiative has become increasingly recognized by citizens and has contributed to make cities strive to improve their cultural offer to be more competitive and be eligible for the title. It is therefore very important for potential candidates to be well prepared so they can develop projects which are highly demanding.