These four cities have been selected by the European Commission to move to the next phase of this award that distinguishes European cities which stand out for their efforts to protect the environment. The four short-listed finalists have been selected among a group of eight candidates cities .

The four European cities which have short-listed to be to hold the title of European Green Capital in 2015 will be assessed by a panel of twelve experts on the basis of a list of twelve indicators. The jury will consist of representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, the European Environment Agency, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the Covenant of Mayors and the European Environmental Bureau.

The list of indicators to be applied by the jury includes aspects such as the city's contribution to global climate change from a local perspective, the initiatives undertaken in sustainable transport, its respect for nature and biodiversity or the green urban areas incorporating sustainable land use. It also includes aspects such as water consumption, waste management, noise and air pollution, or elements like eco-innovation and sustainable employment or the environmental management of the local authority.

Since the launch of this annual award, five cities have hosted the European Green Capital. Among them, Vitoria was awarded the European Green Capital for year 2012 along with Nantes for year 2013. This title is awarded to cities that are at the forefront of sustainable urban management. The European city that will host the European Green Capital on 2015 will be elected out of the four finalists: Bristol, Brussels, Glasgow or Ljubljana.