It was announced today that the the selection panel of independent experts responsible for assessing the Irish cities competing to be European Capital of Culture in 2020 has recommended that Galway should be awarded the title.
Three cities had been short-listed after the initial pre-selection round in November 2015 - Galway, Limerick and Waterford for the Three Sisters (Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford).
The formal designation of Galway by the relevant Irish authorities is expected to take place in the coming months.
In accordance with the Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council which governs the European Capitals of Culture Union action, Ireland and Croatia are the two Member States entitled to host the event in 2020.
According to the current scheme for designating the European Capitals of Culture, the selection has two rounds: a pre-selection round, following which a shortlist of candidate cities is drawn up, and a final selection round nine months later (one city is recommended for the title). The selected cities are then officially designated by the Member State concerned.
The selection criteria state that cities should prepare a cultural programme with a strong European dimension, which fosters the participation of the city's stakeholders as well as its various neighbourhoods and attracts visitors from the whole country and Europe.
The programme must have a lasting impact and contribute to the long-term development of the city. The cities must also show that they have the capacity to deliver the project.
The European Commissioner responsible for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, Tibor Navracsics said, "In 2020, the winning city and the whole of Ireland will be under the spotlight during one full year. Today, I sincerely congratulate Galway on its successful bid. I am confident that Galway will give visitors from Europe and all over the world the opportunity to discover the city and its cultural assets but also to appreciate the diversity of cultures in our European Union as well as our shared values."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
