Timișoara 2021 could become Timișoara 2023. Members of the European Commission will propose new dates for the European Capitals of Culture (ECoC)
Changes in the ECoC programme have become an issue in the COVID-19 pandemic context which blocked cultural events in all European countries. There have already been discussions at European level for several months to postpone the cultural capitals of 2020 and 2021 by one or two years.
"In response to letters sent to the European Commission by the cities of Timisoara, Elefsina, Novi Sad, Rijeka and Galway, Commissioner Mariya Gabriel and Vice-President Margaritis Schinas decided to submit to the College of Commissioners a Commission proposal amending Decision 445/2014 governing the Capital Action European Commission for Culture to allow the extension of the two European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) 2020 until April 2021 (without changing the designation year) and the postponement of Novi Sad 2021 in 2022 and of Timișoara 2021 and Elefsina 2021 in 2023”, said Simona Neumann, CEO/ Executive Director, Timisoara European Capital of Culture 2021.
Consultations will take place at European Commission level by the end of July, and the proposal will be adopted by the Commission in mid-August.
Further on, the Commission will present this decision to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, and it could be adopted at the earliest in October.
If this proposal is adopted, in 2022 there will be three European Capitals of Culture: Kaunas (Lithuania), Esch sur Alzette (Luxembourg) and Novi Sad (Serbia), and in 2023: Veszprem (Hungary), Elefsina (Greece) and Timisoara (Romania).
Read the short note on Timisoara 2021 Facebook account (in Romania): https://www.facebook.com/timisoara2021eu/
Source: Municipality of Timisoara
Photo credit: Acces Art Festival
