‘Pre-selection and selection in EFTA/EEA countries, candidate countries and potential candidates’;
Article 1
Decision No 445/2014/EU is amended as follows: (1) Article 3 is amended as follows: (a) paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: ‘2. The number of cities holding the title in a given year (“the year of the title”) shall not exceed three. The title shall be awarded each year to a maximum of one city in each of the two Member States appearing in the calendar set out in the Annex (“the calendar”) and, in the relevant years, to one city from a European Free Trade Association country which is party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (“EFTA/EEA country”), a candidate country or a potential candidate, or to one city from a country that accedes to the Union in the circumstances set out in paragraph 5.’; (b) paragraph 4 is replaced by the following: ‘4. Cities in EFTA/EEA countries, in candidate countries and in potential candidates which participate in the Creative Europe Programme or in the subsequent Union programmes supporting culture at the date of publication of the call for submission of applications referred to in Article 10(2), may apply for the title for one year in the framework of an open competition organised in accordance with the calendar set out in the Annex. Cities in EFTA/EEA countries, in candidate countries and in potential candidates shall only be allowed to participate in one competition during the period from 2020 to 2033. Each EFTA/EEA country, candidate country or potential candidate shall only be allowed to host the title once during the period from 2020 to 2033.’; (2) Article 10 is amended as follows: (a) the title is replaced by the following: ‘Pre-selection and selection in EFTA/EEA countries, candidate countries and potential candidates’; (b) paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘1. The Commission shall be responsible for the organisation of the competition between cities in EFTA/EEA countries, in candidate countries and in potential candidates.’; (c) in paragraph 6, the first subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘6. The panel shall issue a selection report on the applications of the shortlisted candidate cities together with a recommendation for the designation of a maximum of one city in one EFTA/EEA country, candidate country or potential candidate.’; (3) In Article 11, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: ‘2. In the case of EFTA/EEA countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, the Commission shall designate one city to hold the title in the relevant years, on the basis of the recommendations contained in the selection report of the panel, and shall notify, no later than four years before the year of the title, the European Parliament, the Council and the Committee of the Regions of that designation.’; (4) Article 13 is amended as follows: (a) in paragraph 2, the second subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘The Member State, EFTA/EEA country, candidate country or potential candidate concerned may nominate an observer to attend those meetings.’; (b) in paragraph 3, the second subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘The panel shall transmit its monitoring reports to the Commission, to the designated cities and their Member States, as well as to the designated cities and the relevant EFTA/EEA country, candidate country or potential candidate.’; (5) The Annex is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Decision.