Designation
Article 11
1. Each Member State concerned shall designate one city to hold the title, 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, the Commission and the Committee of the Regions of that designation. By way of derogation from the first subparagraph, the Member States entitled to designate the cities to hold the title for the year 2020 may extend that deadline for a maximum of one year. 2. In the case of 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. 3. The designations referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall be accompanied by a justification based on the reports of the panel. 4. Where a city involves its surrounding area, the designation shall apply to the city. 5. Within two months of notification of designations, the Commission shall publish the list of the cities designated as European Capitals of Culture in the C series of the Official Journal of the European Union .