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EU Parl Watch

Plenary report, 29 October 2020

On the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision No 445/2014/EU establishing a Union action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033

Report A-9-2020-0201 · (COM(2020)0384 – C90275/2020 – 2020/0179(COD))

Committee on Culture and Education · Rapporteur: Željana Zovko

On Parliament’s site PDF Word

AI:In short

Parliament's amended version of the Commission proposal to amend Decision No 445/2014/EU on the European Capitals of Culture for 2020 to 2033 adopts its first-reading position. The amendment changes Recital 5 so that the two 2020 European Capitals of Culture had to postpone or cancel several events since March 2020, while still incurring costs for those events. It adds that they are prevented from implementing their year as a European Capital of Culture and capitalising on the huge human and financial investment made. Parliament calls on the Commission to refer the matter to it again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal.

Position. The Committee on Culture and Education proposes that Parliament adopt its first-reading position on the proposal, with an amendment to Recital 5 on the situation of the two European Capitals of Culture 2020.

Key points

  1. Parliament adopts its position at first reading on the proposal to amend Decision No 445/2014/EU on the European Capitals of Culture for 2020 to 2033.
  2. The amendment to Recital 5 states that the two European Capitals of Culture 2020 had to postpone or cancel several events since March 2020 without clarity on when or whether normality would return.
  3. The amendment adds that they still incur costs for those events.
  4. The amendment states that in practice they are prevented from implementing their year as a European Capital of Culture and capitalising on the huge human and financial investment made.
  5. Parliament calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal.

Who is affected

  • The two European Capitals of Culture 2020, which had to postpone or cancel several events since March 2020 and still incur costs.

Figures and deadlines

  • March 2020 — the date since when the two European Capitals of Culture 2020 had to postpone or cancel several events.

Legal basis. Article 294(2) and Article 167(5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Written by AI from the full text · every figure comes from the text · ¶ opens the paragraph · 25 Sept 2026 · Report a problem

Full text

Draft european parliament legislative resolution 15 paragraphs

(COM(2020)0384 – C90275/2020 – 2020/0179(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

–having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2020)0384),

– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 167(5) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C90275/2020),

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

–having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Culture and Education (A9-0201/2020),

1.Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3. Instructs its president to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Amendment 1

Proposal for a decision

Recital 5

Text proposed by the CommissionAmendment
(5) The two European Capitals of Culture 2020 had to postpone or cancel all events since March 2020 without any clarity when (and whether) the situation will come back to normality. In practice, they are prevented from implementing their year as a European Capital of Culture and capitalising on the huge investment made.(5) The two European Capitals of Culture 2020 had to postpone or cancel several events since March 2020 without any clarity when (and whether) the situation will come back to normality, while still incurring costs for those events. In practice, they are prevented from implementing their year as a European Capital of Culture and capitalising on the huge human and financial investment made.

Procedure pages

How the committees handled the text, and how their members voted on it.

Procedure – committee responsible 1 paragraph
TitleUnion action for the European Capitals of Culture for the years 2020 to 2033
ReferencesCOM(2020)0384 – C9-0275/2020 – 2020/0179(COD)
Date submitted to Parliament18.8.2020
Committee responsible Date announced in plenaryCULT 14.9.2020
Rapporteurs Date appointedŽeljana Zovko 8.9.2020
Discussed in committee1.10.2020
Date adopted27.10.2020
Result of final vote+: –: 0:29 0 0
Members present for the final voteIsabella Adinolfi, Christine Anderson, Andrea Bocskor, Vlad-Marius Botoş, Ilana Cicurel, Gilbert Collard, Gianantonio Da Re, Laurence Farreng, Tomasz Frankowski, Romeo Franz, Hannes Heide, Irena Joveva, Petra Kammerevert, Niyazi Kizilyürek, Predrag Fred Matić, Dace Melbārde, Victor Negrescu, Niklas Nienaß, Peter Pollák, Marcos Ros Sempere, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Andrey Slabakov, Massimiliano Smeriglio, Michaela Šojdrová, Sabine Verheyen, Salima Yenbou, Theodoros Zagorakis, Milan Zver
Substitutes present for the final votePernando Barrena Arza
Date tabled29.10.2020
Final vote by roll call in committee responsible 3 paragraphs

29 · For

EPP
Andrea Bocskor, Tomasz Frankowski, Peter Pollák, Michaela Šojdrová, Sabine Verheyen, Theodoros Zagorakis, Milan Zver
S&D
Hannes Heide, Petra Kammerevert, Predrag Fred Matić, Victor Negrescu, Marcos Ros Sempere, Domènec Ruiz Devesa, Massimiliano Smeriglio
RENEW
Vlad-Marius Botoş, Ilana Cicurel, Laurence Farreng, Irena Joveva
ID
Christine Anderson, Gilbert Collard, Gianantonio Da Re
VERTS/ALE
Romeo Franz, Niklas Nienaß, Salima Yenbou
ECR
Dace Melbārde, Andrey Slabakov
GUE/NGL
Pernando Barrena Arza, Niyazi Kizilyürek
No group
Isabella Adinolfi

0 · Against

0 · Abstained