ECoC40: 40 years of European Capitals of Culture
White paper on the future of the European Capitals of Culture
40 impulses for the further development of Europe's largest cultural programme
On 4 April 2025, the white paper "40 recommendations from 40 years of European Capitals of Culture" was presented in Chemnitz. The paper, initiated by Chemnitz and Nova Gorica, the two European Capitals of Culture 2025, contains 40 concrete proposals that are to be incorporated into the redesign of the legal basis of the programme.
The white paper is based on a comprehensive study that brings together the findings of management and artistic directors from 64 past and future European Capitals of Culture and contains specific recommendations for the further development of the European Capitals of Culture programme.
As part of the 40th anniversary of the European Capitals of Culture programme, the Chemnitz White Paper was presented by researcher Dr Valentina Montalto at the European Parliament in Brussels on 13 May 2025. The publication summarises the results of a Europe-wide research process and provides trend-setting impulses for the future design of the ECoC programme from 2034.
The paper, which originally contained 35 recommendations for action, was expanded following the international conference in Chemnitz on 4 April. Over 200 experts - including programme managers, artistic directors and members of ECoC selection juries - developed five additional proposals in workshops. This resulted in a catalogue of 40 specific recommendations focusing on five key political fields of action:
- Strengthen the ability of the Capitals of Culture to shape a diverse and united Europe,
- ensure the long-term impact of the projects in a sustainable manner
- increase the transparency and comprehensibility of the selection process
- consolidate political support at all levels
- and permanently improve the transfer of knowledge through an official ECoC online archive.
The most important legislative recommendations include anchoring European exchange in all selection criteria, introducing a uniform yet adaptable ECoC logo and revising the payment date for the Melina Mercouri Prize in order to stabilise the implementation and long-term impact of the projects.
The scientists of the project
Dr Valentina Montalto (Scientific Director)
Dr Valentina Montalto is Associate Professor of Cultural Economics and Policy at the KEDGE Business School in Paris. With 15 years of international experience, she has worked on the Culture 2030 indicators for UNESCO, among others. The framework was developed to measure the role of culture in sustainable development worldwide.
She also led the "Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor" project at the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission and was a Senior Advisor at KEA. The independent consultancy agency based in Brussels specialises in cultural and creative industries.
Dr Valentina Montalto has developed an extensive series of academic and professional publications on the measurement of cultural and creative industries and creative cities.
Camilla Donà dalle Rose
Camilla Donà dalle Rose holds a Master's degree in Management of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Activities and is currently pursuing a PhD in Cultural Heritage Sciences at the Department of Antiquities of the Sapienza University of Rome. Her research focuses on culture and urban regeneration, in particular on the role of libraries as agents of social cohesion and community building.
She worked as a project assistant at the Secretariat of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) and is currently collaborating with the Municipality of Milan to further develop and strengthen its activities as a UNESCO Creative City of Literature.
As a research assistant in the project "40 recommendations from 40 years of ECoC", she is analysing the long-term impact of the European Capital of Culture initiative.
Dr Mojca Stubelj Ars
Dr Mojca Stubelj Ars is the director of Xcenter, a creative centre within GO! 2025, the European Capital of Culture Nova Gorica - Gorizia. With a transdisciplinary approach, creativity and innovation, she produces and curates various artistic projects and places a special focus on addressing young people and working with the community.
Dr Mojca Stubelj Ars holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences and has conducted research at the University of Nova Gorica (Slovenia), Roskilde University (Denmark) and the University of Hawaii at Manoa (USA). She is an expert in various fields of environmental science, ecology, environmentally conscious behaviour and sustainable tourism. She comes from the start-up scene and is also an expert in early language learning and a developer of new pedagogical approaches that apply the principle of "learning through play".
As part of the project "40 recommendations from 40 years of ECoC", she carried out the statistical analysis of the survey results.
Roberta Ferrarini
Roberta Ferrarini is a Ph.D. candidate at the Department of Management of the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna. She works with the GIOCA research group on the management and innovation of cultural and arts organisations. Her research focuses on sustainable urban heritage, policy impact assessment and the role of cultural industries for sustainable development.
She has contributed to several EU-funded projects, including the Horizon 2020 project "UNCHARTED", which aimed to better capture and promote the values and impact of culture and arts on society and the economy. She was also involved in the "Una Museums" project within the Una Europa consortium, which aimed to develop a network of museums in Europe and promote innovative approaches to the management and use of museums.
She is currently involved in the project "40 recommendations from 40 years of European Capitals of Culture", analysing the long-term impact of the European Capital of Culture initiative.
The path to the Chemnitz White Paper
The two European Capitals of Culture 2025 Chemnitz and Nova Gorica/Gorizia hosted a conference of the same name at the Carlowitz Congress Centre Chemnitz on 4 April 2025 to mark the anniversary of "40 years of European Capitals of Culture". The focus was on the presentation of the white paper "40 recommendations from 40 years of ECoC: Insights for the European Capitals of Culture from 2034". It is intended to form the basis for a new legal foundation for the European Capitals of Culture.
200 participants from various European countries came together, including representatives from around 50 European Capitals of Culture, delegates from the European Parliament, the European Council, the European Commission and the federal and state governments.
The conference marked the start of a process designed to ensure the continued existence and further development of Europe's largest cultural project. In a joint research project, Chemnitz and Nova Gorica carried out a comprehensive study among the management and artistic directors of former and future European Capitals of Culture. Under the direction of Italian researcher Valentina Montalto, an Italian-Slovenian team interviewed 64 of the 82 cities that have held or will hold the title of European Capital of Culture about their experiences and perspectives.
The findings were summarised in 40 theses in the "Chemnitz White Paper" guidelines and are being incorporated into the revision of the European guidelines on the scope of the European Capitals of Culture. The aim is to strengthen the European dimension, simplify the selection and monitoring process and ensure long-term implementation. In addition, the Melina Mercouri Prize is to be revised in order to facilitate early funding.
The dialogue between the European Commission, the European Council and the European Parliament is set to begin in autumn 2025. The revised directive should be adopted by 2027 and apply to cities that will hold the title from 2034.
ECoC - European Capitals of Culture
Conference in Chemnitz on 4 April 2025
Presentation of the white paper "40 recommendations from 40 years of ECoC"
40 years of connection through culture
In 2025, the European Capital of Culture project, an initiative of the European Union, will celebrate its 40th anniversary. Since 1985, cities have been selected to build bridges between countries through art and culture and to strengthen the diversity of European cultures. The programme was launched by the then Ministers of Culture Melina Mercouri (Greece) and Jack Lang (France).
The programmes of the two European Capitals of Culture 2025 can be found here:
A day for culture: The conference in pictures
