Dette program bør fra år 2002 ophøre med at være et for søgsprojekt af mellemstatslig karakter, der er blevet for længet i tid, men i stedet blive et ægte fællesskabsinitiativ,, hvor regeringerne, Kommissionen og Parlamentet de les om ansvaret.
After 2002, if Parliament's proposal is accepted, the Eu ropean City of Culture can no longer be an event that has nothing to do with the people who live there, or with other cities, inside and outside the Union, with which it is called to join hands.