xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"

Article 1

Decision No 1419/1999/EC is hereby amended as follows:

1.

The following Recital shall be inserted:

(12a)Whereas account should be taken of the financial consequences of this Decision in such a way as to ensure that there is adequate and appropriate Community funding for the designation of two European Capitals of Culture;;

2.

Article 2(1) shall be replaced by the following:

1.Cities in Member States shall be designated as European Capital of Culture, in turn, as set out on the list contained in Annex I. Up until 2008 inclusive, the designation shall apply to one city of the Member State appearing on the list. From 2009 onwards, the designation shall apply to one city of each of the Member States appearing on the list. The chronological order set out in Annex I may be altered by mutual agreement between the Member States concerned. Each Member State shall submit, in turn, its nomination of one or more cities to the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission and the Committee of the Regions. This nomination shall be submitted no later than four years before the event in question is due to begin and may be accompanied by a recommendation from the Member State concerned.;

3.

Annex I shall be replaced by the text appearing in the Annex to this Decision.