Post by Kev on Feb 23, 2004 7:32:59 GMT -5
LIVERPOOL faces the final hurdle for Capital of Culture glory this week - by winning the official approval of a European Commission jury.
A nine-strong delegation, including city council leader Mike Storey, flies to Brussels tomorrow to convince EU judges to confirm Liverpool's title for 2008.
Although the Commission has never rejected a member state's nomination in the 19-year history of the culture competition, it technically has the power to do so.
Certainly, the supreme EU panel has been known to make waves.
Cork, which is to be European Capital of Culture in 2005, was given a hard time during the final interrogation and Patras, in Greece, which will hold the title in 2006, an even rougher ride.
Both cities were made to amend their plans.
Ultimately the Commission has the right to send in a team directly from Brussels to assess a city's suitability to claim Europe's top arts prize.
Accordingly, members of the Liverpool delegation were last night not underplaying the importance of Wednesday morning's final hearing.
A spokesman for the Liverpool Culture Company said: "This is far more than a rubber-stamping exercise.
"Liverpool has to present its case once more with conviction."
The one-hour closed session will seek an assurance that Liverpool can once again restore a quality benchmark to the competition.
The EU panel will be headed by Gottfried Wagner, secretary general of the European Cultural Foundation.
The other members are Panos Theodorides of the Cultural Olympiad; Henning Jensen, the Danish boss of European cultural regions; Claudio Strinati, head of Rome's Museums, and Paris festival director Josephine Markovits.
The big change this time is that Sir Jeremy Isaacs, who headed the UK panel to select Britain's nomination from 12 competing cities, will be batting solely for Liverpool.
He will also be joined by a senior civil servant from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which ran the British competition.
Mr Storey said: "Wednesday's meeting is the final hurdle. We must ensure we have the confidence of the EU in developing a programme which will capture the imagination of Europe.
"The UK government has placed its confidence in us, and as a city, we have unwavering confidence in our own ability to deliver a spectacular year."
A nine-strong delegation, including city council leader Mike Storey, flies to Brussels tomorrow to convince EU judges to confirm Liverpool's title for 2008.
Although the Commission has never rejected a member state's nomination in the 19-year history of the culture competition, it technically has the power to do so.
Certainly, the supreme EU panel has been known to make waves.
Cork, which is to be European Capital of Culture in 2005, was given a hard time during the final interrogation and Patras, in Greece, which will hold the title in 2006, an even rougher ride.
Both cities were made to amend their plans.
Ultimately the Commission has the right to send in a team directly from Brussels to assess a city's suitability to claim Europe's top arts prize.
Accordingly, members of the Liverpool delegation were last night not underplaying the importance of Wednesday morning's final hearing.
A spokesman for the Liverpool Culture Company said: "This is far more than a rubber-stamping exercise.
"Liverpool has to present its case once more with conviction."
The one-hour closed session will seek an assurance that Liverpool can once again restore a quality benchmark to the competition.
The EU panel will be headed by Gottfried Wagner, secretary general of the European Cultural Foundation.
The other members are Panos Theodorides of the Cultural Olympiad; Henning Jensen, the Danish boss of European cultural regions; Claudio Strinati, head of Rome's Museums, and Paris festival director Josephine Markovits.
The big change this time is that Sir Jeremy Isaacs, who headed the UK panel to select Britain's nomination from 12 competing cities, will be batting solely for Liverpool.
He will also be joined by a senior civil servant from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which ran the British competition.
Mr Storey said: "Wednesday's meeting is the final hurdle. We must ensure we have the confidence of the EU in developing a programme which will capture the imagination of Europe.
"The UK government has placed its confidence in us, and as a city, we have unwavering confidence in our own ability to deliver a spectacular year."
