Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, whether all entrants bidding to be part of the European City of Culture 2023 programme are from countries that are (a) EU member states, (b) EFTA member states, (c) formally negotiating to become EU member states or (d) holders of associate status.

The current European Parliament and Council decision (Decision No 445/2014/EU) reserves the title in 2023 for the UK and Hungary only, as Member States. The decision makes provision for non-Member States which are EFTA or EEA countries, candidate countries for EU membership, or potential candidate countries, to host the programme in specific years, as set out in the Annex to the decision.