Brussels, 03/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - The Socialist group at the European Parliament says the way the European Culture Capitals are decided is not appropriate. In a press release, Austrian Socialist Christa Prets urges Commissioner Jan Figel to put forward tighter selection procedures to update the current system. The European Culture Capitals are not selected via a European selection process but by national governments, and in some countries there is an open competition with public involvement, but in others, ministers decide on their own. Christa Prets says that the European jury has no influence. She points out that the European Parliament refused to appoint experts for the selection of the European Culture Capitals for 2007 and 2008. (Each year, the European Commission sets up a jury to draft a report on future Culture Capitals, made up of seven experts, including two from the EP, two appointed by the Council, two appointed by the European Commission and one by the Committee of the Regions.) Prets adds that the festivals organised in European cities of Culture are often just celebrations of local folklore. She calls for improvements to the selection process without jeopardising the current preparations for already selected cities, noting that the Commission must take this challenge seriously and make well thought out proposals in the first half of 2005.