The main issues raised regarding cultural capitals today relate to displaying the power to mould the visible character of a city through culture, to influence its economic structure, to underpin its spatial development and to show culture's ability to create jobs. The aim is to accelerate development and to create the image of a regional capital for the long term. Pécs has a great capacity to create a widely marketable product from culture and to develop its own “trademark”. A new angle could be added to the image of the “beautiful city” with a culture industry development programme, of which the ECOC title would be a most important component.