Galway Bay fm newsroom - An expert European Commission panel has warned that Galway 2020 is in danger of 'losing track' of the project.
It's made a number of recommendations for the Galway 2020 board to address in the short-term to ensure further delays are not incurred.
The recommendations are made on the back of the second monitoring meeting between the EC Capital of Culture panel and members of the board of Galway 2020.
That meeting took place in Rijeka in Croatia on the 28th of June.
The report acknowledges the informal and honest discussion that was convened - as well as the work carried out by Galway 2020 since the first meeting.
However, it stresses that there is a need to solve a number of issues in the short term, with a danger of the project losing track and incurring further delays.
One issued raised was what the panel described as an 'apparent loss of enthusiasm' on communication.
It asked if there was a gap between the project on one hand and the city and its communities on the other.
Galway 2020 representatives indicated that the energy of the bid phase is still there - but they 'needed to take a breath' to review plans and establish a team.
The panel also queried Galway 2020 board members on the relationship between the project and cultural sector community in the city - in light of reports on an alleged lack of trust and confidence towards Galway 2020.
2020 reps acknowledged there was some 'nervousness' amongst the sector - but says this was normal and some insecurity was a result of a lack of clarity on budgets.
Other issues raised included a possible lack of a European dimension to Galway 2020; the need for further details on organisational structures; and budget allocations.
At the meeting, Galway 2020 representatives indicated their top priorities for the short term.
These are to establish a cultural leadership, improve communication, stabilise funding sources, deliver project contracts and advance evaluation and monitoring works.
