As predicted on these pages a couple of weeks ago, the EU Council of Ministers has gone for another compromise in making its Cultural Capital of Europe designations, and has pronounced that both Rotterdam and Oporto (Portugal) should share the title in 2001. At least Genoa, Riga and Valencia didn't get it as well, as had been proposed (you know, all ports, shared history . . . all have consonants in their names . . . ). It also declared that Salamanca and Bruges will share the designation in 2002, Graz (Austria) will hold it in 2003 and Lille and Genoa will hold it together in 2004. This despite strong advice - and plain common sense, surely - telling them that multiple designations weaken the title. But politics is politics . . .