EU Urban Agenda: bringing Europe closer to citizens
Rapporteur Dunger-Löper: "To make cities smarter, greener and inclusive, we need 'urban-proof' EU policies and a stronger coordinating role of the Commission"
With the adoption of the draft opinion on "concrete steps for implementing the EU Urban Agenda" on 2 March, the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is intensifying its work towards the launch of the new agenda aimed at anchoring the urban dimension in EU policies.
The EU Urban Agenda (EUA) aims at stimulating growth, liveability, innovation and participation in European cities. This involves improving EU regulation, increasing access to European funds and strengthening horizontal cooperation. The Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU has intensified the pressure to agree on the EUA implementation process by the end of its mandate in June.
A first set of actions and commitments to be taken by national governments has been identified within the "Pact of Amsterdam" that will be endorsed by EU ministers for urban development on 30 May. The draft opinion adopted by the CoR Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and Transport (COTER) seeks to accelerate the process by identifying the next concrete steps to implement the EUA and coordinate all cities-related initiatives.
"We are mobilised to make sure that EU's cities and citizens start seeing concrete improvement soon after the Pact is signed," highlighted rapporteur Hella Dunger-Löper (DE/PES), Berlin's Secretary of State for European Affairs, arguing that: " the agenda needs to be integrated with the Commission's better regulation initiative. To that effect we call on the Commission to present a White Paper. The influx of refugees and the corresponding need for integration is one more proof that the moment of truth for a binding process of implementing the Urban Agenda has come ."
The inclusion of migrants will be the focus of one the four pilot partnerships launched by the Pact of Amsterdam, alongside air quality, housing and urban poverty. The aim is to develop and implement three-year action plans in the framework of 12 thematic partnerships covering the main urban challenges.
The CoR will organise on 30 May in Amsterdam a high-level forum bringing together local EU institutions and regional leaders from all across Europe to set out a roadmap to deliver EUA's goals. The event is meant to support member states in delivering on their promises as well as to ensure that regional and local authorities take an active part in the process.