Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)
European section of United Cities and Local Governments


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Urban Agenda for the EU - 24.06.2016

Council’s conclusions out today – what’s in it for towns and cities?
The Urban Agenda for the EU is a success for local government in EU policy making, however, it would be better if multilevel governance were mentioned”, stated CEMR secretary general Frédéric Vallier, reacting to the Council of the EU’s conclusions on an Urban Agenda for the EU.

Here’s our take on the Council’s conclusions:

What’s good

•    Towns and regions of all sizes will be involved in EU policy-making

At the informal meeting of EU ministers for urban affairs on 30 May, they agreed that the time had come for a new era with the involvement of towns and cities of all sizes in the design and revision of EU policies. The Council’s conclusions make this a reality.

•    Multilevel governance will be promoted in international discussions

From Europe to the world: the Council’s conclusions link the new Urban Agenda to Habitat III, and in particular the need for Member states to promote multilevel governance in international discussions.

•    The Council calls upon the Commission to include the Urban Agenda in its work programme

The conclusions confirm the need for the European Commission to step in and commit to providing coordination and technical assistance to the next partnerships. Moreover, CEMR calls for the European Commission to include the Urban Agenda in its 2017 work programme.

What’s missing

•    The conclusions make no mention of the role of multilevel governance

The Urban Agenda for the EU is the first ever multilevel governance programme, where Member States, EU institutions, towns and cities, and their representative associations work hand in hand to implement the Agenda. This is a historical event, but for unknown reasons, the Council omitted multilevel governance in their conclusions.

The Urban Agenda for the EU is a major achievement for CEMR and its members, and a victory for local governments all across Europe. We now look to the future, to see how states, towns and cities will work together now that the Agenda is operational.
 

Contact


Marine Gaudron
Advisor - Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion, Local Finances

Email :
Tel : +32 2 213 86 93
Skype : marine.gaudron
The Council’s formal conclusions come a few weeks after the informal meeting of EU ministers for urban affairs, where the Pact of Amsterdam was adopted on 30 June. CEMR was constantly involved in the drafting of the Pact from the beginning, working to ensure it would help towns and cities overcome current urban challenges such as migration, housing or urban poverty.
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