Press Release: Urban Forum: Commissioner Hahn challenges cities to deliver more on growth and jobs

The Commissioner for Regional Policy Johannes Hahn is launching a direct dialogue with Europe's cities. EU structural funds are currently one of the most important instruments the Member States can use to stimulate growth, and cities should be a major focus, given their particular role in European economies.

Effective investment in our cities – which represent nearly 70% of the EU population – is crucial at a time when the economic crisis is pushing youth unemployment to an unacceptably high 22%. At the first Urban Forum in Brussels on 16th February, the Commission will give cities their voice on new proposals for urban policy presented last October, which included ambitious plans to earmark funds for cities; develop new more coherent approaches to bringing together actions in sectors like transport and environment and encourage innovation by the cities themselves. Mayors and representatives of cities and of the EU institutions will discuss how to achieve the goals of the EU 2020 Strategy with a more dynamic approach to developing urban areas.

• Primary Source

European Commission: Speech/12/101: Johannes Hahn: Harnessing urban potential - working together for a smart, sustainable, and inclusive Europe http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/12/101&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

---