Communication: The urban dimension of EU policies – key features of an EU urban agenda

Europe continues to be faced with challenges related to the economy, the climate, the environment, and society at large. Most of these challenges have a strong urban dimension; they either manifest themselves mainly in and around cities - e.g. poverty, social and spatial segregation; environmental degradation - or find their solutions in and through cities – e.g. resource efficiency and CO2 neutral economy; economic development and innovation; social innovation and integration.

Although cities’ role for economic, social and cultural development, and their potential for a more resource efficient habitat, have long been recognised, the policy response at European and national level has been slow and piecemeal, with many but poorly integrated sectoral initiatives. A growing number of voices argue that cities need to be adequately involved in the conception and implementation of EU policies, and that EU policies need to be better adapted to the urban realities where they will be implemented. This is expressed by calls for an EU urban agenda coming from a range of stakeholders at the EU, national and local level. As a response to these calls the European Commission organised a CITIES Forum to initiate a debate on the need for an EU urban agenda.

Following the CITIES Forum, Member States discussed the necessity to develop an EU Urban Agenda, recognising the demand and expectations from the European Parliament, the Committee of the Regions, city associations and cities themselves, and their readiness to engage in the process. It was suggested that such an agenda should be taken forward with input from the local, regional, national and EU levels.

The purpose of this communication is to widen debate to all stakeholders. Building on the results of the CITIES forum it proposes a set of questions for consultation aimed at further clarifying the need for an EU urban agenda, what its objectives should be and how it could function. The opinions and suggestions from stakeholders and competent authorities at the national, regional and local level will be an important input to the new Commission and the new European Parliament, not least in relation to the future development of the Europe 2020 strategy.

This communication sets out current urban situation in the EU; where Europe stand today in terms of urban policy and the calls for an EU urban agenda; the global dimension of urban development; and the potential ways forward with questions for consultation.

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)490: Follow the progress of this communication through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:490:FIN

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