Brussels, 25/02/2013 (Agence Europe) -DG Regio has compiled the 50 best practices in urban development funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the 2007-2013 financial programme. European Commissioner for Regional Development Johannes Hahn will meet mayors from Europe's capital cities at the end of this week to examine the challenges to be faced in the 2014-2020 financial programme.
The European Association for Information on Local Development (AEIDL) carried out an urban development study for DG Regio that was published on 14 February last. This includes 50 projects carried out in 2012 or currently being completed. They are based on eight different themes and are intended to meet the different challenges facing urban policy makers (smart growth; sustainable growth; inclusive growth; integrated and sustainable urban development; accommodation for marginalised groups; financial engineering; public participation; empowerment, networking and learning). The best practices highlighted are accompanied by recommendations. In the area of smart growth, the study recommends paying greater attention to market viability because use of the ERDF can distort the market, without reflecting the real demand for new technologies in the different regional localities.
The study also underlines the importance of using funds in the form of loans or guarantees, rather than subsidies. Subsequently, once paid back, the money can be used more than once as working capital. This also encourages the authorities to maintain an ethos of financial viability throughout their projects. The study says that this approach has great potential that has not yet been sufficiently exploited in this financial programming period.
The next round of financial planning for urban development will be discussed during the first meeting between Commissioner Johannes Hahn and the mayors from around 20 European capitals. They will be holding discussions on Thursday 28 February, in an effort to identify the best way of including the urban dimension in European policies, particularly as a way of complementing the 2020 agenda and finding a solution to the crisis. The commissioners for the digital agenda and the environment, Nellie Kroes and Janez Potocnik respectively, will also take part in the conference. (MD/transl.fl)