Brussels, 17/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Commission is getting ready to develop an urban agenda and sound out the cities over the course of two days. During a forum organised by the European Commission on 16-17 February, stakeholders have been geared up for a brainstorming session on how to devise such an agenda. European Commissioner for Regional Development Johannes Hahn is well aware that the European political objectives, including EUROPE 2020, can only be achieved with the participation of the cities and that, therefore, all decision-makers at every level of power have to take into account the urban dimension. In his opening speech at the forum, the commissioner stated that “the majority of European policies have either an explicit urban dimension or an indirect impact on the cities. We therefore have to ensure greater coordination”. He does not want this simply to be a paper exercise and would like a strategy and action plan to be developed. For this reason, he informed the press that his staff would be working on this issue over the next few months, so that a proposal would be on the table by the end of the current mandate. The Greek and Italian Presidencies also intend to work towards developing a European urban policy. The various stakeholders have made known their wish lists, particularly during an event on Monday 17 February. The president of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Anne-Marie Jorritsma-Lebbink, who is the Mayor of Almere in the Netherlands, explained that the urban agenda must absolutely not introduce new laws. She suggested that new key action areas could be the environment, transport, education and energy. She also argued that pitting rural development against its urban equivalent should be discouraged and partnerships promoted. The strategy should be devised and implemented by the local authorities, in order to take into account their respective specificities, explained Jorritsma-Lebbink, in similar fashion to the president of EUROCITIES, Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, the Mayor of Warsaw. The latter also specifically requested that a coordinator on urban questions be appointed at the Commission and European Commissioners more systematically meet with mayors and visit their cities. She also asked for urban summits and ministerial meetings on the subject to be organised more frequently in order to stimulate dialogue on this issue and to evaluate European policies implemented or planned in this area. Prospects for concerted European action on development issues are also supported by the United Nations, as explained by UN-Habitat Executive Director Joan Clos during the forum. (MD/transl.fl)