Brussels, 02/06/2015 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission unveiled the results of the public consultation on the EU urban agenda during the 2nd European CITIES Forum in Brussels on Tuesday 2 June. The agenda, the consolidated version of which is expected in 2016, will seek to better integrate cities in European policies, ensuring that they make an effective contribution to EU priorities.
On the basis of the 225 responses received, the Commission has set out a four-pronged approach: - focusing on specific priorities able to deliver and show results, such as smart cities, for example to encourage the shift to low-carbon economies; - applying better regulation tools effectively, with reinforced urban impact assessment and stronger stakeholder involvement; - better coherence and coordination of EU policies relating to cities; - improved urban intelligence, benchmarking and monitoring.
“The EU's ambitious objectives will only be reached with the support and active participation of its cities”, said Regional Policy Commissioner Corina Cretu. Her comments resonated with those of Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Markku Markkula, who noted that there is still no coherent EU urban policy, even though 75% of European citizens live in towns and cities.
On 9 June, the Latvian Presidency of the Council will present a statement on the EU urban agenda at the informal Cohesion Policy Council in Riga. In the European Parliament, the report on the urban dimension drafted by Kerstin Westphal (S&D, Germany) is expected to be put to the vote during September's plenary session. The Commission's target is for an agreement to be reached on a consolidated agenda in 2016. (Pascal Hansens)