Brussels, 23/02/2016 (Agence Europe) - During the first meeting with Eurocities, the network of European city mayors on Tuesday 23 February, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, officially announced that work was being carried out to set up a single point of contact for urban policies in the context of the urban agenda and Pact of Amsterdam.
One European source contacted by EUROPE explained that this single point of contact would exclusively focus on urban issues and consist of an online portal for more efficient communication with the cities in an effort to improve the coordination of urban policies and at the same time keep European citizens up to speed in this connection. Our source added that “We are in fact at the very beginning of the project, which still requires further clarification”.
Currently, the URBACT III platform is being used to help cities develop pragmatic urban policies, particularly with regard to the exchange of good practices. This platform, however, only focuses on the cities, explained the Commission.
Dorthe Nielsen, in charge of urban agenda follow up at Eurocities said that this was “perhaps a good idea”. The policy director added, however, that they should not simply stop there and needed to involve the cities in the entire process for elaborating European policies.
The Commissioner also highlighted the use of European Structural and Investment Funds (ESI) as part of urban policy. In this regard, Nielsen warned against a restrictive urban policy agenda and expressed a wish to go beyond the funds available, in an effort to develop a more integrated and more transversal policy between the Commission Directorates General.
The Commissioner and MEPs tackled the question of integrating migrants and refugees, which is part of the 12 themes being developed as part of the urban agenda and discussed direct access for cities to the AMIF, the “Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund”. The Commissioner is expected to hold further meetings with the mayors from Eurocities on 5 April next to discuss long-term integration of migrants and refugees in the cities.
The cities are on a war footing. The Dutch Presidency has included the urban agenda among its priorities and is hoping to complete the Amsterdam Pact next May (see EUROPE 11461). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)