Brussels, 17/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - The seventh and final version of the Pact of Amsterdam agreed on Thursday 12 May at the Meeting of directors general of the national ministries which have responsibility for urban policy and consulted by EUROPE on Tuesday 17 May retains the lead role for directors general for urban affairs in the governance of urban policy and, thus, keeps this policy firmly an area of intergovernmental concern.
The recovery of control over urban policy by the member states had become clear in draft versions 6 and 7 of the Pact (see EUROPE 11545 and 11550), attributing the coordinating role to the DG Meeting instead of a forum bringing together several layers of power. Intergovernmental dominance is expressed in the very name of the Pact, which has become “Urban Agenda for the EU” rather than “EU Urban Agenda”, as it was in the early versions. This development is in contradiction with the will of a number of players who called for coordination to be carried out by the European Commission (see EUROPE 11538).
The document opens with a preamble noting the socio-economic weight of urban areas within the EU and the importance of their role in pursuing the objectives of the EUROPE 2020 strategy. Thereafter comes a section devoted to the need for an urban agenda, notably to limit the negative impact on urban areas of European policies, facilitating access to European funding and making best use of knowledge exchange, while fully respecting the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. Consequently, urban policy will focus on three pillars: better regulation, better funding and better knowledge exchange.
In a second section, still related to the EUROPE 2020 strategy, 12 priority themes are set out: inclusion of migrants and refugees; air quality; urban poverty; housing; circular economy; jobs and skills in the local economy; climate adaptation (including green infrastructure solutions); energy transition; sustainable use of land and nature-based solutions; urban mobility; digital transition; and innovative and responsible public procurement.
The third heading is devoted to the operational framework. This is structured around the 12 above-mentioned themes and makes provision for both horizontal and vertical coordination to ensure an “integrated approach”, impact assessments of European policies on urban areas, and knowledge exchange. Point 15 details governance and the role of the DG Meeting, charged with examining the work programme and submitting amendments for approval to the ministers responsible for urbans issues. A report on the amendments brought will be submitted subsequently to the General Affairs Council (GAC).
Partnerships, as set out in the fourth section, will be the key delivery mechanism within urban policy though participation will, nevertheless, remain voluntary. Each partnership will have to formulate an action plan with concrete proposals for better regulation, better funding and better knowledge. The input of the partnerships for future and existing EU regulation with an urban impact will be submitted for consideration to the European Commission, after informal guidance by the DG Meeting on Urban Matters. Furthermore, these proposals could be brought to the attention of incoming EU Presidencies in view of their possible inclusion in the working programme of these Presidencies.
The document then devotes six chapters to more closely defining the roles of the various players beginning with the member states, followed by urban authorities, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Investment Bank, civil society, knowledge institutions and business.
The Pact of Amsterdam, supported by the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU, will be adopted on 30 May. It will then be for the General Affairs Council on 21 June to adopt a declarative position on the Pact. “The wording is very likely to be along the lines of 'the Council welcomes'”, said a source, highlighting that the Council remained an observer and that this is a purely intergovernmental document. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)