Brussels, 18/05/2016 (Agence Europe) - The most probably final version of the EU Urban Agenda would seem overall to be to the satisfaction of the organisations representing cities and regions, although some have misgivings as to its non-binding nature and to the excessive inter-governmentalism, according to several sources consulted on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 May.
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) appears happy with the work done by the Dutch Presidency of the Council of the EU, which initiated the Pact of Amsterdam devoted to urban policy that is expected to be adopted on 30 May, and is pleased that a number of its proposals have made it into the Pact.
Thus, the European Commission is called on to set up a one-stop-shop for urban-agenda related matters, unlike in previous versions where the Commission was simply asked to consider such an approach, a source said. A further example is in the clear link made in the final version between urban policy and the better regulation programme, which seeks to improve European rules. “The urban agenda should allow a simplified, harmonised European policy to be developed that is better suited to cities”, was the analysis of one source.
The CoR will nonetheless call in forthcoming discussions on urban policy, which will be held every 18 months, for the European Commission, somewhat sidelined in the current version (see EUROPE 11552), to be accorded a greater role in coordinating European policy, we have been told.
Eurocities, a network of some 130 major European cities, would seem pleased on the issue of governance, given that the role played by the organisation is clearly mentioned. “Some member states wanted to reduce the role of Eurocities and CEMR (Council of European Municipalities and Regions) in the governance of the urban agenda, which will be managed at the level of director generals in the urban development group” a source told us, going on to highlight “member states' desire to control the process rather than to contribute”.
The cities will look, when they come to take up their official position when the Pact of Amsterdam is adopted, to call for a stronger European-level role in coordination, with the appointment of an “urban envoy”.
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) welcomes the clear link between the urban agenda and the REFIT and better regulation programmes, the mention made of small and medium-sized urban areas and hopes that the urban agenda will lay the foundations for a renewed governance mechanism in the European decision-making process. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)