Brussels, 30/03/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Congress of URBAN Networks and Cities on the topic “ 'Aquis URBAN': From Vision to Action” is taking place on 30 March in Graz, Austria, and 31 March in Maribor, Slovenia. Organised by the German-Austrian URBAN-Network, the city of Graz and its Slovenian partner city Maribor, this conference will be targeted at urban development players: technicians from cities and also from regional and national authorities in old and new Member States. A press release points out that the Congress will be particularly valuable to the new Member States as they have had no URBAN experience in the current EU structural funding period.
Topics for discussion on Thursday were: 1) the Contribution of cities to cohesion, growth and jobs - URBAN experiences and perspectives (with a contribution from Jan Olbrycht, MEP and Vice-President of the Intergroup Urban and Housing); 2) URBAN-Mainstreaming in practice - cities' preparations within national and regional frameworks; 3) Urban Networking - Linking cities' experiences (with a contribution from Elisabeth Helander, Director in DG Regio at the European Commission). On Friday, a European round table will discuss the current situation and preparation for URBAN mainstreaming of EU cohesion policy, with Regional Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner, Slovenian Minister at the Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy Ivan Zagar, Austrian Secretary of State at the Ministry of Finance Alfred Finz and MEP and President of the Intergroup Urban and Housing Jean-Marie Beaupuy.