EU cohesion policy — the urban dimension

KEY POINTS

• An urban agenda for the EU currently faces many challenges, notably:
  • piecemeal national and EU policies;
  • marked differences in economic performance between capital and non-capital cities;
  • high unemployment levels;
  • uncontrolled urban sprawl that places pressure on public services;
  • inability to make the necessary structural changes;
  • growing mismatch between administrative and urban structures.
• Urban policy in Europe is characterised by:
  • significant differences in the governance and autonomy of cities;
  • intergovernmental cooperation between EU countries on urban development;
  • general European agreement on the character of the European city of the future and the principles on which it should be based;
  • widespread EU support ranging from regional funding to energy, transport and environmental policies;
  • recognition that cities have much untapped potential in helping to deliver the wide-ranging Europe 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
• The communication notes that an EU urban agenda should:
  • be fully in line with the EU’s overall objectives and strategy;
  • be integrated with national policies and urban agendas;
  • respect subsidiarity and not be built on new legislation;
  • involve interaction between different policy levels (EU, national, regional and local) and sectors.
• The communication suggests the agenda could:
  • improve coordination of existing EU policies;
  • focus on a limited set of major European social challenges, such as climate adaptation;
  • further define a European model of urban development;
  • strengthen cities’ engagement and ownership of EU policies;
  • encourage better understanding of urban development processes.

The consultation ran between 22 July and 26 September 2014.