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Cities urge MEPs to act now to avoid another car emissions scandal
Time for a renewed Europe
It is 60 years since the Treaty of Rome came into force, laying the foundations for the European Union. Beyond trade and cross-border cooperation, what truly unites us as Europeans are our shared values of dignity, freedom, democracy and equality. And it is in cities where these
are most evident. Think of our e! orts to reach out to disadvantaged communities and provide opportunities for young people to participate fully in society. Or our work to develop the creative and innovative tools to connect with citizens, to bring them closer to local decision making and give them a say in shaping their local communities.
Europe can learn a lot from its cities, and now seems the perfect time to work together on a renewed European project. At a time when Euroscepticism, disillusionment and political extremism are on the rise, we can’t simply sit by and watch. We need to act. We need to " nd new ways to build bridges between the EU institutions and the people they serve. And to be honest, we need to move away from just the question of better communicating Europe’s achievements and bene" ts to citizens. We must engage them, work with them, include them in developing solutions to challenges and shaping public policies. City administrations are the level of government closest to citizens; we understand their concerns, visions and expectations. By working with cities, the EU institutions can empower citizens to take responsibility in making Europe more democratic and relevant.
On 7 March, we will meet European and national policy makers in Brussels for our ‘Mayors summit on the future of Europe’. This is our chance to explore practically how Europe and member states can work with and learn from cities and together " ght populism and Euroscepticism.
I am very pleased that so many mayors and deputy mayors have responded to the call for the 7 March summit, and I am already very proud of their commitment towards creating a positive future for Europe with people at its heart.
On 10 January, EUROCITIES, BEUC and Transport & Environment jointly organised a cocktail reception at the European Parliament in Brussels to mark the pending adoption of the type approval framework regulation.
The event was hosted by MEP Kathleen Van Brempt (S&D, Belgium), chair of the EP’s EMIS (emission measurements in the automotive sector) special enquiry committee. MEP Daniel Dalton (ECR, UK) gave an update on the ongoing
negotiations in the IMCO (internal market and consumer protection) committee, followed by MEP Seb Dance (S&D, UK), who con" rmed that there is “strong public support” for a stricter vehicle testing regime.
IMCO MEPs voted on the package on 9 February. The new type approval framework is intended to ensure that all vehicles circulating on Europe’s roads meet speci" c environmental and other regulatory standards. During the event, the discussions touched upon the key elements of the package, including the statutory emissions testing of vehicles at EU level; the most e# cient ways to monitor compliance; and the funding of vehicle testing and market surveillance measures in the member states.
Shirley Rodrigues, London’s deputy mayor for environment and energy, and Christophe Najdovski, deputy mayor of Paris responsible for transport and public space, intervened, underlining the need for strong EU legislation and a robust and independent testing regime that includes regular spot checks on cars and major " nes for manufacturers who cheat. They argued that such measures would help cities clean up the air and solve a number of associated health problems.
Representatives of EUROCITIES members Madrid, Berlin, Munich, Nuremberg, and Rotterdam also attended the event.
Our September 2016 statement on type approval and emissions testing is available at the link below.L Statement: www.bit.ly/2kwq2g2 z [email protected] z [email protected]
Shirley Rodrigues and Christophe Najdovski, deputy mayors of London and Paris, respectively
EUROCITIES sets up task force on circular economy 2Innovative urban food solutions: let your voice be heard 4Ian Ward: 'Cities need a long-term Culture for Cities and Regions programme' 5MEP Marc Tarabella meets WG public services members 6EUROCITIES pushes circular economy agenda at CoR event 7Conference on cities in transition, GDC 2016 awards 8Register for mobility forum in Lisbon 9Commission moves forward with European Pillar of Social Rights 10Cities in action: Amsterdam opens up democratic process 11Events 12
Anna Lisa BoniEUROCITIES secretary general
FLASH information service for members
N° 163 February 2017
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Now that the circular economy is moving up the political agenda of the EU and in cities, EUROCITIES has decided to set up a circular economy task force.
The proposal was formulated during a debate on this subject held at our environment forum meeting in Ljubljana in October.
Under the chairmanship of Amsterdam, the task force aims to engage our other forums in the work on the circular economy to simultaneously strengthen the role of cities and build capacity. This work should also feed into the EUROCITIES annual conference, which will be held in November in Ljubljana and will be dedicated to the circular economy.
The task force will work in close cooperation with our WG waste, which scrutinises the legislative aspects of the waste
management-related chapters of the EU’s circular economy package, as well as the new urban agenda partnership on circular economy.
It will help us deliver political messages at EU level concerning the role cities can play in the circular economy and the enabling framework needed at EU level.
The following cities have already expressed their interest in joining the task force: Belfast, Birmingham, Copenhagen, Düsseldorf, Genoa, Glasgow, Ghent, Ljubljana, London, Lyon, Madrid, Milan, Porto, Rome, Rotterdam, Turin, and Vienna.
The " rst meeting is scheduled for 1 March in Brussels. [email protected]
Source: European Commission
EUROCITIES sets up task force on circular economy
Amsterdam hosts political roundtable on refugees
Gathered in Amsterdam on 7 February for the second edition of the political roundtable on refugees, mayors of cities belonging to the EUROCITIES network (Amsterdam, Athens, Barcelona, Berlin, Gdansk, Ghent, Riga) kept up the pressure on the EU institutions to obtain direct EU funding for cities coping with refugee reception and integration issues, while rea# rming their willingness to play a direct role in the EU’s planned relocation system.
Mayor Giorgios Kaminis of Athens reiterated the principles of the Solidarity Cities initiative, mentioning the pledges taken by cities like Barcelona, Ghent and Gdansk to directly welcome asylum seekers currently stranded in Athens under the EU relocation system. Mayors Nils Ušakovs of Riga and Pawel Adamowicz of Gdansk con" rmed that certain cities in eastern and central Europe are more than ready to play their part. For example, Polish cities like Gdansk, Sopot, Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw are cooperating on integration issues. The need to properly " nance integration infrastructure in cities was strongly emphasised by Daniël Termont, mayor of Ghent and president of EUROCITIES, who regretted that such investment realised by cities could be cancelled by adverse national-level policies. Commissioner Corina Creţu reminded city leaders of the achievements since the beginning of the refugee crisis, while the mayors responded that much more was expected at city level. Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos announced via a video message the involvement of EUROCITIES and its members in the next meeting of the European Integration Network, and a study visit by the authorities managing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund to Gothenburg. The next meeting will be hosted by Athens. [email protected]
EUROCITIES preparing response to clean energy package EUROCITIES members have started re& ecting on the clean energy package, which was published by the European Commission last November. At a workshop held in Brussels on 25 January, representatives of our members assessed the package and heard the positions of other city networks and related organisations, such as Energy Cities, Climate Alliance, the think thank E3G, CEDEC, and Euroheat and Power.A Commission o# cial presented the key points of the package, including the revised Energy E# ciency Directive (EED) and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD); the design of the electricity market; the new governance approach; and the Smart Cities for Smart Buildings. During a closed session for EUROCITIES members, cities identi" ed the priorities areas that will be further analysed by the working group air quality, climate change and energy e# ciency at its next meeting in Antwerp. A " nal position paper is planned to be published towards the end of April.L Speakers' presentations: www.bit.ly/2kFS1Hr z [email protected]
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FLASHCycling strategy for European cities on the drawing boardIn view of a possible EU strategy on cycling, stakeholders are busy formulating their positions, which would feed into the European Commission’s 2018 work programme.It is crucial for EUROCITIES to advocate for a more coordinated approach at EU level and encourage a modal shift towards cycling. Acknowledging the bene" ts of cycling as an alternative mode of transport in its own right is the " rst step towards securing su# cient " nancial support, building an e# cient multimodal transport system and infrastructure, and improving road safety.By setting out guidelines and supporting the exchange of good practices, an EU cycling strategy will help improve our cities’ livability, and will promote sustainable urban mobility planning. The bene" ts of cycling for local governments in terms of public health, the local
economy and social cohesion are there for all to see. Cities must therefore rea# rm their commitment to working in partnership with the EU institutions on actions related to cycling. By doing so, local governments will be better placed to gain further room for manoeuvre during the implementation of these strategies. [email protected]
BRUSSELS | 8 March - The European Parliament's intergroups on urban issues, and long-term investment and reindustrialisation, EUROCITIES, CEMR, and POLIS are hosting an event on 8 March in Brussels on 'Long-term investments: barriers and opportunities for regional and local authorities'. What are the challenges faced by the regional, local authorities as well as the private sector regarding long-term investments? How can the EU help to overcome them? This event will address these questions and will include presentations on key issues, followed by a debate featuring EU institutions, city politicians, and " nancial experts on the current Eurostat rules and their impact on regional and local public investment in several sectors, such as transport, energy e# ciency, and waste management.L www.bit.ly/2l0piAr z [email protected]
Mary-Ann Schreurs, Eindhoven’s deputy mayor for innovation and chair of our knowledge society forum, headed up a small delegation of cities at a meeting with the European Commission’s inter-cabinet group on urban issues. The group was set up by the cabinet of Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič at the start of the new Commission’s mandate to ensure better coordination of EU policies on urban issues, recognising the increasingly transversal nature of many policy challenges and solutions. The meeting brought together nine di! erent cabinets, the Secretariat-General of the Commission and the representatives of seven cities. The latter included Roberta Cocco, councillor for digital transformation in Milan; Flavia Marzano, councillor for smart city and innovation in Rome; Eero Halonen, chairman of the economic development board in Oulu; Sta! an Ingvarsson, CEO of Stokab in Stockholm; Karl-Filip Coenegrachts,
chief strategy o# cer of the city of Ghent; and Andrew Collinge, assistant director of intelligence at the Greater London Authority. Members of the inter-cabinet group and the cities’ representatives
discussed issues related to breaking down silos, improving digital skills, and strengthening co-creation tools at all levels of governance. The exchanges revealed that there is both a shared vision and common challenges at city and EU level. The cities’ representatives said that they expect the Commission to: Ŷ initiate an open and direct dialogue about challenges and solutions in Europe’s citiesŶ lead on job creation and competitivenessŶ support the scaling up of solutions (for example through lighthouse projects)
Ŷ provide continued funding to enable cities to drive innovation and come up with policy solutions [email protected]
Sta! news
Feyrouz Lajili-DjalaiFollowing a work experience placement in our culture team, Feyrouz joins us as projects and policy support o# cer. She will contribute to the coordination between the directors on policy and projects-related tasks. Feyrouz has a joint master's degree in multilevel governance and international relations from Aston University in Birmingham and Sciences-Po Rennes. [email protected]
Bianca FaragauBianca joined our social a! airs team as policy advisor in January. A Romanian national, she has worked as EU policy analyst in the public, private, and third sectors. Her " elds of expertise are EU social policy, education, youth and skills. She has a master’s degree in European public a! airs from Maastricht University. [email protected]
Pier Paolo SaracenoA former environment intern, Pier is now our new environment policy and project support o# cer. He holds a master's degree in European spatial planning and regional development from BTH Karlskrona and a master of science degree in urban and regional planning from Radboud University Nijmegen. [email protected]
City reps meet Commission inter-cabinet group on urban issues
Long-term investments: barriers and opportunities
Mary-Ann Schreurs
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Innovative urban food solutions: let your voice be heardEUROCITIES, in collaboration with the city of Milan, has won an EU-funded service contract for a study on 'Food in cities – innovation for a sustainable and healthy production, delivery, and consumption of food in cities'. The aim of this study is to provide an overview and help understand the dynamics of innovation in the food industry in cities as well as the role EU research and innovation projects can play in supporting these processes.This eight-month project entails two tasks: Ŷ mapping innovative urban strategies designed to promote the production, delivery, and consumption of sustainable and healthy food (between December 2017-March 2017)Ŷ compiling " ve in-depth case studies of cities that have bene" tted from EU projects supporting innovative solutions for the sustainable and healthy production, delivery, or consumption of food in cities (March-July 2017)
In order to collect further evidence on the activities of cities, we have developed a survey.
It is straightforward and easy to complete: most of the questions are in a yes/no format.
City o# cials are also invited to include additional information on their relevant food strategies; identify key actors involved in their development; and specify the policy and governance tools used at local level.
The survey will be open until 27 February.
The responses will help our working group provide evidence on the activities of cities in the area of food.
The preliminary results were discussed at the WG’s 8-10 February meeting in Birmingham. L www.bit.ly/2kLVUM9 z [email protected]
URBACT call for good practiceThis webinar, to be held between 11:00 and 12:00 noon CET on 2 March, will inform EUROCITIES members about URBACT’s recent good practice call. Members of the URBACT secretariat will be on hand to answer the participants’ questions.
L www.bit.ly/2k7NjkN z [email protected]
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Urban Agenda for the EU: new thematic partnerships Four new thematic partnerships under the Urban Agenda for the EU will be launched in February.
They cover the following areas:
Ŷ circular economy, coordinated by Oslo Ŷ jobs and skills in the local economy, coordinated by Rotterdam, Romania, and JelgavaŶ digital transition, coordinated by Oulu, So" a, and Estonia Ŷ urban mobility, coordinated by Karlsruhe and the Czech Republic
The partnerships bring together member states, cities and European Commission representatives to improve regulation, facilitate funding, and encourage knowledge sharing. They will develop action plans to be implemented over the next three years. Four more partnerships are scheduled to be launched during the second half of 2017. They will cover sustainable land-use and nature-based solutions; energy e# ciency; climate change adaptation; and responsible procurement. Decision on these partnerships’ members will be taken
during the Urban Development Group’s March and April meetings in Malta.
This group brings together representatives of national ministries in charge of urban development, the European Commission and stakeholders, including EUROCITIES.
We will play an active role in all these partnerships and will seek to link them closely with our working groups and forums to ensure that all members can follow and contribute to their work. L www.bit.ly/2gfpGK1 z [email protected]
WG integrated urban development: registrations openBRUSSELS | 22-23 March - At its upcoming meeting, our integrated urban development working group will review the policy framework on the evolution of the integrated approach to urban development
in cohesion policy, and will also look at the time frame for preparing the EU's next budget and cohesion policy post-2020. They will take stock of and assess the projects implemented in this " eld over the last " ve years. Based on the conclusions drawn, they will discuss the working group's contribution to the upcoming policy debate, and will also tackle relevant strategic issues.L Registration: www.bit.ly/2l0fqqg z [email protected]
Save the date: event and WG meeting on metropolitan areas BRUSSELS | 24 March - Our working group metropolitan areas will assess recent developments in metropolitan cooperation and will formulate a policy input to the debate on the post-2020 cohesion policy framework.
They will also receive an update on progress towards the 2017 meeting of European metropolitan authorities.
An event entitled ‘Metropolitan cities in the future cohesion policy’, organised jointly by the EU Committee of the Regions and Barcelona Metropolitan Authority on 23 March, is meant to prepare and inspire WG members for the following day’s debate. L Event: www.bit.ly/2l192ix z [email protected]
Edge-of-Centre Transformation project workshop in Brno, April 2016
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Ian Ward: ‘Cities need a long-term Culture for Cities and Regions programme’ On 31 January, Ian Ward, deputy leader of Birmingham city council and chair of our culture forum (left), addressed an event on ‘Capitals of culture - A driver for cultural, social and economic changes for cities’ hosted by the European Parliament. The event was attended by Tibor Navracsics, EU commissioner for education and
culture, MEP Silvia Costa (S&D, Italy), and several city mayors. Ward highlighted the main cultural challenges faced by our cities today.
He made the case for a long-term Culture for Cities and Regions EU programme that would build on the successes of the current pilot initiative and would ensure that Europe’s cities recognise and follow best practice. Patterned on the European Capitals of Culture scheme, the United Kingdom and Italy have developed national capitals of culture schemes, awarding cities every four years in the UK (Derry in 2013, Kingston upon Hull in 2017) and every year in Italy (Mantova in 2016, Pistoia in 2017, Palermo in 2018). [email protected]
TALLINN | 29 March - 1 April - Meeting in the capital of Estonia, our culture forum will address innovative models for cultural governance and partnerships in cities.
This ties in with the challenges identi" ed in our culture strategy, in particular those related to governance and networking. The Tallinn meeting invites representatives of cities from across Europe to think innovatively about how to design policy, strategies, models, and partnerships that would boost cities’ cultural ecosystems.
A call for information was sent out alongside the invitations, asking cities to contribute their own examples.
All " ve working groups of the culture forum will meet on the margins of the Tallinn forum, including our new working group on public art (see box).
Register by 24 February at the link below.
L Registration: www.svy.mk/2lk249k z [email protected] song festival
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Culture for Cities and Regions coaching visits to Bratislava and KaunasUnder the Culture for Cities and Regions programme, EUROCITIES and our partners organise coaching visits to ten cities and regions. The aim is to support the ongoing and future e! orts by cities and regions to harness creativity at local level and to develop clear and long-term cultural strategies. The " rst such visit was hosted by Bratislava in October 2016. Cultural experts from Birmingham and Lincoln discussed with their Slovak peers ways to make the cultural and creative industries key drivers for urban development. In its recommendations, the coaching team concluded that Bratislava should develop its policy strategy on culture and creative industries as a matter of priority in order to build capacity, trust, and interconnections, and should also consider the coaching visit “as an opportunity to create a platform and basis for the future”.
In December, a second coaching team, bringing together experts from Birmingham and Lisbon, headed to Kaunas. This Lithuanian city is shortlisted to become European Capital of Culture in 2022 and is in the process of preparing a local cultural strategy. The coaching team was asked to give advice on two main issues faced by Kaunas: how to improve cooperation between Kaunas city and Kaunas district; and how to valorise the city’s modernist architectural heritage.
Kaunas
L Bratislava report: www.bit.ly/2fvEjFE z L Kaunas report: www.bit.ly/2iEvVEp z L Kaunas documents: www.bit.ly/2lbeIY5 z [email protected]
Bratislava
Join our new working group on public artChaired by Turin, our new working group on public art o! ers a platform for all members of our culture forum to exchange experiences and design new scenarios for public art (monuments, artworks in public spaces, and street art – murals, light art,
and performances, both temporary and permanent).
The working group will help local authorities design and share policies that aim to facilitate the recognition of public art as a major contributor to the public realm; an integral element of the urban landscape; a driver of urban regeneration that also promotes participation and community cohesion; and a promoter of urban identity.
The working group aims to: de" ne a shared concept of public art; serve as a platform for exchanging views on and transferring local policies; and develop a system for urban professionals to learn from each other.
The " rst meeting will take place on 31 March, alongside the Tallinn culture forum. [email protected] z [email protected]
Tallinn to host our next culture forum
Street art
MEP Marc Tarabella meets WG public services members
Third edition of iCapital awards
On 2 February in Brussels, members of our public services working group held an exchange of views with MEP Marc Tarabella (S&D, Belgium), rapporteur on the public procurement (PP) directives, and Christine Jakob from European Public Service Union (EPSU) on the PP directives’ transposition in the member states. They also discussed the URBACT Procure project, and
various pre-commercial procurement and PP of innovation projects. They agreed to update the position of EUROCITIES on free-trade agreements; to continue to monitor the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA); and to further cooperate with trade unions and social economy organisations. [email protected]
In the middle of March, the European Commission will launch the third edition of the European Capital of Innovation (iCapital) awards. The winning city will receive 1 million EUR. EUROCITIES will host a webinar for our members next 4 April to get to know more about the award. In order to qualify, the following criteria must be met:
Ŷ cities must have over 100,000 inhabitants (in countries where there is no city with more than 100,000 inhabitants, the largest city is eligible to apply)
Ŷ cities must be in EU member states or in countries associated to Horizon 2020, the EU framework programme for research and innovation.
L www.bit.ly/1bB6lZU z L Registration: www.bit.ly/2kWHVF4 z [email protected]
Competitive cities for a competitive EuropeSAN SEBASTIAN | 24-26 April – Members of our economic development forum will meet in San Sebastian to discuss ways to make cities more competitive by attracting talent, promoting entrepreneurship, strengthening local innovation ecosystems, and using city branding. Our EDF working groups entrepreneurship
and SMEs, innovation, city branding, and international economic relations will also meet on the margins of this event. Our WG Innovation will continue its discussion on Creathons and will discuss the policy statement on local innovation ecosystems. [email protected]
San Sebastian
European Entrepreneurial Regions awardThe EU Committee of the Regions (CoR) has launched a project that aims to identify and reward EU regions which develop an outstanding and innovative entrepreneurial policy strategy, irrespective of their size, wealth, and competences. The regions with the most credible, forward thinking and promising plan will be granted the European Entrepreneurial Region (EER) label for a speci" c year. The deadline for submission of applications is 7 April. L www.bit.ly/1jX99Cl z [email protected]
Cross border procurement: challenges and opportunitiesThe latest meeting of the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities (EIP-SCC) action cluster on business models, " nancing and procurement, held in Brussels at the end of November 2016, was dedicated to business models for smart cities and cross-border procurement. During the meeting, an ongoing study focusing on joint cross-border public procurement was presented to participants. The study, commissioned by the European Commission’s DG GROWTH, sums up the potentials and cost saving opportunities of cross-border procurement based on successful examples from across Europe. Representatives of the European 'lighthouse' projects Sharing Cities, REMOURBAN and CityZen took the & oor to explain how successful business models for smart cities have been created in their projects. Other examples were also presented, such as the Smart Entrepreneurial Lab operated by Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences.L Presentation and minutes: www.bit.ly/2k7LfZS z [email protected]
Commission sets up high-level group of innovatorsAs part of the European Commission's innovation union flagship initiative and related activities on open innovation, 15 leading European entrepreneurs, investors, and ecosystem builders have joined the new high-level group of innovators that will advise the Commission on how to strengthen support for breakthrough innovation in Horizon 2020 and future research and innovation programmes. The group will advise the Commission on a set of changes in Horizon 2020 to give a boost to disruptive and market-creating innovation, and address gaps in the current innovation support framework. The group will also make recommendations for the creation of a European Innovation Council. Its first meeting is scheduled for March. The group’s conclusions will feed into the work of the high-level group on maximising the impact of EU research and innovation programmes, chaired by Pascal Lamy, which is due to publish its final report by June this year.L www.bit.ly/1Q9F7J6 z [email protected]
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EUROCITIES pushes circular economy agenda at CoR event
Twinning visits on climate change adaptation
The EU Committe of the Regions co-organised an event with EUROCITIES, ACR+, CEMR, and Municipal Waste Europe dedicated to the regulatory expectations of local and regional authorities in the wake of the vote in the European Parliament ENVI committee’s 24 January vote on the EU’s waste package.According to the EP report, the share of waste to be recycled should be raised to 70% by 2030 (the European Commission proposed 65%), while land" lling should be limited to 5% (the Commission proposed 10%). It also says that the EU should adopt a minimum target of reducing food waste by 30% by 2025and 50% by 2030. For packaging materials, such as paper and cardboard, plastics, glass, metal, and wood, MEPs propose an 80% reduction target by 2030, with interim 2025 targets for each material.Domenico Gambacorta (EPP, Italy), CoR’s rapporteur on the legislative proposals amending the waste directives, congratulated the EP on having taken on board most of the CoR’s amendments. José Herrera, Malta’s environment and climate minister, summed up the Maltese EU presidency position. The presidency will make the adoption of the legislative proposal on waste on of its priorities, and will attempt
to negotiate balanced compromises on some of its main elements, such as the key de" nitions, targets, and calculation rules, as well as on extended producer responsibility. MEP Miriam Dalli (S&D, Malta), chair of the circular economy working group of the EP intergroup on climate change, biodiversity, and sustainable development,
stressed the importance of having binding targets to stimulate Europe’s transition towards a circular economy. The European Commission has recognised the role of cities in this process and has stressed that they should use public procurement to speed up this transition. Håkon Jentoft, chair of our working group on waste, presented best practices on circular economy within the EUROCITIES network. He said that cities are already frontrunners in this transition, as they go beyond simple waste management. He highlighted the need to look at this issue in a
holistic manner, and argued that cities need to be considered real players in the related policy and decision making processes. MEPs are scheduled to vote on the four legislative proposals on waste during their 13-16 March plenary session in Strasbourg. L Håkon Jentoft's presentation: www.bit.ly/2lc1v0N z [email protected]
In January, representatives of 11 European cities selected back in 2016 to take part in the Mayors Adapt twinning programme (now formally part of the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy) visited their counterparts to learn about their local climate change adaptation solutions. Bratislava hosted experts from Arnhem and Bremen for a peer learning visit, which focused on ways to reverse the adverse e! ects of urban heat islands and on implementing intelligent and cost-e! ective water management solutions. Representatives of Piraeus visited Murcia to learn about the methodology employed by the Spanish city for assessing the impacts of climate change on urban areas and for identifying, planning, and monitoring adaptation actions. Piraeus has recently joined the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, and Murcia’s inspiration will help it draft a risk and vulnerability assessment and an adaptation strategy.Flood prevention and water management-related issues topped the agenda of the twinning visit by representatives of Andrano and Agueda to Isola Vicentina. The host city presented its municipal water management plan, along with its measures to improve & ood control. The three cities signed the Charter of Territories for Climate Change and Water Management, thereby con" rming their commitment to continuing trilateral cooperation in the " elds of mitigation and adaptation.The forth twinning visit took experts from Thessaloniki and Braga to Seville. Green measures in the water, energy, transport, housing, and waste management sectors were the focus of this visit, during which the representatives of Thessaloniki gained valuable insight into Seville’s water system optimisation programme, while those from Braga could study the implementation of the host city’s adaptation plan in detail. The call for applications for this year’s next twinning programme will be published this summer on the Covenant of Mayors website. claire.ba! [email protected]
Environment forum meeting in Antwerp: registrations open ANTWERP | 15-17 March - Our next environment forum meeting will address energy transition in cities, with a strong focus on the role cities play in ensuring delivery of the energy and climate objectives recently proposed by the European Commission and laid down in the Paris climate agreement.
Our working groups on air quality, climate change and energy e# ciency, and water will meet alongside the forum, on 15 March, while working group waste will meet on 14-15 March. Participants will discuss the international and local energy contexts, and the importance of long-term planning in energy governance. In a roundtable format, citylabs will share their experiencies, which will allow participants to identify new opportunities and problems related to energy transition. The forum will conclude with a political debate, during which political representatives from the EUROCITIES network, the European Commission and the European Parliament will discuss the involvement of local authorities in the energy transition process.
Site visits will also be organised to Antwerp’s environmental development projects.L Registration: www.bit.ly/2gDFcj9 z [email protected]
Babette Winter, CoR rapporteur, and Håkon Jentoft, senior executive o# cer, Oslo, and chair of our WG waste
Antwerp
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Conference on cities in transition, GDC 2016 awards
CITYkeys project reaches successful conclusion
‘Cities in transition – the role of digital in shaping our future cities’ was the title of a conference organised jointly by our knowledge society forum (KSF) and the Green Digital Charter (GDC) on 25 January in Brussels. The event attracted over 100 participants, including civil servants, smart city experts, delegates from the EU institutions, and partners and representatives from the private sector. The opening plenary session was devoted to a political debate on the digital transition in Eindhoven, Milan, Oulu, and Rome and on ways to build the recently launched Urban Agenda for the EU partnership on digital transition. The ensuing parallel workshops were dedicated to eight speci" c policy topics. Moderators then presented their respective takeaways during
a wrap-up session, right after a keynote speech delivered by MEP Kaja Kallas (ALDE, Estonia). She spoke about the key digital challenges for completion of the digital single market in European cities and gave insight into the EP's work on DSM strategy implementation. Finally, the winners of the Green Digital Charter (GDC) 2016 Awards were announced. They are: Zaragoza (Citizen participation and impact on society); Lisbon (Creation of European added-value); and Rijeka (Promoting open
and interoperable solutions). The next KSF meeting will take place on 4-6 April in Lyon. Registration will open soon. [email protected] (KSF) z [email protected] (GDC)
MEP Kaja Kallas
The CITYkeys project came to an end on the last day of January. This two-year project successfully developed a performance measurement
framework for the common and transparent monitoring and comparability of smart city solutions across European cities.
Based on a city-to-city approach, the project builds on existing frameworks and promotes the use of open standards and interfaces.
A handbook containing recommendations for city representatives on the deployment of the performance measurement system in policy decision making processes is available at the link below. Another handbook containing implementation guidelines and a summary of the project’s main recommendations is expected to be published soon.
The key performance indicators (KPIs) developed by CITYkeys have been endorsed and adopted by the ESPRESSO project.
An ESPRESSO webinar dedicated to CITYkeys’ results was held on 19 January. L Handbook: bit.ly/CITYkeys-Recommendation-from-cities-handbook zL ESPRESSO webinar: www.bit.ly/2juoOmy z [email protected]
Workshop on digital identity for citiesAMSTERDAM | 16 March - In this ‘post-fact’ world of misinformation, cities sometimes struggle to get their message across. In their quest to " nd ways to maintain trust and dialogue with citizens and stakeholders, they are increasingly drawn towards social media. This can be an e! ective platform to convey complex ideas, but few cities do it right, if used correctly. Eddy Adams and Abhay Adhukari have designed a digital identity workshop aimed speci" cally at the needs of cities. The workshop has already run in ten countries, commissioned by organisations such as Google, Nesta, and the British Council. The co-production strategy introduced in the workshop led to the development of the Urban Sustainable Development Lab, which has been selected as one of the UK's 50 New Radicals by the Observer and Nesta. This is a one-o! event, taking place in Amsterdam on 16 March. Discounted places are available for EUROCITIES members. L Registration: www.bit.ly/2jXnVBe z [email protected]
Digital Transition Partnership kicks o!
As agreed at the last data working group meeting on 24 January in Brussels, EUROCITIES members will collectively respond to the European Commission’s public consultation on ‘building the European data economy’ with a policy statement. Therefore, we will soon ask all KSF members for their opinions and contributions. The public consultation will help the EU shape its policy agenda on the data economy. The consultation aims to identify the legal, economic, and regulatory challenges and to initiate a discussion with stakeholders on future actions. It addresses topics like localisation of data; access to and re-use of non-personal data; liability; portability; interoperability; and standards. The consultation comes after the adoption by the Commission of the Building a European Data Economy package. The consultation will conclude on 26 April and the results will feed into the Commission's possible future initiative on the European data economy later this year.L www.bit.ly/2iXLdVK z [email protected]
The Digital Transition Partnership of the Urban Agenda for the EU will be launched on 16-17 February in Oulu. Coordinated by Estonia, Oulu and So" a, the partnership will work to improve public service delivery to citizens and to create business opportunities. The focus will be on: data collection (including ownership); better use of open data; data management (including the capacity of cities and privacy issues); and digital services (including new technologies). EUROCITIES, together with KSF members Eindhoven, Lyon, Rome, Lisbon, and Hamburg, are part of this partnership. KSF will closely follow the work of the partnership and, heeding the members’ priorities, challenges, and needs, will contribute to its e! orts to in& uence EU digital legislation and to improve access to and use of EU funds. [email protected]
Public consultation on data economy
Beyond Data event in Eindhoven: last call for registration On 30 March, Eindhoven will host an event focusing on ways to connect data management organisations and data users. Participants will learn about the latest developments in the " eld of data management and will hear real-life examples from cities. EUROCITIES members get a 20% discount.L Registration: www.bit.ly/2lwsGQz
Eddy Adams (top) and Abhay Adhukari
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Register for mobility forum in LisbonLISBON | 15-17 March – Registration is now open for a renewed and improved mobility forum meeting. Lisbon invites other European cities to discuss ‘A new mobility paradigm: build a city for all’.The next meeting will be the perfect occasion to present the changes introduced in the mobility forum. In order to be able to respond to the complex challenges cities are bound to face in the near future, our working groups will be reorganised.In Lisbon new working group chairs will be elected, who will renew their commitment to sustainable mobility and will bring new ideas
and ways of working adapted to the needs of all our members. So" a will chair the mobility forum, and Mannheim will hold the post of vice chair over the next two years. In addition, a session will be dedicated to the Partnership on Urban Mobility within the Urban Agenda for the EU, led by the city of Karlsruhe. The partnership, in which Malmo represents our network, was launched on 1 January.If you have any questions concerning the mobility forum, your contact person is Melanie Leroy.L Registration: www.bit.ly/2kh7VYK z� [email protected]
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Three new EU-funded CIVITAS mobility projects (PROSPERITY, SUITS, and SUMPs-Up) have launched a survey to help them understand cities’ needs and the barriers they face when trying to develop sustainable urban mobility plans (SUMPs).Cities that complete the survey before 28 February will get priority access to project training and support, and will also have a chance to win up to €600 towards travel and accommodation costs for the 4th European Conference on Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans.
This event will be held on 29-30 March in Dubrovnik. [email protected]
Europe to accelerate drive toward automated mobility Back on 30 November 2016, the European Commission’s DG MOVE published its European Strategy on Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS). The strategy calls for the adoption of an appropriate legal framework at EU level by 2018 and addresses the availability of EU funding for projects; the continuation of the C-ITS Platform; as well as the issue of international cooperation with other advanced regions.
It also foresees continuous coordination with the C-ROADS Platform, which operates under the Connecting Europe Facility and gathers examples of real-life deployment activities in member states in order to help them develop harmonised technical speci" cations.
Recognising the signi" cant impact cooperative, connected, and automated transport systems are expected have on urban mobility, EUROCITIES has decided to join the urban working group of the C-ITS Platform, which meets every two months in Brussels.
The next sessions are scheduled for 28 March and 17 May, and will focus on urban C-ITS standardisation, future urban C-ITS services, and functionalities and urban scenarios for automation. Expressions of interest to participate should be sent to us by 28 February. [email protected]
New urban governance models to tackle tra# c congestionOn 25 January, the CREATE project organised a reception dedicated to the theme of ’Strong urban governance for liveable cities‘. The event in Brussels was attended by 40 participants, including a representative of the European Commission‘s DG MOVE.
Peter Jones from University College London and Charlotte Halpern from the Centre d’Etudes Européennes de Sciences Po discussed the results of the CREATE project’s mid-term review.
The speakers brought the issue of indicators for measuring a city’s livability to the audience’s attention and explained the potential o! ered by new urban governance models. Following the presentations, a Q&A session gave the public and the speakers a chance to engage in a productive exchange of ideas. The interventions focused on ways to tackle tra# c congestions, and improve transport e# ciency.L www.bit.ly/1TOlL0X z [email protected]
Want a SUMP but don’t have expertise or tools?
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Commission moves forward with European Pillar of Social Rights
On 23 January, the European Commission moved a step further towards establishing a European Pillar of Social Rights by hosting a high-level conference in Brussels. Three days earlier, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the topic, calling for the involvement of all relevant stakeholders at all levels in the implementation of the pillar. In six thematic workshops, over 600 representatives of the EU institutions, national ministries, social partners, and civil society organisations discussed ways to shape the pillar to tackle poverty, ensure equal access to labour markets, and o! er fair working conditions for all. EUROCITIES was also represented at the event.Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, responsible for employment, social a! airs and inclusion, con" rmed that ”partnerships will be needed with all levels to make [the pillar] a reality on the ground, including cooperation with local authorities. This is a shared responsibility, the centre of gravity is at member state level, and the implementation at local level’’. The European Commission will unveil its proposal on the pillar in March. This will then be debated by the member states in the Council of the EU. On 17 November, the Commission president, together with Sweden’s prime minister, will host a Social Summit for Fair Jobs and Growth in Gothenburg.L EP resolution: www.bit.ly/2krBkSx z L www.bit.ly/2jsyMkO z [email protected]
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Risk of poverty and social exclusion on the rise in EUWhile the EU labour market continues to improve, poverty and income inequality are on the rise, reveals the annual review compiled by the EU advisory Social Protection Committee based on the latest update of the social protection performance monitor.
One in four people in the EU live at risk of poverty or social exclusion. The situation has been worsening in recent years, with around 4.6 million more people being at risk of poverty in 2014 than in 2008. In 2016, the at-risk-of-poverty rates further increased in 11 member states; the poverty gap went up in 16 EU countries; and the problem was classi" ed as persistent in 10 countries. Income inequality is also on the rise, and so is the share of population living in (quasi-)jobless households.
These " ndings suggest that the EU is not making any signi" cant progress towards achieving its target of lifting 20 million people from the risk of poverty or social exclusion by 2020. In fact, it is signi" cantly further away from its target than it was in 2008. L Annual report: www.bit.ly/2k6OViZ z [email protected]
Study visit to Madrid on long-term unemployment
SAF on urban poverty and inequalityLISBON | 3-4 April – Our social a! airs forum (SAF) will meet in Lisbon on 3-4 April to discuss ways to combat deep-seated poverty and to reduce inequalities at city level. Through a mix of presentations, debates, workshops, exchanges, and a political side event, the forum participants will learn and share coherent policies and city strategies that proved to work in addressing the challenge of urban poverty and rising inequalities. The agenda will be linked to the EU-level discussions on the European Pillar of Social Rights. A special programme for elected city politicians will be devoted to social investment in the most vulnerable areas aimed at addressing urban poverty and rising inequality. Our working group on migration and integration and the task force on Roma inclusion will meet immediately after the event. [email protected]
We are glad to disseminate the report on the study visit by 15 EUROCITIES members to Madrid, which sums up the lessons learnt and includes a video summarising the Madrid Neighbourhood Employment Plans initiative. Participants in the 5-6 October 2016 visit analysed how the city copes with the high number of long-term unemployed persons and how joblessness can be addressed at city level. This study visit was part of the wider work carried out by EUROCITIES to promote mutual learning and policy transfer among cities in the " eld of employment policies, which aim to promote a more inclusive labour market. The visit focused on Madrid's Neighbourhood Employment Plans initiative, an innovative measure implemented jointly with the local federation of neighbourhood associations to bring the employment and welfare services closer to the citizens and to promote employment among the most vulnerable groups.L Report: www.bit.ly/2gScNV9 z L Video: www.bit.ly/2h916de z [email protected]
On 17 January, EUROCITIES published a new report that sums up the experiences of 26 major European cities related to the integration of refugees through education, and identi" es trends, success factors, and good practices.The report highlights that cities facilitate the integration of newcomers in the education system by providing language programmes and other training courses. It also pinpoints certain challenges cities face, such as the need to avoid segregation, address funding gaps, and recruit experienced sta! .EUROCITIES will organise two mentoring visits in
2017 on the topic of education for refugees and asylum seekers, with " nancial support from the Open Society Foundation in the context of the Solidarity Cities initiative.L Report: www.bit.ly/2kHWRVG z [email protected]
New EUROCITIES report on integration of refugees through education
Job seekers queuing in front of an employment agency
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Amsterdam has a vision to make local democracy more dynamic and interactive. Starting small, it is learning from pilot projects how best to mobilise citizens and enable participation. The city’s aim is to develop a toolbox for collaboration that will allow it to scale up its open government approach. In 2015, Amsterdam was named Europe’s " rst ‘sharing city’ by ShareNL, the Dutch network for the collaborative economy. This award recognised the city’s open-minded approach to new, cooperative business models.The city’s latest project, OpenBorough, was set up in the Amsterdam-West district to test digital tools in combination with o* ine interaction to work more collaboratively with citizens. OpenBorough aims to encourage people to share ideas, vote, or undertake actions to improve their neighbourhoods. The project was also intended to enable civil servants to get used to new working processes and methodologies.Starting as a pilot project with a budget of €225,000, OpenBorough is run by a small innovation team that supports council colleagues
looking to actively involve citizens in projects. OpenBorough experiments with stand-alone functionalities and simple prototypes with a view to gradually building up the city’s e-participative capabilities.The " rst experiment involved the redesign of the interior of a cyclists’ tunnel. Rather than asking one or two artists for design proposals, the borough opened up the design challenge to everyone and created a tool for uploading and voting for designs.As more people can engage in the consultation process, Amsterdam aims to: Ŷ enhance the legitimacy of its actionsŶ stimulate active citizenship in its boroughsŶ cut costs
Ŷ assist participative democracy so that it becomes policy across all neighbourhoods in Amsterdam.Learn more in our latest ‘cities in action’ case study, available at the link below.
L www.bit.ly/2jYf3wW z [email protected]
Adrianna Zawadzińska, Miss Poland Wheelchair 2016
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Cities in action: Amsterdam opens up democratic process
Warsaw to host Miss Wheelchair World pageantWARSAW | 7 October – The Polish capital is preparing to host the " rst ever Miss Wheelchair World contest this autumn. Warsaw and the Only One Foundation as co-organiser would like to invite participants from all European countries to this unique beauty pageant. The main goal of Miss Wheelchair World is to promote the integration of communities of people with disabilities throughout the world and to remove barriers to their participation in social and economic life.The pageant’s motto will be ‘beauty without barriers’. It is dedicated both to women with disabilities who use wheelchairs and the able-bodied community, as well as to companies, institutions, and o# ces around the world. The project aims to prove that disabilities do not de" ne people. The organisers want to stop social exclusion and promote respect, acceptance, and tolerance for people with disabilities. Their wish is to gather as many women from around the world as possible in Warsaw, and to advocate for their international integration.Warsaw encourages all the countries which already hold Miss Wheelchair pageants to submit their Miss Wheelchair World candidates. Countries which have not organised such events yet, but are interested in the idea, are also encouraged to
apply. Warsaw has already published guidelines in English, as well as video and photo materials.The Miss Wheelchair World " nal gala, to be held on 7 October, will be preceded by a special workshop on 29 September, which will prepare the candidates for the day. In 2016, Warsaw organised the fourth edition of Miss Poland Wheelchair, which allowed the city to gain valuable experience in organising a beauty contest.The organisers are looking forward to meeting you in Warsaw.
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EUROCITIES 1 Square de Meeûs
1000 Brussels+32 2 552 0888
@[email protected] www.eurocities.eu
FLASH is publishedby EUROCITIES Brussels o# ce
© EUROCITIES 2017
Please send any contributions and comments to [email protected]
PublisherAnna Lisa Boni, secretary general
EditorTibor Szendrei
More events at www.eurocities.eu
Disclaimer: FLASH is an exclusive members' service not for distribution outside EUROCITIES membership
FLASH events
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26-29SEPTEMBERCOIMBRA, PORTUGAL
14TH INT'L CONFERENCE ON URBAN HEALTH
www.bit.ly/2iE8hLb
12-15SEPTEMBERBOLOGNA, ITALY
INT'L SYMPOSIUM ON GREENER CITIES
www.bit.ly/2iH0zxH
22-24APRILPORTO, PORTUGAL
SMARTGREENS 2017 6TH INT'L CONFERENCE
ON SMART CITIES AND GREEN ICT SYSTEMSwww.bit.ly/2hQKSqG
20-21APRILBRINDISI, ITALY
2ND EAI INT'L CONFERENCE ON
ICT INFRASTRUCTURES AND SERVICES FOR SMART CITIESwww.bit.ly/2j74fYu
26-30JUNETROYES, FRANCE
8TH INT'L CONFERENCE ON COMMUNITIES &
TECHNOLOGIESwww.bit.ly/2j7dDLN
22-23JUNEDERBY, UK
CITIES, COMMUNITIES AND HOMES: IS THE
URBAN FUTURE LIVABLE?www.bit.ly/2j7CCyq
20SEPTEMBERNOTTINGHAM, UK
FUTURE HIGH STREET SUMMIT CONFERENCE
www.bit.ly/1PfISwd
31-2MAY-JUNEMAASTRICHT, NETHERLANDS
EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON
MOBILITY MANAGEMENTwww.bit.ly/2fsBNmG
29-30MARCHDUBROVNIK, CROATIA
4TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE ON
SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY PLANSwww.bit.ly/2hPuRQT
20-21 APRILLISBON, PORTUGAL
2ND INT'L CONFERENCE ON URBAN E-PLANNING
www.bit.ly/2hQPg9b
30MARCHEINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS
BEYOND DATA EVENT - ON THE EDGEwww.bit.ly/1DB1buw
10-11 MAYGLASGOW, UK
SMART URBAN MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
www.bit.ly/2dFDb5C
