Urban Agenda for the EU
It comes down to implementation
HELLA DUNGER-LÖPER
Europe is the continent of cities, more than 70% of all Europeans live in urban areas. Hence it is entirely astounding, that the need for an EU Urban Agenda has been controversially discussed for such a long period of time. Even though the EU has no responsibility for urban policy, decisions that are made at the EU level, have in part considerable effects on cities — be it large, medium or small. Opportunities and challenges of EU policies converge in urban areas. Economic growth is generated in cities, jobs are created, social cohesion is practiced, the digital transformation is experienced and not least of all, cities possess significant potential in the field of climate protection and energy policy. This list could be easily continued without playing urban and rural areas off against each another (this is of great importance). The urban and rural areas are complementary functional spaces. The paramount goal of an ecologically, economically and socially strong Europe and a strengthened territorial cohesion can only be achieved when both areas are strong.
Therefore the Urban Agenda is a European project of significant importance. The goal is to improve the quality of life in cities and develop new “urban” governance that is implemented with a practical and concrete approach, coordinated through multiple levels.
On the 30th of May the Meeting of EU Ministers responsible for Urban Matters signed the Pact of Amsterdam, an informal (not legally binding) agreement at their Amsterdam conference. The General Affairs Council (the Foreign Ministers) accepted the Pact of Amsterdam on the 24th of June 2016 with the ´Council Conclusions on an Urban Agenda for the EU´. Hence, the Urban Agenda is from now on officially recognized by the EU. More than twenty years of discussion regarding necessity, meaning and purpose of an EU Urban Agenda has lead to this provisional conclusion.
The European Committee of the Regions’ demands were only taken into account to some extent by Member States during the negotiations for the Pact of Amsterdam. For example, the Member States’ decision not to incorporate the EU Urban Agenda in the EU-presidencies work-programs provoke concerns regarding the importance of the EU Urban Agenda. The Member States were obviously too concerned to loose influence on cities with the new governance model from the EU Urban Agenda.
The twenty-year debate and the negotiations around the Pact of Amsterdam suggest that the EU Urban Agenda is by no means a sure-fire success. The implementation of the EU Urban Agenda will determine if it becomes a successful model for future multi-level governance collaborations between cities, EU Member States and EU institutions.
Translated from the original German by Rose Connors Dance
Hella Dunger-Löper (SPD) served as the Permanent Secretary for Building and Housing at Berlin’s Senate Department for Urban Development (2004–2011). Since December 2011 she represents the State of Berlin, acting as Permanent Secretary, State of Berlin Delegate to the Federation, Commissioner for European Affairs, and Commissioner for Active Citizenship at the Berlin Senate Chancellery.
Read more about the A Soul For Europe Pre-Conference debate here.
