30.03.2006
Final URBACT report "building sustainable urban communities" released
The "Building Sustainable Urban Communities" project focuses on a transnational analysis of the impact of population mobility and diversification on service provision by local authorities.read more

28.03.2006
Debate Europe! – online forum on the future of Europe
On March 27, the European commission launched an online platform for discussing the future of the European Union. The forum is open to all interested citizens. The initiative is part of the Commission´s “PLAN D for Democracy, Dialogue and Debate”. Pe...read more

28.03.2006
Final URBACT report "building sustainable urban communities" released
The “Building Sustainable Urban Communities” project focuses on a transnational analysis of the impact of population mobility and diversification on service provision by local authorities.read more

27.03.2006
Urban air pollution problem not to be solved
The European Environment Agency (EEA) published a report on 23 March 2006, that concludes that even in 2030, air pollution from traffic will still be a pressing problem for European cities. Currently, none of the researched cities meet the recommende...read more

27.03.2006
Spring Summit: new youth employment and training targets
At the EU summit of the European Council on 23-24 March 2006, the EU leaders discussed the Lisbon Agenda, the effort to make the European economy the most competitive in the world by 2010. The EU summit largely limited itself to re-confirming existin...read more

24.03.2006
European SMEs feel left out in decision-making process
The vast majority of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Europe feel they are not consulted enough on the drafting of new policies at local and national level. They feel more involved on the European level, although most SMEs feel better con...read more

24.03.2006
Budget 2007: EP give priority to image-building and enlargement
According to the European Parliament, the EU institutions have failed to convince European citizens that they truly represent their interests and aspirations. Improving existing information services, making them accessible to all citizens and, accord...read more

23.03.2006
Budget 2007: EP give priority to image-building and enlargement
According to the European Parliament, the EU institutions have failed to convince European citizens that they truly represent their interests and aspirations. Improving existing information services, making them accessible to all citizens and, in the...read more

23.03.2006
EU Structural Funds for broadband internet
The European Commission plans to make broadband internet access available to every EU citizen within four years. High-speed internet connections have become an economic necessity across Europe, according to European Regional Policy Commissioner Danut...read more

22.03.2006
European Parliament to open debate on poverty
The European Parliament (EP) has voted by a large majority to adopt a report on social protection and inclusion. Currently, one out of six Europeans live in poverty. In fighting poverty, the parliament has identified two priorities: child poverty and...read more

22.03.2006
Consultation on security in urban transport and rail
The European Commission launched a public consultation on 17 March with particular bearing on rail and urban passenger transport security. The Commission aims to determine and implement a European framework for combating the terrorist threat in the t...read more

21.03.2006
Commission presents guidelines on state aid control and urban regeneration
According to the Commission, current rules offer member states enough leeway to provide targeted state aid to urban regeneration projects, if one knows how to apply the rules. The so called “vademecum”, or manual, provides local and regional authorit...read more

21.03.2006
Big-city dwellers less healthy than town folk
Residents of the major cities in the Netherlands, including Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht and The Hague, were less positive about their own health than people elsewhere in the country in the period from 2001 to 2004. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) publ...read more

20.03.2006
Protecting minorities: more support for local authorities and employers
Committee of the Regions President Michel Delebarre has called on the European Commission to provide more concrete support for local authorities and employers to combat discrimination against minorities. He wants to see additional EU funding allocate...read more

17.03.2006
The European Parliament goes local
The theory that "all politics is local" will be the theme when a series of citizens' forums are held across Europe in the coming months. These events are meant to take the debate over the future of Europe to regional towns and cities. The aim is to b...read more

16.03.2006
"Communicating Europe - Going Local" - debating Europe in the UK
What kind of Europe do you want to see in the future? Where should the EU get involved – and where shouldn't it? Is it doing enough to safeguard jobs and create new ones in our regions and cities? These are just some of the questions that members of ...read more

15.03.2006
EUROCITIES to Spring Council: “Lisbon” will fail if cities are not involved
EUROCITIES has sent a strong message to the political leaders of the 25 EU Member States and the European Commission, urging them to work more closely with cities in order to ensure effective implementation of the Lisbon Strategy. This strategy aims ...read more

14.03.2006
Eurofunding - Guide to European funding
WelcomeEurope has put out its annual Eurofunding Guide 2006. It analyses more than 450 European funding projects and offers methodological assistance with drawing up a proposal, the course it will take once submitted and its evaluation by the Europea...read more

14.03.2006
50,000 euros in prize money awarded to five projects
Today, the European Commission and Europa Nostra, a platform of NGOs, announced the names of the winners of five top prizes for the annual European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage and the Europa Nostra Awards. The prizes will be presented to the la...read more

13.03.2006
Citizens to define EU communication rights
A web site where citizens can give the Commission feedback on the proposed European Code of Conduct on Communication has been launched. The idea is that this will help to bridge the gap between the European institutions and Europe’s inhabitants. The ...read more