News

05.07.2006
SCORUS calls for papers
SCORUS, the international network for regional and urban statistics, is organising its annual conference in Wroclaw, Poland on 30 August – 1 September 2006. Theme of the conference is “Globalization Impact on Regional and Urban Statistics”. SCORUS in...read more

04.07.2006
Finland takes up EU Presidency
On 1 July 2006, Finland has taken up the EU Presidency from Austria. Representatives of the European Commission met the Finnish government in Helsinki to officially kick start the 2006 Finnish EU Presidency. On Monday 3 July, the 25 Members of the Co...read more

29.06.2006
Green Paper on drug abuse and civil society
The European Commission has launched a consultation on the role of civil society in EU drugs policy. On the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, on 26 June 2006, the EC published a Green paper on the role of civil society in ...read more

29.06.2006
European Council supports sustainable urban development
On 27 June 2006 the member states confirmed their commitment to a strategy of sustainable urban development. Principal objective of the strategy is to improve quality of life for citizens by creating a healthier urban environment. The Council acknowl...read more

29.06.2006
"Youth in Action” programme adopted
The "Youth in Action" programme, which was adopted unanimously by the Council on 27 June in Luxembourg. The aim of the "Youth in Action" programme is to develop cooperation in the field of youth policies in the European Union.read more

28.06.2006
Five priorities for Finnish EU Presidency
Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen has outlined five priorities for the forthcoming Finnish Presidency of the European Union. Finland will take over as EU President from Austria on 1 July 2006. According to Mr Vanhanen, the Union faces two key pro...read more

27.06.2006
Stockholm traffic reduced by 25 percent due to congestion charge
A six-month trial of congestion fees in the Swedish capital has reduced traffic coming in and out of central Stockholm by 20-25 percent on an average weekday, according to an initial study released Wednesday.read more

27.06.2006
Toolkit for Youth Participation in Urban Policies
The Young Citizens’ Project released a Toolkit for Youth Participation in Urban Policies. The city of Bristol, lead partner of this project, has offered other European cities an opportunity to address the issue of youth and participation by creating ...read more

26.06.2006
Commission reviews transport policy
The European Commission has published a mid-term review of its 2001 Transport White Paper. In its mid-term review “Keep Europe moving: a transport policy for sustainable mobility” the Commission seeks to balance transport and environmental needs. In ...read more

23.06.2006
The role of cities in developing education and culture to tackle the challenges of globalisation
Education and culture lie at the heart of the renewed Lisbon Strategy for jobs and growth. This was the main message from Commissioner Ján Figel, addressing an assembly of representatives from European and national associations for local and regional...read more

22.06.2006
E-illiteracy – one third of EU citizens lacks basic digital skills
In 2005, 37 percent of EU citizens aged between 16 and 74 lacked basic computer skills. This percentage was slightly higher for women than for men (39 percent against 34 percent). Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, publishe...read more

21.06.2006
Fourth cohesion report published
The Directorate General has published a report titled “The Growth and Jobs Strategy and the Reform of European cohesion policy - Fourth progress report on cohesion”, also known as the Fourth cohesion report. The report describes economic and social d...read more

20.06.2006
Cities by the sea…pressure on sustainable development
More and more of the world's population is living along the coast. Human development is putting unsustainable pressure on the planet's coastal regions, from lack of fresh water to an inability to process waste.read more

19.06.2006
Urban transport - a European priority
The European Commission is due to adopt a White Paper on a common transport policy on 22 June 2006. The White Paper sets the EU’s strategy on transport for the years to come. Urban transport is identified as a priority. The Commission wants to improv...read more

19.06.2006
New sustainable development strategy adopted
On 16 June 2006, the European Council has adopted a revised EU sustainable development strategy, the Gothenburg Agenda. The revised strategy focuses on sustainable production and consumption. The text remains ambiguous in its relation to the Lisbon A...read more

19.06.2006
EC increases proposed de minimis ceiling to 200,000 euros
As part of its state aid reforms the European Commission proposed a new increase of the "de minimis" block exemption on 12 June 2006. The Commission wants to raise the ceiling to 200,000 euros. This means that government aid to companies amounting to...read more

16.06.2006
Urban forests in EU action plan
The European Commission has adopted an 18-point EU Forest action plan on 15 June 2006. One of the four aims of the plan is to improve the quality of life of EU citizens. For this, focus is on environmental education and the role of urban and peri-urb...read more

14.06.2006
Local authorities to compete for Citizen Participation Award
The International Observatory of Participative Democracy (OIDP) has launched the "Best Practice in Citizen Participation Award". The award aims to recognise innovative experiments and ideas that get the public involved in developing and implementing ...read more

13.06.2006
EUROCITIES calls for changes to Services Directive
The President of EUROCITIES has said that the scope of the draft Directive on Services should be reduced. He called for a separate regulatory framework for services of general economic interest - which include energy supply, telecommunications, trans...read more

12.06.2006
i2010: EC steps up efforts
The member states are to adapt to their public services to information and communication technologies (ICTs) by 2010. The i2010 action plan aims to develop cross-border services accessible to all Europeans. The action plan will create an appropriate ...read more