News

18.12.2007
"Urban problems are not the fault of rapid urban growth"
"Urban problems are not the fault of rapid urban growth", David Satterthwaite, senior fellow at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) states. In his recent paper ‘the transition to a predominantly urban world and its unde...read more

13.12.2007
European Commission concludes City of Amsterdam investment in fibre network is not state aid
The European Commission has approved the investment by the municipality of Amsterdam and other shareholders in a glass fibre telecommunications network in the Dutch city. After an in-depth investigation, launched in December 2006, the Commission conc...read more

03.12.2007
LIFE website introduces special section on the urban environment
LIFE is the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental and nature conservation projects throughout Europe. However, LIFE does not only focus on 'nature' but also supports projects related to the urban environment. The LIFE website now include...read more

03.12.2007
European award for Water In Historic City Centres
The project Water In Historic City Centres (WIHCC) has won the European Regional Cultural Champion Award. The prize was awarded to the WIHCC-project because, according to the European jury, the six partnercities succeeded best in promoting their regi...read more

23.11.2007
European Network Against Racism 2006 Shadow Report
Manifestations of racism in Europe continue. Some forms of racism are on the increase, notably Islamophobia. There has also been a significant upsurge of racist violence and crime. These are the conclusions of ENAR’s (European Network Against Racism)...read more

23.11.2007
LIFE brochure: Innovative waste management options in Europe
Waste management is an important issue that is central to EU environmental policy. The objectives of EU waste policy are to reduce the negative impact of waste on the environment and public health and to ensure the most efficient use of resources, pa...read more

21.11.2007
“The most important factor underlying the level of vulnerability of people to urban threats is poverty”
“The most important factor underlying the level of vulnerability of people to urban threats is poverty,” says Mr. Mutizwa-Mangiza, Chief of Policy Analysis at the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT). The United Nations agency rece...read more

16.11.2007
Pathways to Success for the Second Generation in Europe
There is an ongoing debate over the children born to Europe's guest workers of the 1960s and 1970s: Can they move up the educational ladder, or will they form a new underclass in Europe's largest cities? Maurice Crul of the University of Amsterdam co...read more

16.11.2007
Biofuel Cities European Partnership launched in Sweden
The Biofuel Cities European Partnership was officially launched on 8 November 2007, in Stockholm, Sweden. This new partnership, supported by the European Commission, is open to local governments and other stakeholders in the area of biofuels and ener...read more

14.11.2007
EU programme on development cooperation a step forward for local government
The European programme "Non state actors and local authorities in development " marks a first recognition of the role of local and regional authorities in development cooperation. This is one of the conclusions of the seminar organised by the Council...read more

13.11.2007
Cities Alliance releases its 2007 Annual Report on slum upgrading and city development
The Cities Alliance recently released its 2007 Annual Report on the slum upgrading and city development strategy activities of Cities Alliance members over the past year. The growth of the Cities Alliance, which now has 23 members, is also reflected ...read more

12.11.2007
Guide on integrated environmental management for local governments
European urban areas face a number of environmental challenges. Although the scale and intensity of the problems vary, a common set of issues can be identified. In order to help municipal authorities to improve environmental performance, the EU Commi...read more

12.11.2007
Golden stars 2007 reward best twinnings in Europe
The 2007 awards ceremony of the Golden Stars for twinning has taken place in Brussels on 8 november 2007. The Golden Stars Awards are given to examples of projects around Europe that encourage active civic participation in EU issues. This year’s Foru...read more

08.11.2007
EU role in the management of urban sprawl limited
In a Euractiv.com interview with Mr. Jean Marie Beaupuy, MEP and President of the parliamentary Urban-Housing Integroup, urban sprawl is described as one of the major challenges in Europe today. Politicians from all different levels face an important...read more

07.11.2007
“In local partnership working, efficiency is winning out over democracy”
“In local partnership working, efficiency is winning out over democracy,” says Jonathan Davies, senior lecturer in Public Policy at the University of Warwick (UK). Partnerships between public, private, community and voluntary sector organisations hav...read more

31.10.2007
Cultural sector of great importance in the EU27
Culture plays an important role in the life of Europeans. This is illustrated by the fact that nearly 5 million people in the EU27 are employed in the cultural sector, 2.4 % of total employment in the European Union. These figures were released in th...read more

31.10.2007
Europeans greener than Americans
Europeans are 50 percent more likely than Americans to buy “green” products – from solar panels to hybrid cars to natural/organic foods, personal care and home products, according to the European LOHAS study based on a partnership between Porter Nove...read more

31.10.2007
Asia and Africa home to the 100 fastest growing cities in the world
Whereas Europe used to be home to the world's largest and fastest growing cities in the world in the past century, Asia and Africa are now the two continents experiencing the greatest urban growth. Today, Africa has a larger urban population than Nor...read more

26.10.2007
European Public Sector Award for successful public administration bodies
On 25 October, the winners of the 2007 European Public Sector Award (EPSA) were announced. The EPSA is a joint initiative of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, the German University of Administrative Sciences Speyer and the European Group of Public Administra...read more

24.10.2007
EU Blue Card to attract highly-skilled workers to the European Union
Europe is experiencing an increasing shortage of highly-skilled workers, especially in the field of engineering and informatics. At the same time, the European Union's population is ageing rapidly. Attracting well-educated immigrants has therefore be...read more