News

03.04.2007
“Local authorities and professionals needed to fine-tune drug policies”
When it comes to dealing with drug issues, local authorities are much needed to fine-tune drug policies. This is the opinion of Wolfgang Götz, Director of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA). He identifies several hop...read more

02.04.2007
EP hearing on juvenile delinquency focuses on prevention and rehabilitation
Prevention is the key to solving the problem of young offenders. This is the opinion of the European Parliament’s (EP) Women's Rights Committee, voiced at a public hearing on juvenile delinquency. The hearing took place on 20 March 2007 in Brussels. ...read more

30.03.2007
Political agreement on LIFE+ reached
The Council of the Europe Union and the European Parliament have reached an agreement on LIFE+, the new financial instrument for the environment. LIFE+ will bring simplification by regrouping a broad range of existing environmental programmes and ins...read more

29.03.2007
“Micro credit programmes should not just cover structural investments, but also operating costs”
The Italian regional development agency BIC Lazio is running a micro credit programme in which so called honour loans are provided to unemployed people with entrepreneurial ambitions. The programme has proven to be very successful so far. Since the b...read more

29.03.2007
Eurocities and CEMR move in together
From the start of April, the Eurocities Brussels Office and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions are based in a new premises. It is officially named "The House of Cities, Municipalities and Regions". Not just Eurocities and CEMR will be...read more

28.03.2007
Sevilla 2007 gives renewed impetus to the Aalborg Commitments
Over 1500 delegates from European local governments have committed to immediately advance policies for local sustainable development. These policies, which will be implemented within the framework of the Aalborg Commitments, are an important step tow...read more

28.03.2007
More EU investment in urban areas benefits European economy, CoR reports
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) published a report on the effects of EU cohesion policy and the structural funds on European economic development. Based on Commission estimates, every euro spent on EU cohesion policy leads to an additional investm...read more

27.03.2007
European Security Research Programme launched in Berlin
The European Security Research Programme (ESRP) was launched at a Commission organised conference taking place in Berlin on 26 and 27 March 2007. The ESRP is a separate programme under the Seventh Research Framework Programme 2007-2013. The programme...read more

27.03.2007
30,000 Euros to be awarded to the best 'new urban neighbourhood' in Europe
The Brussels based Rotthier Foundation is will award a prize of 30,000 euros to the best new urban neighbourhood in Europe. The European prize promotes excellence in the designing and building of new urban neighbourhoods. It aims at enhancing the Eur...read more

23.03.2007
European Week of Regions and Cities: call for papers
Through this call for papers the European Commission’s Regional Policy Directorate-General invites experts in the field of regional development and the management of Structural Funds to send contributions to be presented during the “OPEN DAYS 2007 - ...read more

23.03.2007
Tackling Immigration and Integration Challenges
The Migration Policy Institute and Bertelsmann Stiftung are marking the 50th anniversary of the European Union with the launch of a transatlantic task force of prominent leaders to promote new thinking on immigration and integration.read more

21.03.2007
“Strict and binding measures needed to improve buildings’ energy efficiency”
Buildings account for a significant part of the CO2 emissions in the European Union. Studies have shown that this sector offers the largest immediate potential to reduce these emissions. Mr Alain Sagne, Secretary General of the Architects' Council of...read more

21.03.2007
EESC: inter-city public transport needs to be promoted
In a recently adopted opinion on the mid-term review of the White Paper on transport, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) urges the European Commission to take account of inter-city public transport by road and rail. The revised White P...read more

20.03.2007
You decide: Who is the world’s best mayor in 2007?
The World Mayor project is again looking for the most outstanding mayors of the year. Everyone interest in cities and urban politics is invited to nominate their choice for the title 'World Mayor 2007'.read more

20.03.2007
What is wrong with urban sprawl?
The United States’ future urban land development should not reproduce the pattern of sprawl. This is the main conclusion of a short, but concise paper by James McElfish of the US Environmental Law Institute. In the paper, McElfish lists ten adverse e...read more

16.03.2007
Consultation: EU to map “social state of the union”
The European Commission has initiated a public consultation to take stock of present social realities and trends in European societies. The aim is to discuss with different constituencies what forms Europe's social reality. This exercise will be base...read more

15.03.2007
Climate Star Award urges local authorities to act on climate change
With all of Europe fallen under the spell of the ambitious energy and climate-change policy of the European Union, it is time for local authorities to think about their role in these policies. Worldwide climate protection not only needs European and ...read more

14.03.2007
Top ten cities with best internet infrastructure, Asia dominates list
Paris, Stockholm and Shoreditch - a town in east London – are among the ten most connected cities in the world. When it comes to Internet access and speed, these ten cities are going above and beyond the status quo in providing the best technology at...read more

13.03.2007
Launch of new European criminology research group
A new criminology network has been formed under the flag of the European Society of Criminology (ESC). The Centre for Criminological Research, University of Sheffield and the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, University of Glasgow will ...read more

12.03.2007
CIVITAS-Plus call for proposals extended
The European Commission has extended the 2007 CIVITAS-Plus call for proposals until 28 June 2007. The call for proposals is open to local consortia of cities who are interested in testing innovative strategies for clean urban transport. In the call, ...read more