News

18.03.2010
EU at odds over treaty change for EMF
Policymakers are debating whether a proposed 'European Monetary Fund' would require changes to the EU's Lisbon Treaty, as predicted by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The EU executive believes it would, while politicians on the margins say it would ...read more

15.03.2010
London landmark building will generate 8% of its energy needs
Peering down 148 metres from the top of the latest addition to London's skyline, the traffic-clogged Elephant and Castle roundabout and its notorious neighbour, the Heygate estate, below feel an unlikely location for a world first. But next week, thi...read more

15.03.2010
“Friendly encounters reduce the risk of radicalisation”
A wall separating a Catholic from a Protestant community in Belfast. A logo of the Amal militia spray-painted on a wall in Beirut. Or a police station right next to a mosque in Amsterdam. These are all signs of perceived or real polarisation in today...read more

11.03.2010
BrabantStad EUROCITIES´newest member
BrabantStad Metropolitan Area, an economically thriving region in the south of The Netherlands, is one of EUROCITIES’ newest members. What’s unique about BrabantStad is that it is an alliance of cities formed by Breda, Eindhoven, Helmond, ‘s-Hertogen...read more

10.03.2010
The Europe 2020 Strategy needs local and regional authorities if it is to fully achieve its goals
The Committee of the Regions welcomes the objectives and the form of governance outlined in the Europe 2020 Strategy but stresses that its effectiveness will be limited if local and regional authorities only play an implementing role downstream of th...read more

08.03.2010
Dutch-led renewable energy venture sets standard
Dutch authorities were initially sceptical about funding the Minewater project, but with strong local support this unusual renewable energy initiative succeeded in securing EU regional money and went on to become a blueprint for similar models elsewh...read more

03.03.2010
Spanish unemployment up again
Spain’s job centres got busier in February. The number of people registered as jobless increased by more than 82,000, the seventh consecutive monthly rise. The total is now just over 4.1 million. The Madrid government pointed out the rise was signifi...read more

02.03.2010
Europe must not shirk its social responsibilities
"The CoR calls for additional resources to enable the regions and municipalities to address social exclusion". Facing the social consequences of the economic crisis in their regions and cities, the members of the CoR's ECOS commission yesterday launc...read more

02.03.2010
11 most bicycle friendly cities in the world
Biking is a great way to become intimate with a city and get exercise at the same time. There are many amazing cities for biking throughout the world - these gems allow you to explore the city at ease and safely. The 11 most accessible and bike frien...read more

01.03.2010
More Greek cuts and bail-out details anticipated
EU economy commissioner Olli Rehn is to travel to Greece on Monday (1 March), fueling expectations that further Greek austerity measures in exchange for eurozone financial support could be announced as soon as this week. EU finance ministers are set ...read more

26.02.2010
EU lawmakers call for stricter green rulebook
The European Parliament's environment committee has called on the European Commission to distribute lists of member states that fail to properly implement EU legislation on waste, water and nature protection, arguing that the situation had become "ab...read more

25.02.2010
More European cities sign up to Green Digital Charter
A growing number of Europe’s biggest cities are signing up to ‘EUROCITIES Green Digital Charter’ that commits them to reducing emissions through Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). An official signing ceremony was held on 23 February a...read more

24.02.2010
Verdict on public transport in EU cities: "what is missing most is information"
Clear, visible and understandable information is lacking. This is one of the results of a EuroTest survey on local public transport systems in 23 major European cities. The survey gives an overview of strengths and weaknesses of each of the cities. I...read more

22.02.2010
Around 260 cities are hoping to establish municipal policies to tackle the crisis
Municipal policies to tackle the crisis and their application at EU level will be discussed during the three days of the summit entitled, “Networked Local Governments for a New Europe”, which will bring together representatives from 260 cities in Bar...read more

22.02.2010
Intolerance towards foreigners disaster for Europe
Europe's intolerance towards foreigners threatens its economic future, an article published in Newsweek states. Stefen Theil, author of the article 'The Incredible Shrinking Continent' argues that Europe desperately needs to upgrade its workforce to ...read more

22.02.2010
Participate in the International Awards for Liveable Communities 2010
The LivCom Awards were launched in 1997 and are endorsed by the United Nations Environment Programme. LivCom is the world’s only Awards Competition focussing on best practice regarding the management of the local environment. The objective of LivCom ...read more

18.02.2010
Mayors to sign EUROCITIES charter on migrant integration
The mayors and deputy mayors of Europe’s cities will gather in the UK capital next Monday 22 February to sign a charter setting out their vision on migrant integration. The Charter signing is one feature of the Integrating Cities Conference hosted th...read more

18.02.2010
Bristol - 'UK's Greenest City'
Bristol (UK) was one of the eight selected nominates of the European Green Capital Award 2010/2011. Ever since the nomination the city has benefited extensively from the attention. It has now been labelled the 'UK's Greenest City', and as a result, i...read more

17.02.2010
Celebrating 20 years of EU Urban Policy
EUROCITIES Secretary General Paul Bevan among invited speakers at European Commission celebration of 20 years of urban policy. Looking at the past 20 years of urban development and in particular at how the EU's Cohesion Policy has played a part in he...read more

15.02.2010
EU 2020 strategy must go local, says EU regional chief
The EU's new strategy for growth and jobs will not succeed unless it maintains structural funds and gives regions real responsibility, outgoing Committee of the Regions (CoR) President Luc Van den Brande told EurActiv in an interview. Van den Brande,...read more