News

08.06.2007
"Promote bicycling, walking and public transport to improve chances for poor people"
How can transport policy contribute to the goal of more inclusive cities? What role does the car play in ensuring mobility for all? The German Institute of Urban Affairs (Difu) has recently published a report on “Sustainable Urban Transport and depri...read more

08.06.2007
The House of Cities, Municipalities and Regions opens in Brussels
The House of Cities, Municipalities and Regions was officially inaugurated on 6 June in Brussels. The opening ceremony was performed by Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of institutional relations and communication...read more

07.06.2007
10 million euros to encourage the Intercultural Dialogue – call for tenders opened
The European Union has for many years encouraged intercultural dialogue. However, according to the Commission, today there is a need for a deeper and more structured dialogue of cultures. The European Commission has opened a call for projects that en...read more

06.06.2007
To be inclusive, cities need more investment in public transport
The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) has published a position paper on ‘Tackling social exclusion’. It stresses that more public transport is key to connect socially excluded citizens to the social and economic structures of socie...read more

04.06.2007
Which organisation is the best European public authority?
Bertelsmann Stiftung, Speyer University and the European Group of Public Administration have announced a European award for public administration. The European Public Sector Award (EPSA) will put three public organisations in the lime light. Public a...read more

31.05.2007
Fourth Cohesion Report published – prosperity is spread more evenly over Europe
The European Commission has published its fourth report on economic and social cohesion in the EU on 30 May. The report comes out every three years. The European cohesion policy has proved to be successful over the last years. The EU's economic prosp...read more

30.05.2007
EC launches call to support public ICT projects
On 25 May, the European Commission launched a call for proposals under the Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP). The call concerns the ICT policy support programme (ICT PSP). Local authorities can get support for e-government proj...read more

30.05.2007
“Families need a wide range of services. Only cities can offer these in close proximity.”
The European Commission recently published the communication "Promoting solidarity between the generations". In this communication it is argued that in order to dismantle the ‘demographic time bomb’ now is the time to invest in family friendly polici...read more

25.05.2007
More support needed for SMEs in creative and cultural sector
On 24 May, the European Ministers of Culture adopted 'Conclusions on the contribution the cultural and creative sector makes towards implementing the goals of the Lisbon Strategy'. In the conclusions, the important contribution of the creative and cu...read more

24.05.2007
Informal EU Council meeting on urban policy embraces integral approach
To achieve the objective of sustainable cities, an integral approach to urban issues must be chosen. In addition, the European structural funds should be made available for local projects that embrace this integral approach. This is the most importan...read more

23.05.2007
‘Cities must assist Brussels in helping cities’
Cities must cooperate more closely on a wider range of issues when making their case in Brussels, according to Wim Hafkamp, Scientific Director of the Nicis Institute in The Hague. He comments on the importance of city networking in Europe, the role ...read more

21.05.2007
CoR proposes expert group on new possibilities for territorial cooperation
The Committee of the Regions (CoR) has launched an open call for expression of interest in setting up an expert group on the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC). Local and regional actors are invited to participate to share their expe...read more

21.05.2007
EU to crack down on employment of illegal immigrants
Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini has drawn up a plan to increase the number of companies that are annually inspected for the employment of illegal immigrants. Frattini is concerned about the immigrants' welfare and the stream of arou...read more

16.05.2007
World Competitiveness Yearbook: Luxembourg is most competitive EU country
European Union member states have mixed results when it comes to how competitive they are, according to a new world competitiveness report. In the country ranking, there are no EU states among the top three on the list, which sees the US as the world...read more

16.05.2007
European Parliament votes for more options in public transport contracting
At a second reading vote, the European Parliament (EP) generally approved new European Union (EU) rules on public transport by rail and by road. Over the past years, the private sector has become more involved in public transport. The new rules refle...read more

16.05.2007
Eco industries: a better environment, more jobs and more growth
Eco-industries generate 2.1 per cent of the European Gross Domestic Product and currently sustain 3.5 million full-time jobs. This is noted in the European Commission’s 2005-2006 review of the Environmental Technologies Action Plan (ETAP). It is esti...read more

15.05.2007
European strategy for culture to improve economy, integration and international relations
On 10 May the European Commission (EC) adopted a Communication on the role of culture in a globalising world. It proposes the first-ever European strategy for culture. The policy statement affirms the central role of culture in the process of Europea...read more

14.05.2007
EC: Europe needs bigger families and working moms to maintain competitiveness
On 10 May 2007, the European Commission (EC) has adopted a communication on 'Promoting solidarity between the generations'. In this communication, the Commission is urging action on better gender-equality policies and support for families. Action is ...read more

14.05.2007
CEMR: Strong level of subsidiarity must be respected in urban transport
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has published a position paper on the European Commission’s Green Paper on urban transport. In its paper, the CEMR emphasises the local nature of urban transport policies: the local actors are...read more

14.05.2007
EU Ministers agree to intensify cooperation on integration and intercultural dialogue
At their meeting in Potsdam, Germany, on 10-11 May, the EU Ministers responsible for integration and intercultural dialogue have agreed to greater cooperation in these fields. Exchanging information and experience is key in this cooperation. The role...read more