News

14.05.2007
EP calls for Europe-wide EU investment in housing
According to a resolution adopted by the European Parliament (EP) on 10 May "housing needs are critical throughout Europe". At the same time, however, only the ten new Member States are able to gain financial support under the Structural Funds. Membe...read more

10.05.2007
EUROCITIES: EU legislations on urban toll systems are unwelcome and counterproductive
EUROCITIES has submitted its contribution to the European Commission’s green paper on urban transport. One of the current ‘hot topics’ in this area is congestion charging. Jacques Barrot, the Transport Commissioner, has welcomed regulations that woul...read more

09.05.2007
“Voluntary work one of the best examples of active European citizenship”
At the end of 2006, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) published an opinion on the role and impact of volunteering in European society. “Voluntary activities are invaluable to society”, comments Ms Erika Koller, member of the EESC. “Th...read more

09.05.2007
Launch of the new ‘Europe for Citizens’ programme
The new ‘Europe for Citizens’ programme will be simultaneously launched on Thursday 10 May in Brussels (Belgium) and Rhodes (Greece). The Europe for Citizens programme promotes the participation of European Union citizens in European issues. One of t...read more

08.05.2007
China on its way to become largest CO2-emitter in the world
This year, China will overtake the United States as the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases – far earlier than thought. The booming Chinese economy and its subsequent growing need for new energy generating plants have led to a staggering increase in ...read more

08.05.2007
European Forum for Urban Safety seeks participants in radicalisation prevention project
The European Forum for Urban Safety (FESU) is to submit a project in the framework of the European Commission programme to prevent violent radicalisation. The main focus of the project will be to encourage an intercultural dialogue, through ongoing t...read more

08.05.2007
“Local authorities are best placed to prevent radicalisation”
Local authorities are best placed to spot and fight radicalisation. In the case of a terrorist incident local authorities are first to curtail the consequences, according to Ciska Scheidel, who works for the Dutch National Coordinator for Counterterr...read more

07.05.2007
Sign up for the European eGovernment Awards
The European eGovernment Awards 2007 for the most outstanding eGovernment solutions are expected to be presented by Viviane Reding, European Commissioner for Information Society and Media. The awards will take place at the fourth ministerial eGovernm...read more

04.05.2007
EU Ministers discuss integration and intercultural dialogue
How can the Member States of the European Union (EU) improve their cooperation on integration? And how can they strengthen the intercultural dialogue? These are the two key questions addressed during the meeting of EU integration Ministers in the Ger...read more

03.05.2007
Urban pedestrians are speeding up
Pedestrians all over the world are moving faster than a decade ago, according to a study into the pace at which people walk in 32 cities across the globe. Walking speeds have increased by an average of 10 percent in the past decade. People in the gre...read more

03.05.2007
RECTIFICATION: Report did not express official view of European Parliament
The EUKN Secretariat has reacted prematurely on the conclusions of the study “Possibilities for Success of the Sustainable Communities Approach and its Implementation” that was presented to and debated by the European Parliament Committee on Regional...read more

02.05.2007
Germany introduces far-reaching measures on buildings’ energy efficiency
At the end of 2007, the German federal government will introduce mandatory energy certificates for existing buildings. This was announced by Mr Wolfgang Tiefensee, the federal minister of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs, at the EU/G8 conference...read more

01.05.2007
Chicago named as “top city of the future”
Chicago has been named as North America’s ‘major city of the future’. Toronto came second in the survey, while Guadalajara was the highest-ranking major Mexican city. Windsor, Ontario, ranked highest among ‘small cities of the future’.read more

01.05.2007
Programme to combat violence against women and children to be approved by European Parliament
The European Parliament (EP) is expected to approve the Daphne III programme during its 21-24 May plenary session in Strasbourg. The Council of the European Union has already adopted the proposal on 5 March 2007. The Daphne programme supports organis...read more

26.04.2007
European Diversity Truck hits the road
The European Diversity Truck hit the road in Strasbourg yesterday and embarked on its tour across Europe. The journey will take in 19 countries, covering more than 18,000 km. Visiting city centres, universities, job fairs, and public festivals, the m...read more

26.04.2007
Startling differences in educational performance of the second generation in Europe
Across Europe, there are wide disparities in the educational achievements of second-generation immigrants. This is revealed by a case study of vocational track pupils with Turkish parents in five European countries (Germany, Austria, The Netherlands,...read more

25.04.2007
Report identifies progress on Lisbon targets – more local involvement needed
It is the EU’s ambition to make Europe the most dynamic and competitive economy in the world by 2010. The British Work Foundation has recently published the report “Knowledge economy in Europe”, measuring Europe’s progress. The report compares the de...read more

25.04.2007
European Center for Migration to manage flow of highly skilled immigrants
The European Centre for Migration Policies has been launched during a round table on high skilled labour flows in Brussels, on 18 April 2007. Its main mission will be to act as the bridge between Europe's local and regional government, and the Europe...read more

18.04.2007
No place for the handicapped in most European taxis
In most European countries less than 10 per cent of the taxi fleet is accessible for wheelchair users. There are more than 45 million disabled people across Europe. Therefore, it is clearly important that accessibility to taxi services should be impr...read more

18.04.2007
OECD presents Territorial Review of the Randstad, the Netherlands
On 11 April 2007, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) published its Territorial Review of the Randstad urban area. The Randstad is the poly-centric urban area in the west of the Netherlands, comprising Amsterdam, Rotterda...read more