News

17.10.2008
Austrian village makes a declaration of energy independence
Güssing, a town in the Burgenland, Austria, has made a declaration of energy independence.read more

15.10.2008
Spend a night in a nuclear bunker in Switzerland
In the Alpine town of Sevelen, two brothers have transformed one of Switzerland's nuclear bunkers into a "zero-star hotel." The outside world is visible only through monitors, and a wheel of fortune determines who gets to shower with warm water. The ...read more

15.10.2008
East London borough praised for tackling child poverty
Tower Hamlets Council has been shortlisted for a prestigious Beacon award for its work in Preventing and tackling child poverty. With the East London borough often cited as one of the country’s most deprived areas, the news is a huge boost for the co...read more

15.10.2008
European cities ensure equality when employing migrants
The European Employment Strategy could emphasise the key role of local authorities in providing more and better jobs for migrants, according to a new report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound)...read more

15.10.2008
New EU information centre in Skopje
The new European Union Information Centre of the EU Mission to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, has been officially opened on 15 October. The centre is located in its new premises on Mito Hadzivasilev Jasmin Street, in Skopje. The Informati...read more

14.10.2008
Mayor of Cape Town wins the 2008 World Mayor Prize
Helen Zille, Executive Mayor of Cape Town and leader of South Africa’s opposition Democratic Alliance, has been awarded the 2008 World Mayor Prize. Commentators supporting her nomination said that in a country devoid of present-day role models, this ...read more

14.10.2008
Researchers target better transport systems for older people
Safer and more effective transport for the elderly is high on the EU agenda, and joining this effort are UK-based researchers who have identified a number of measures that could change the way older people think about transport systems. The 'Older Pe...read more

13.10.2008
Al Gore to open Rotterdam Climate Campus
Former American Vice-President and Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore will open an institute for sustainable and innovative technology in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, on October 14th. The Rotterdam Climate Campus (RCC) focuses on the development of new ...read more

09.10.2008
For sale: the Belfast eco-house that costs nothing to run
Northern Ireland’s first A-rated house was unveiled today. The five-bedroom property in Holywood is the province’s first carbon neutral home, which means it has no running costs. And the lucky home-owner who buys the 2,500 sq ft, high-tech home is se...read more

09.10.2008
Future of cohesion policy debated with regions and cities during the Open Days
Regional policy responses to issues such as innovation, climate change, inter-regional co-operation and the future of EU cohesion policy were debated at the closing session at Parliament of the annual Regions and Cities "Open Days" of 6-9 October. Th...read more

09.10.2008
First salmon caught in Basel in 50 years
A Swiss fisher reeled in a surprise on Sunday. The Swiss environment ministry confirmed Wednesday that the hobby fisher had caught the first salmon seen in Basel for half a century.read more

07.10.2008
"Glasgow's Govanhill’s a breeding ground for exploitation, crime, poor health, and cockroaches"
Govanhill is a district in the city of Glasgow, situated 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It has a population of approximately 8,500 and a rich multicultural mixture. Slum housing in Govanhill has led to the area becoming a "breeding ground" fo...read more

06.10.2008
Launch of Open Days 2008: the annual flagship event of Europe’s Regional Policy
The sixth annual Open Days - European Week of Regions and Cities, organised by the European Commission and EU Committee of the Regions, takes place 6-9 October. Some 7400 European, national and regional policy-makers, experts and representatives of b...read more

06.10.2008
European Commission adopts Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion
The European Commission adopted the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion on October 6th, signalling the start of a major consultation with regional and local authorities, associations, NGOs, civil society and other organisations, aimed at achieving a ...read more

06.10.2008
New Bratislava airport terminal appears on the horizon
Bratislava’s international airport is now one step closer to implementing its ambitious plans to grow into a transport hub able to handle 5 million passengers a year.read more

06.10.2008
35 European cities join race for European Green Capital title 2010 and 2011
From Pamplona in Spain, to Kaunas in Lithuania and all across Europe, major European cities have now embarked on the journey towards a more sustainable future. Since the EU Commission launched the European Green Capital Award in May 2008, 35 cities h...read more

02.10.2008
Berlin Seeks an Afterlife for Historic Airports
What will the afterlife bring? That's the question looming large over two historic airports in Berlin which are soon to close. City planners this week are mulling over the futures of the sprawling Nazi-era Tempelhof airport and its Cold War counterpa...read more

30.09.2008
Call for papers: conference on spatial differentiation in the face of demographic change
In recent times, headlines like "Depopulation in Peripheral Regions", "Rural Areas: Old People´s Homes of Our Society?" or "Cities as Melting Pots?" have been drawing attention to the demographic changes that are now affecting all European countries....read more

30.09.2008
Brussels Capital Region: Prime Minister Charles Picqué looking for identity
Brussels’ Capital Prime Minister Charles Picqué has launched a study into the identity of the Brussels metropolis. The study forms the last phase of the Plan for International Development (PID) which aims to put the Belgian capital more prominently o...read more

23.09.2008
European Commission presents its “health check” on 321 European cities
Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for regional policy, is today presenting the results of the urban audit – a health check on 321 European cities, produced in association with EUROSTAT. The audit is based on 420 000 pieces of statistical information focuss...read more