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Dr Elisabeth Helander Director Community Initiatives and Innovative Actions DG Regional Policy European Commission. The European Commission and the urban agenda. Commission’s role Urban Pilot Projects and URBAN I Community Initiative URBAN II Community Initiative Urban Audit
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Dr Elisabeth Helander Director Community Initiatives and Innovative Actions DG Regional Policy European Commission
The European Commissionand the urban agenda • Commission’s role • Urban Pilot Projects and URBAN I Community Initiative • URBAN II Community Initiative • Urban Audit • Cohesion Report
Commission’s role • Regional policy through Structural Funds addresses economic development and socio-economic disparities • Disparities between Member States, between regions and within cities • Mainstream SF programmes needed to be supplemented by first Pilot Projects, then Community Initiative • no Common Urban Policy but Commission involvement welcomed and encouraged by local urban authorities
Pilot projects and URBAN I • Pilot projects, phase I, 1990-93 - 33 projects; planned ERDF contribution of 101 MECU • Pilot projects, phase II, 1997-99 - 26 projects; planned ERDF contribution of 63.6 MECU • URBAN I Community Initiative, 1994-1999 - 118 programmes; EC contribution of 891 MECU
Lessons learned • Integrated approach - co-ordination of agencies and levels of government • Involvement of local community • Targeting of resources • Link with regional/wider urban area strategy • Link with EU policies - sustainable development, employment strategy, equal opportunities
Agenda 2000 • Mainstreaming: - increased focus on urban development in Objective 1 & 2 programmes - lessons learned from UPP and URBAN I to be applied in Objective 1 and 2 programmes But: • URBAN II Community Initiative introduced at request of European Parliament and Committee of the Regions
URBAN II • ERDF of €700m for period from 2001 to 2006 • Extended to small and medium sized towns and cities • Support for innovative strategies for sustainable economic and social development • 50 programmes originally envisaged; 70 programmes now expected • 49 draft programmes declared admissible: now under negotiation, with expected approval later in 2001 • Remaining programmes expected to be submitted shortly
Urban Audit • Led by Commission with support and participation of urban authorities throughout Europe • Published in April 2000 • Comparative assessment of quality of life in 58 European Cities • Indicators - socio-economic, civic participation, education and training, environment, culture and leisure • Further info at: www.inforegio.cec.eu.int/urban/audit • Next steps: include London & Paris; refine indicators; include accession countries?
Cohesion Report • Context for future EU interventions in urban matters • Published in February 2001 • Report considers progress towards cohesion - at level of Member State - at level of regions - at level of cities • Includes Accession States • Substantial implications for future of Structural Funds
The Debate • Role of cohesion policy in enlarged EU? • EU policies to be made more coherent? • What modification of cohesion policy needed to take account of enlargement? • Cohesion policy to focus on measures of high Community added value? • Priorities for balanced and sustainable territorial development?
The Debate • How to encourage convergence of poorest regions? • Form of intervention for other regions? • Basis for allocation of funds after 2006 to Member States and regions? • Principles for implementation of EU interventions? • Response to increased needs with regard to cohesion?
The Urban Question: policy issues to be addressed Cities are key location for pursuing cohesion and sustainable development • concentration of economic and social disparities in cities • most acute environmental pressures in cities • cities are economic centres for development of surrounding areas • networks of cities can stimulate balanced territorial development with key role for medium sized towns and cities;
Associated issues • the preventative approach: how to ensure that areas avoid decline. • the role of urban governance in promoting regeneration
Launching the debate Cohesion Forum European Parliament, 21-22 May 2001
“People make cities but cities make citizens” Richard Rogers