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 • 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?

Urban Audit - coverage

Urban Audit - Population Densities

Urban Audit - Disparities within Cities

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