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Dr Elisabeth Helander Director Community Initiatives and Innovative Actions DG Regional Policy

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

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  1. Dr Elisabeth Helander Director Community Initiatives and Innovative Actions DG Regional Policy European Commission

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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

  6. 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

  7. 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

  8. 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?

  9. Urban Audit - coverage

  10. Urban Audit - Population Densities

  11. Urban Audit - Disparities within Cities

  12. 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

  13. 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?

  14. 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?

  15. 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;

  16. Associated issues • the preventative approach: how to ensure that areas avoid decline. • the role of urban governance in promoting regeneration

  17. Launching the debate Cohesion Forum European Parliament, 21-22 May 2001

  18. “People make cities but cities make citizens” Richard Rogers

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