Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - Towards a thematic strategy on the urban environment
Date: 2004-02-11
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU policy, environmental policy, environmental protection, sustainable development, town planning, town-planning scheme, urban area, urban transport

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 11.02.2004
COM(2004)60 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL,
 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

Towards a thematic strategy on the urban environment

.

EN

  EN

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.

2.

2.1.

2.2.

2.3.

2.4.

3.

3.1.

3.2.

3.3.

4.

5.

5.1.

5.2.

6.

Introduction and Overview .......................................................................................... 3

Priority Themes............................................................................................................ 6

Sustainable Urban Management .................................................................................. 6

Sustainable urban transport ........................................................................................ 12

Sustainable construction............................................................................................. 20

Sustainable urban design............................................................................................ 24

Towards A More Integrated Approach ...................................................................... 31

Horizontal integration within Community Policies ................................................... 32

Horizontal integration within Community Environmental Policy............................. 33

Integration between the different levels of administration. ....................................... 34

Indicators, Data, Targets and Reports ........................................................................ 36

Supporting the Mainstreaming of Good Practice at Local Level............................... 39

Local authorities......................................................................................................... 39

The role of the citizen ................................................................................................ 40

Next Steps .................................................................................................................. 41

Annex 1: Urban Environment Policy Development ................................................................ 42

Annex 2: A European Vision for Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Urban Management,

Transport, Construction and Design .......................................................................... 44

Annex 3: Examples of Research or Demonstration Projects and Initiatives Financed

by the Commission in Support of Sustainable Urban Management, Transport,
Construction and Design ............................................................................................ 47

Annex 4: EU Transport Council Definition of Sustainable Transport..................................... 50

Annex 5: Examples of the Use of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund for

Sustainable Urban Development................................................................................ 51

Annex 6: The Urban Environment in Environmental Policy................................................... 53

2

 
1. 

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

Some  80%  of  Europe’s  citizens  live  in  urban  areas1  and  it  is  here  that  the  effects  of  many
environmental problems are felt most strongly. Noise, poor air quality, heavy traffic, neglect
of  the  built  environment,  poor  environmental  management  and  a  lack  of  strategic  planning
lead  to  health  problems  and  a  lower  quality  of  life.  If  we  want  to  tackle  the  major
environment-related  health  problems  in  Europe,  it  follows  that  we  have  to  bring  about  a
marked improvement in the urban environment and quality of life. In many areas citizens are
turning their  back  on  their  towns  and  cities,  preferring  to  live  on  the  edges  instead  because
they  rightly  feel  that  their  well-bring  is  affected  by  urban  pollution.  This  urban  sprawl
generates higher levels of traffic and the problems then reinforce each other with the focus of
activity  being  on  the  periphery  rather  than  on  the  weakening  heart  of  the  city.  An  ever
increasing  number  of  urban  areas  show  these  symptoms  of  excess  strain.  It  is  therefore  not
surprising  that  “pollution  in  towns  and  cities”  is  the  image  Europeans  most  frequently
associate with the environment2.

The failure to give sufficient consideration to the environmental implications of decisions and
a failure to plan systematically for a high quality urban environment are among the principal
causes of the current situation, with consequences both for the environment and for the city’s
economy and its citizens. Planning for a high level of environmental protection is one of the
key  elements  to  achieving  the  sustainable  development  of  cities  and  to  providing  a  high
quality of life for Europe’s urban citizens.

The  Thematic  Strategy  on  the  Urban  Environment  constitutes  an  important  step  towards
realising this aim, building on a series of initiatives that have contributed to the development
of  Europe’s  policy  on  the  urban  environment  (see  Annex  1).  It  is  part  of  the  European
Community’s  Sixth  Environment  Action  Programme  “Environment  2010:  Our  Future,  Our
Choice”3, and is one of seven thematic strategies in the Programme introduced to provide a
holistic approach to key environmental issues that are characterised by their complexity, the
diversity of actors concerned and the need for innovative and multiple solutions. As set out in
the Sixth Environment Action Programme, the Thematic Strategy on the Urban Environment
has the objective of:

“ … promoting an integrated horizontal approach across Community policies and improving
the  quality  of  urban  environment,  taking  into  account  progress  made  in  implementing  the
existing co-operation framework, reviewing it where necessary, and addressing:

– 

– 

– 

– 

1

2

3

the promotion of Local Agenda 21;

the reduction of the link between economic growth and passenger transport demand;

the need for an increased share in public transport, rail, inland waterways, walking
and cycling modes;

the need to tackle rising volumes of traffic and bring about a significant decoupling
of transport growth and GDP growth;

Urban areas in the broad sense (agglomeration), covering all types of urban settlements.
Eurobarometer 58.0 “Attitudes towards the environment” December 2000.
Decision No 1600/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 July 2002 laying down
the Sixth Environmental Action Programme (OJ L242, 10.9.2002, p. 1).

3

 
                                                
– 

– 

the need to promote the use of low emission vehicles in public transports;

the consideration of urban environment indicators.”

Overall Aim of the Urban Environment Thematic Strategy

To improve the environmental performance and quality of urban areas and to secure a healthy
living environment for Europe’s urban citizens, reinforcing the environmental contribution to
sustainable  urban  development  while  taking  into  account  the  related  economic  and  social
issues.

All of Europe’s towns and cities need to tackle the environmental problems that they face and
making this happen systematically is the key goal of the Strategy. However, it will not dictate
the  solutions  and  targets  that  they  should  adopt  since  no  two  urban  areas  are  the  same.
Instead,  the  Strategy  will  set  in  place  a  strong  framework  to  contribute  to  the  better
management of the urban environment and the widespread adoption  of best practice.  At the
same time it will support towns and cities in their difficult but vital role as key actors, closest
to the problems, drawing on the experience, initiatives and technological innovations of those
that are more advanced.

Many of the problems facing Europe’s towns and cities are common ones and there are clear
opportunities  at  the  European  level  to  develop,  share  and  facilitate  the  implementation  of
appropriate solutions. A wide range of Community policies, actions and funding programmes
are tackling these problems, but mostly as separate exercises without considering the specific
needs of the urban context or the potential synergies between them. Much can be achieved by
a  more  integrated  and  focused  approach  using  existing  instruments  and  initiatives,  and
through enhanced co-operation and co-ordination at all levels of Government. The Thematic
Strategy will therefore promote a consistent and integrated approach, establishing a European
vision for sustainable cities (see Annex 2) and taking into account the specific circumstances
of the Acceding and Candidate Countries.

Europe’s towns and cities must be revitalised. They must be attractive, healthy, high quality
places  to  live  in  that  allow  their  communities  and  their  economies  to  flourish.  The
environment must be at the heart of this process. The aim of the Strategy is to focus on the
urban environment while taking into account the related and dynamic links with the economic
and social issues, reinforcing the environmental contribution to the sustainable  development
of urban areas. It will consider the urban environment in its widest possible sense and include
the  important  associated  health  implications  of  environmental  problems.  The  closely  linked
Communication on Environment and Health4 will play  an  important  role  in  establishing  the
causal  links  between  these.  The  Strategy  will  also  consider  quality  of  life  issues  for  urban
inhabitants and their communities, and will adopt an ecosystems approach5. Whilst the focus
will inevitably be on the urban area itself, the importance of the wider, regional and national
context will not be overlooked.

4

5

COM(2003) 338 final.
Ecosystems  thinking  emphasises  the  city  as  a  complex  system  which  is  characterised  by  continuous
processes  of  change  and  development.  It  regards  aspects  such  as  energy,  natural  resources  and  waste
production  as  flows  or  chains.  Maintaining,  restoring,  stimulating  and  closing  the  flows  or  chains
contributes to sustainable development.

4

 
                                                
This Communication  “Towards  a Thematic  Strategy  on  the  Urban Environment” is the first
phase in the preparation of the final Strategy due in the summer of 2005. The initial ideas and
approaches presented here are the results of consultations with cities and other stakeholders,
independent expert working groups and the EU Expert Group on the Urban Environment. The
contributions  from  these  groups  are  available  on  the  Commission’s  urban  environment
website6.

Overview of the actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy

The following overview presents the outcome of extensive consultations. This Communication
and  the  actions  it  proposes  will  be  subject  to  a  second  round  of  consultations  in  2004,
including  discussions  with  the  EU  institutions,  the  EU  Expert  Group  on  the  Urban
Environment  and  different  stakeholder  groups,  as  well  as  an  open  internet  consultation.  In
addition, technical working groups composed of experts and stakeholders will be organised to
examine  in  further  detail  the  key  actions  proposed,  their  feasibility  and  how  they  would
contribute to improving the urban environment. The final Thematic Strategy will be proposed
in  mid-2005,  taking  into  account  the  stakeholder  consultations  and  the  results  of  these
working groups.

The aim is to contribute at the EU level to the development of a strong framework which will
bring about local initiatives based on best practice, leaving the choice of solutions and targets
to the local decision makers. Key elements in this framework are that capital cities and urban
agglomerations  of  more  than  100,000  inhabitants  (i.e.  the  EU  25’s  largest  500  towns  and
cities)  should  adopt  an  urban  environment  management  plan  with  objectives  to  achieve  a
sustainable  urban  environment,  and  should  implement  an  appropriate  environmental
management system to manage its delivery. In addition, these towns and cities should develop
and implement a sustainable urban transport plan. The Commission believes that there could
be  requirements  at  the  EU  level  to  this  effect.  These  points  will  be  the  subject  of  further
consultations in 2004, amongst others in the context of the specific working groups described
above.

In  order  to  provide  support  and  better  integration,  all  Member  States  will  be  encouraged  to
adopt  national  and  regional  urban  environment  strategies,  linking  to  national  sustainable
development  plans,  and  to  nominate  national  and/or  regional  Focal  Points  for  the  Urban
Environment to promote best practice and support towns and cities in delivering a sustainable
and healthy urban environment.

The Commission will continue to support urban environment initiatives, as well as developing
recommendations, guidelines, indicators, data, standards, evaluation techniques, training and
other actions of a more technical support nature to help towns and cities  assess and manage
different aspects of their environment.

The  European  Environment  Agency  will  report  on  the  state  of  the  urban  environment  and
ensure  access  to  data  on  the  urban  environment  to  provide  better  information  to  the  policy
makers,  the  public  and  other  key  actors,  and  to  guide  and  monitor  the  progress  of  the
Thematic Strategy.

6

www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/thematic_strategy.htm

5

 
                                                
In further developing the Thematic Strategy, the Commission will work in close partnership
with all the stakeholders concerned and will foster a dialogue with them. The Strategy has to
build  on  a  common  commitment  by  the  Community,  the  Member  States,  regions  and  of
course  the  cities  themselves  to  improve  the  urban  environment.  The  aim  of  this
Communication is to present this first analysis for a second  round  of  consultations in 2004.
The Commission invites contributions to the ideas and approaches presented.  To  this  end, a
series  of  stakeholder  consultation  exercises  and  technical  working  groups  will  be  set  up  in
2004  to  examine  in  further  detail  the  actions  proposed,  their  feasibility  and  how  they  will
contribute to improving the urban environment (see section 6). A wide range of stakeholders
and experts, including representatives of Member States, Acceding and Candidate Countries,
regions,  cities,  enterprises,  NGOs  and  academics  will  be  involved.  Stakeholders  can  also
comment directly7 (deadline 15 April 2004). The final Thematic Strategy will be proposed in
mid-2005, taking into account the stakeholder consultations and the results of these working
groups.

2. 

PRIORITY THEMES

In  order  to  fulfil  the  mandate  set  out  in  the  Sixth  Environmental  Action  Programme,  the
Thematic Strategy for the Urban Environment will focus on four cross-cutting themes which
are essential to the long-term sustainability of towns and cities, which have clear connections
to the economic and social pillars of sustainable development and where the most significant
progress can be achieved. These themes, which have been determined in consultation with the
EU  Expert  Group  on  the  Urban  Environment  and  other  stakeholders,  are  sustainable  urban
management,  sustainable  urban  transport,  sustainable  construction  and  sustainable  urban
design.  The  themes  are  presented  separately  but  clearly  have  strong  interactions.  Other
priority themes will be identified and addressed at a later stage, in line with the incremental
approach of the Thematic Strategies.

2.1. 

Sustainable Urban Management

2.1.1.  What makes sustainable urban management a priority

Urban  areas  perform  many  functions  for  their  inhabitants  and  those  that  use  them.  These
include  housing,  employment,  access  to  goods  and  services,  cultural  activities  and  social
interaction.  To  provide  and  support  these  functions,  urban  areas  have  many  different  static
elements such as buildings, infrastructure, green space, abandoned and derelict land, as well
as dynamic elements such as transport, water, air, energy and waste.

Each of these functions and elements has an environmental impact that will contribute to the
overall  environmental  impact  of  the  city.  However,  the  different  policies  at  different
administrative levels that address these elements often act in isolation from each other, being
managed  by  different  administrative  departments.  The  environmental  implications  of  policy
decisions are often not sufficiently considered. Reducing these environmental impacts whilst
ensuring  a  vibrant  economy  and  a  healthy,  equitable  society  is  a  goal  of  sustainable
development.  However,  many  municipalities  do  not  give  a  sufficiently  high  priority  to
improving the environmental performance and quality of their town.

7

www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/thematic_strategy.htm

6

 
                                                
A high quality  and  healthy  urban  environment  is  unlikely  to  emerge  spontaneously  through
the  multitude  of  decisions  taken  independently  by  the  different  authorities,  businesses  and
individuals  active  in  the  different  sectors  of  an  urban  area.  A  clear  vision  and  an  overall
strategy and action plan to achieve agreed  objectives  and  targets  are  necessary  to  provide  a
framework  to  guide  and  steer  daily  management  decisions.  These  must  be  at  the  heart  of  a
municipality’s  activities,  rather  than  seen  as  additional  tasks  on  top  of  their  normal
responsibilities.  This  involves  making  decisions  in  different  ways  so  that  the  traditional
barriers  both  between  neighbouring  municipalities  and  between  administrative  units  within
local  authorities  are  broken  down  to  achieve  more  integrated  decision  making.  Changes  in
attitude  are  equally  important  and  public  participation  and  the  active  role  of  the  citizen,
transparency  of  decision  making  and  accountability  are  key  elements  of  sustainable  urban
management. Annex 2 proposes a European vision for sustainable urban management.

An example of good practice in environmental management planning

Stockholm adopted its first environmental programme in the mid-1970s. Its fifth8 was adopted in 2003 following
a  comprehensive  environmental  survey  of  Stockholm  and  extensive  consultation  of  the  public  sector  bodies,
citizens,  companies  and  associations.  The  programme  is  managed  within  Stockholm’s  integrated  management
system,  with  regular  environmental  audits  and  reporting.  It  establishes  six  priority  goals,  relating  to  the
environment and people’s health, broken down into a total of 43 quantitative and qualitative subsidiary goals to
be achieved by 2006, each identifying the bodies responsible and the  key  indicators  used to monitor progress.
The  priority  goals  are  environmentally  efficient  transport,  safe  products,  sustainable  energy  consumption,
ecological  planning  and  management,  environmentally  efficient  waste  processing  and  a  healthy  indoor
environment. An example of a subsidiary goal is that the consumption of fossil fuels for heating will be reduced
by 20% through connection to district heating.

The importance of sustainable urban management  at  the local level has been recognised  for
some time. The 1992 Earth Summit recognised that local municipalities have a particular role
in helping to achieve sustainable development and established Local Agenda 21 (LA 21). This
calls for municipalities to prepare strategies, through a dialogue with their citizens, enterprises
and  other  stakeholders,  for  the  sustainable  development  of  their  area.  Europe  is  the  world
leader  in  LA  21  with  over  5,000  municipalities  committed  to  the  process9.  The  Local
Authorities'  Self  Assessment  of  Local  Agenda  21  (LASALA)  research  project10,  involving
over 250 local authorities across Europe, reports that the LA 21 process has been  extremely
effective  in  securing  changes  in  attitudes,  understanding  and  practice  at  the  local  level,
including a better implementation of environmental legislation.

However, despite  this relative success,  take  up  of  LA  21  across  Europe  is  very  uneven  and
there is evidence that the implementation of LA 21 strategies is starting to falter even in the
countries where it has been most enthusiastically supported. The environmental performance
of Europe's towns and cities vary considerably (see Figure 1)11, and many local authorities are
not tackling their environmental problems systematically. The LA 21 processes that do exist
vary widely in their scope and level of ambition, with little monitoring of the effectiveness of
their implementation. Only a few Member States have institutionalised the LA 21 approach in
law  to  overcome  some  of  these  shortcomings  and  mainstream  the  adoption  of  urban
environmental management strategies (Denmark and the UK are examples).

8

9

10

11

www.tyckom.stockholm.se.
Second Local Agenda 21 Survey (ICLEI) 2002.
http://www.iclei.org/europe/LASALA/
Reported 
by  Best  Foot  Forward
(www.bestfootforward.com).  The  more  sustainable  the  city,  the  smaller  the  ecological  footprint
per citizen.

ecological 

footprints 

collated 

results 

study 

for 

7

 
                                                
A stronger framework at the European level is therefore necessary to revitalise and generalise
the  environmental  management  of  Europe’s  largest  towns  and  cities.  This  will  also  bring
benefits for the other three priority themes under consideration (see sections 2.4).

Figure 1 - Ecological Footprints of Selected European 
Towns and Cities

Hectares per 
Person

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2.1.2.  Current community initiatives on sustainable urban management

The  EU  has  developed  a  comprehensive  environmental  management  tool,  the  voluntary
Environmental  Management  and  Audit  Scheme  (EMAS)12.  Since  its  revision  in  2001,  over
500  public  organisations,  of  which  110  are  local  authorities,  have  achieved  EMAS
registration.  While  originally  conceived  to  generate  a  continuous  improvement  of  the
environmental  performance  of  the  daily  activities  within  organisations,  in  the  case  of  local
authorities  the  scheme  also  provides  a  system  that  facilitates  the  management  of  their
statutory environmental duties and non-statutory initiatives in a co-ordinated, systematic and
auditable  manner.  It  enables  them  to  analyse  their  direct  and  indirect  impact  on  the
environment,  such  as  their  land  use  planning  decisions  and  selection  of  contractors.  It  also
requires  local  authorities  to  take  account  of  interested  parties’  concerns  (e.g.  community
associations)  and  to  be  more  accountable  to  them  by  reporting  on  their  environmental
activities.

The  Commission  and  the  Council  of  European  Municipalities  and  Regions  (CEMR)  have
launched  a  campaign  to  encourage  local  authorities  to  use  EMAS.  Initial  experience  has
shown that it is an applicable and useful tool for municipalities, that is sufficiently flexible to
address  the  key  environmental  issues  of  towns  and  cities,  helps  set  priorities,  stimulates
learning about the environmental issues, improves reporting and helps implement LA21.

12

Regulation  (EC)  No  761/2001  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  allowing  voluntary
participation  by  organisations  in  a  Community  eco-management  and  audit  scheme  (EMAS)
(OJ L 114, 24.4.2001, p. 1).

8

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                
Examples of good practice in the use of environmental management systems

Since  1997,  Leicester  City  Council13  (UK)  has  been  using  EMAS  to  improve  its  own  environmental
performance.  Since  2003,  they  have  extended  the  scope  of  their  system  to  manage  the  environmental
performance of Leicester City itself, in particular focusing on aspects that have a high community profile. They
have  set  ambitious  targets  for  the  energy  efficiency  ratings  of  homes,  reducing  car  trips  to  the  city  centre,
reducing  car  journeys  to  schools,  raising  environmental  awareness,  reducing  construction  waste,  developing  a
local standard for sustainable construction, and making the streets clean of litter.

The Netherlands has adopted the objective that all public authorities, including local ones, should have in place
an  environmental  management  system  (EMAS,  ISO  14001  or  equivalent)  by  the  end  of  200414.  In  November
2002, Den Bosch was the first Dutch city to achieve ISO 14001 certification.

As well as supporting a series of research projects to provide tools that urban authorities need
to manage their urban areas, in particular through the City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage
research programme15 (Annex 3), the Commission promotes the adoption of Local Agenda 21
by  financially  supporting  various  networks  of  cities  that  are  committed  to  the  initiative  and
promote it across Europe (see section 5.1).

The Commission has been active in providing other management tools to municipalities such
as the European Common Indicators and the Ecological Footprint Tool (see also section 4). A
number  of  European  Directives  also  create  obligations  with  respect  to  the  management  of
different  sectors  of  the  urban  environment,  such  as  air,  noise  and  water.  These  are
summarised in Annex 6.

2.1.3.  Further measures needed to achieve widespread sustainable urban management

The European Sustainable Cities Report16 “strongly advocates the development of  city-wide
strategies  for  sustainable  urban  management”.  Similarly,  the  Local  Authorities'  Self
Assessment of Local Agenda 21 project called for LA21 to be placed on a firmer and longer
term  basis  so  that  it  can  become  embedded  into  the  practices  and  procedures  of  European
local  government,  and  the  Plan  of  Implementation  of  the  World  Summit  on  Sustainable
Development  calls  for  measures  to  strengthen  institutional  arrangements  on  sustainable
development, including at the local level, within the framework of Agenda 21.

In  the  long-term,  active  and  integrated  management  of  environmental  issues  for  the  whole
urban area is the only way to achieve a high quality and healthy urban environment. Explicit
environmental targets, actions and monitoring programmes that link environment policies to
economic and social policies are required.

Urban municipalities therefore  need to  put  in  place  an  environmental  management  plan.  To
ensure  its  implementation  and  monitor  its  progress,  they  need  to  adopt  an  appropriate
environmental management system.

13

14

15

16

www.leicester.gov.uk/
“Met preventie naar duurzaam ondernemen – een programma voor en door overheden 2001-2005”.
www.cordis.lu/eesd/ka4/home.html
ISBN 92-827-8259-X (1996).

9

 
                                                
The Commission believes that a corresponding requirement could be set at the EU level that
would  apply  to  all  capital  cities  and  towns  and  cities  of  more  than  100,000  inhabitants,
covering  the  500  largest  towns  and  cities  in  the  EU  25.  This  point  will  be  the  subject  of
further  consultations  in  2004,  amongst  others  in  the  context  of  a  specific  working  group  of
experts and stakeholders.

The proposed requirement would oblige the adoption of such a plan and the implementation
of  an  appropriate  environmental  management  system.  The  procedures  could  include,  for
instance, the need to consult citizens, businesses and other stakeholders, the need to set targets
(decided at the local level), and the need to monitor and communicate progress. It would not
be  the  intention  of  the  Commission  to  monitor  the  details  of  these  management  plans,  but
rather that they become an integral part of urban governance.

Existing EU Directives already require the authorities of urban agglomerations to manage air
quality17 and environmental noise18, as well as to participate in the management of their river
basin19  (see  Annex  6).  The  proposed  requirement  would  provide  an  opportunity  for  the
municipality to combine the management of these obligations and other environmental issues
within a unified environmental management plan.

The plan could address the key issues such as energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions,
water  use  and  treatment,  waste,  noise,  air  quality,  nature  and  biodiversity,  transport  and
mobility,  design,  natural and man-made  risks,  sustainable  construction, related  health  issues
and  the  quality  of  life  as  a  whole.  As  urban  areas  often  extend  beyond  the  municipality's
administrative boundaries, the plan would apply to the whole urban area and may require co-
operation between neighbouring administrations (see also section 3.3).

In line with the EU better governance agenda, these environmental management plans would
increase  the  co-operation  between  different  levels  of  government  (local,  regional  and
national),  between  different  departments  within 
local  administrations,  and  between
neighbouring  administrations,  as  well  as  increasing  citizen  and  stakeholder  participation.
They would address other gaps and defects in current environmental management such as the
lack  or  under-use  of  data  and  management  tools,  over-emphasis  on  project-based
development rather than on a coherent sustainable development policy and the separation of
planning and implementation.

They would help overcome the short-term planning driven by the political process, providing
the  necessary  continuity  for  a  municipality’s  environment  policy  between  successive
administrations. Long-term challenges, such as the consequences of climate change, need to
be considered and require integrated long-term planning in order to take into account all the
relevant factors and their complex interactions, and to deliver sustainable solutions.

17

18

19

Council Directive 96/62/EC of 27 September 1996 on ambient air quality assessment and management
(OJ L 296, 21.11.1996, p. 55).
Directive 2002/49/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25  June  2002  relating  to  the
assessment and management of environmental noise (OJ L 189, 18.7.2002, p. 12).
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a
framework for Community action in the field of water policy (OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1).

10

 
                                                
Environmental management plans would also help place the largest 500 European cities on a
more  comparable  footing  with  respect  to  their  environmental  initiatives  and  obligations.  At
present, these vary considerably, with some cities significantly more proactive than others and
with  Member  States  setting  different  degrees  and  types  of  obligation.  The  adoption  and
implementation  of  environmental  management  plans  in  a  large  number  of  towns  and  cities
would  mean  that  economic  competition  between  them  would  become  less  of  a  barrier  to
promoting  a  high  quality  and  healthy  urban  environment.  Towns  and  cities  would  instead
increasingly attract business and new citizens on the basis of the quality of life that they offer.

A  comprehensive  environmental  management  system  would  be  needed  to  accompany  the
environmental  management  plan  and  to  allow  the  analysis,  monitoring  and  forecasting
required to review the plan on a regular basis. It would also assist municipalities in complying
with national and European environmental legislation (such as those relating to air quality and
noise) and ensuring effective enforcement, traditionally a weak area of environmental law. In
this  respect,  a  comprehensive  system,  such  as  EMAS,  guides  local  administrations  into  a
continual process of environmental policy definition, target setting, monitoring, auditing and
reporting.  The  environmental  situation  is  reviewed,  leading  to  the  definition  of  an
environmental  policy  in  consultation  with  the  personnel,  citizens,  economic  operators  and
other stakeholders. The management system is then installed, which involves distributing the
responsibilities,  training  employees,  establishing  documentation,  selecting  a  series  of
environmental  objectives  and  targets  (which  can  be  as  ambitious  as  the  authority  judges
appropriate), defining a programme of actions to meet these targets, allocating resources and
putting in place an auditing system to collect the relevant data and monitor the system and the
progress in meeting the targets. An environmental statement is then made publicly available
and  annually  updated.  Importantly,  an  environmental  management  system  installed  in
accordance  with  EMAS  or  ISO  14001  is  verified  by  an  independent  external  verifier  or
certifier.

As  the  European  Sustainable  Cities  Report  highlighted,  different  actions  are  required  to
remove  political,  structural  and  technical  barriers  to  adopting  a  holistic  and  integrated
approach.  Environmental  management  plans  and  management  systems  would  do  much  to
achieve this but other actions are also necessary. Integrated decision making requires different
ways  of  working  within  municipalities  and  this  can  mean  significant  changes  in  the
organisation and structure of decision making. It is also important to establish adequate links
with regional and national strategies and to provide better information and support for towns
and  cities.  Proposals  for  action  on  these  issues  are  contained  in  section  3.3.  The  role  of
indicators to measure progress and influence decision-making is discussed in section 4.

The training of officials and elected representatives in municipalities is important to create an
understanding of urban environmental issues and their links with social and economic factors.
The Commission will consider whether training programmes such as Leonardo da Vinci can
be  used  to  support  the  development  of  the  relevant  skills  and  understanding,  and  other
mechanisms for the continued promotion of good practice and exchange of experience will be
explored (see also section 5.1).

11

 
 Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Sustainable urban management

Each capital city and every other city and town of over 100.000 inhabitants should adopt an
environmental management plan for the urban area as a whole, together with targets related to
the key environmental impacts, and should implement an environmental management system
to manage this process and deliver these objectives. The Commission believes that there could
be  a  requirement  at  the  EU  level  to  this  effect.  This  point  will  be  the  subject  of  further
consultations  in  2004, amongst others in  the context  of  a  specific  working  group  of  experts
and stakeholders.

The Commission will develop guidelines for the implementation by local authorities of such
management systems. Member States will be encouraged to ensure that local authorities have
the  necessary  support,  such  as  training  and  advice  to  implement  an  environmental
management system.

The Commission will explore opportunities for training, research and exchange of experience
on sustainable urban management.

2.2. 

Sustainable urban transport

2.2.1.  What makes sustainable urban transport a priority

Urban  transport  systems  are  critical  elements  of  the  urban  fabric.  They  ensure  that  people
have  access  to  goods,  services,  employment  and  recreation  opportunities,  that  freight
circulates efficiently and they enable local economies to flourish. However, if the high density
of buildings is the first defining characteristic of towns and cities, then high volumes of traffic
is  now  the  second.  Traffic  has  significant  impacts  on  the  environment  and  on  the  health  of
urban citizens, as well as on the overall quality of life in towns. Rising congestion levels are
hampering  mobility,  with  increasing  costs  for  the  economy  (0.5%  of  Community  GDP  for
road traffic congestion, rising to 1% by 201020).

20

COM(2001) 370 European transport policy for 2010: time to decide.

12

 
                                                
Nearly all (97%) of Europe’s urban citizens are exposed to air pollution levels that exceed EU
21. Motorised
quality objectives for particulates, 44% for ground-level ozone and 14% for NO2
traffic is a major source of these and other air pollutants. Substantial progress has been made
in tackling emissions from individual motor vehicles, contributing to reductions in the urban
concentrations  of  PM10  (particles  less  than  10  micrometers  in  size),  NOx  and  other  ozone
precursors.  However,  hotspots  continue  to  be  a  problem,  and  the  growing  overall  levels  of
motorised  transport  in  urban  areas  are  to  some  extent  offsetting  this  progress.  The
concentration of PM10 has stopped decreasing since 1999 and the concentrations of ozone are
now increasing22. As indicated in the 2002 Transport and Environment Reporting Mechanism
report, “Current measures will further improve urban  air  quality,  but  in  2010,  the  European
urban  population  will  still  be  exposed  regularly  to  high  concentrations  of  air  pollutants”.
Increases  in  urban  traffic  will  also  counteract  efforts  being  made  to  reduce  greenhouse  gas
emissions. If nothing is done to reverse the traffic growth trend, CO2 emissions from transport
can be expected to increase by around 40% by 2010 compared to 1990. Urban traffic accounts
for 40% of transport-related CO2 emissions.

A  number  of  studies  suggest  that  the  consequences  for  the  health  of  urban  citizens  are
considerable.  For  example,  a  study23  using  PM10  as  an  indicator  of  the  air  pollution  level,
concluded that  the impact of  traffic-related  air  pollution  on  public  health  in  Austria,  France
and Switzerland is responsible for more than 21,000 premature deaths per year, as well as for
more than 25,000  new  cases  of chronic bronchitis in adults, more  than  290,000  episodes  of
bronchitis  in  children,  more  than  half  a  million  asthma  attacks,  and  more  than  16  million
person-days of restricted activities. The related economic costs of traffic-related air pollution
are estimated to amount to 1.7% of GDP24. This study is based on data collected in a range of
studies  carried  out  in  the  1990s,  and  so  does  not  take  into  account  the  recent  substantial
progress due to emission controls,  but  nevertheless  gives  an  idea  of  the  potential  range  and
scale  of  the  effects.  The  APHEIS  research  project25,  conducted  in  26  cities  in  12  European
countries, estimated that reducing long-term  exposure  to  outdoor  concentrations  of  PM10  by
just  5  µg/m3  would  prevent  some  19  premature  deaths  per  100,000  inhabitants  per  year,
which is 1.5 times the annual rate of traffic fatalities. There is therefore a considerable health
and economic benefit in reducing the emissions from urban traffic.

The high level of motorised urban transport also contributes to the increasingly sedentary life-
styles  with  a  range  of  negative  effects  on  health  and  life-expectancy,  notably  in  relation  to
cardio-vascular disease. Cycling for 30 minutes per day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular
disease by as much as half, yet more than half the trips under 5 km are made by car. A recent
study calculated that a 10% shift from cars to cycling and walking in London might save 100
early deaths and 1,000 hospital admissions each year26.

21

22

23

24

25

26

EEA TERM 2002 report.
EEA report on Air Pollution in Europe 1990-2000.
The Lancet, Volume 356, Number 9232, 02 September 2000 Title: Public-health impact of outdoor and
traffic-related  air  pollution:  a  European  assessment  Authors:  N  Künzli,  R  Kaiser,  S  Medina,  M
Studnicka, O Chanel, P Filliger, M. Herry, F Horak Jr, V Puybonnieux-Texier, P Quénel, J Schneider,
RSeethaler, J-C Vergnaud, H Sommer.
WHO: “Health costs due to road traffic related air pollution. An impact assessment project for Austria,
France and Switzerland.” June 1999.
www.apheis.net; Air Pollution and Health: A European Information System – Health impact assessment
of air pollution in 26 cities, 2nd year report 2000-2001.
Transport in London and the Implications for Health, Soderland N, Ferguson J, McCarthy M (1999)

13

 
                                                
There are still an unacceptably high number of injuries and deaths due to traffic accidents in
towns and cities. Two thirds of the 1.3 million traffic accidents in the EU in 2000 that led to
injuries  took  place  in  urban  areas27  and  one  fatal  accident  in  two.  Road  accidents  are
estimated to cost 2% of the Community GNP.

Noise in urban areas is also a serious and  growing problem and 80% of it comes from  road
traffic. At least 100 million people in Europe in agglomerations or in the vicinity of transport
infrastructures are exposed to road traffic noise levels above the WHO recommended level of
55 dB(A)28. This  causes  serious annoyance  and  has  negative  effects  on  sleep  and  quality of
life. Some 40 million people are exposed to levels above 65 dB(A), the level at which noise is
seriously  detrimental  to  health.  Reductions  in  the  volume  of  traffic  and  better  fluidity,
combined  with  tighter  limits  at  the  source,  would  reduce  noise  levels  in  urban  areas
significantly.

Traffic is perceived as one of the key factors compromising the quality of life in towns and
cities.  In  a  1995  survey  of  EU  urban  citizens,  51%  gave  traffic  as  the  main  reason  for
complaining about their environment, with two other transport related issues, air quality and
noise,  being  cited  by  41%  and  31%29.  High  volumes  of  traffic  discourage  people  from
walking  on  the  streets  and  letting  their  children  play  there,  contributing  to  the  progressive
weakening of the sense of neighbourhood and local community.

Increased mobility in urban areas is driving their development by facilitating the expansion of
cities into the  surrounding rural  areas  (“urban  sprawl”).  Just  as  poor  land  use  decisions  can
generate  increased  traffic,  increased  traffic  and  mobility  can  encourage  poor  land  use
decisions  in  response  to  demands  to  ease  congestion  for  instance.  The  two  are  inextricably
linked (see also section 2.4.1 on urban design).

Urban  mobility  is  also  an  important  element  of  social  equity.  Services,  education,
employment,  leisure  and  goods  should  be  accessible  to  all  urban  citizens  regardless  of
whether they own a car. Citizens in the poorest parts of the city have the lowest car ownership
rates. Public transport can provide this access and has clear environmental advantages.

Urban  mobility  needs  to  be  rethought  to  tackle  these  negative  effects  while  retaining  the
potential for economic growth and supporting the freedom of movement and quality of life of
urban  citizens.  A  framework  at  the  European  level  promoting  sustainable  urban  transport
seems therefore necessary.

2.2.2.  Current community initiatives on urban transport

The  EU  Transport  Council  in  2001  adopted  a  definition  of  a  sustainable  transport  system
(Annex 4) which has been used in preparing this Communication.

27

28

29

International Road Traffic and Accident Database (OECD), April 2002.
EEA 2001 Traffic noise, exposure and annoyance.
Eurobarometer.

14

 
                                                
The  2001  White  Paper  on  European  Transport  Policy30  highlights  that  European  transport
policy  has  reached  a  critical  point  where  clean,  well-functioning  and  less  fossil-fuel  based
urban  transport  systems  are  considered  an  indispensable  condition  for  achieving  the
Community’s overall objective of sustainable mobility in Europe. The Transport White Paper
identifies two fields of Community activities in the field of clean urban transport: supporting a
diversified  energy  supply  for  transport  and  promoting  good  practice.  In  line  with  the
subsidiarity principle, the Commission will not seek to use regulation as a means of imposing
alternative solutions to the car in towns and cities.

The need to rationalise private car use and to improve urban transport, which is an important
energy-consuming  sector,  is  also  highlighted  in  the  Commission’s  Green  Paper  on  the
security of energy supply31. The paper sets an ambitious target of 20% substitution of diesel
and gasoline fuels by alternatives in the road transport sector by the year 2020. In the follow
up Communication on alternative fuels for road transportation32, an “optimistic development
scenario” is presented that builds upon three fuel types that potentially can reach a significant
market  share  and  which  also  present,  in  general,  considerable  advantages  for  the  urban
environment:  biofuels,  natural  gas  and  hydrogen.  Measures  have  been  taken  to  support  a
broader market introduction of biofuels. A Directive setting targets for their market share has
been adopted by Council and Parliament in May 2003 and a Directive allowing exemption has
been  adopted  in  October  2003.  The  Contact  Group  “Alternative  Fuels”  established  in  2002
has prepared a report in 2003 giving expert advice on the further development of natural gas
and hydrogen.

The Commission is implementing a work programme of specific and practical actions in the
field of clean urban transport, for example through the CIVITAS initiative, as well as various
research, benchmarking, demonstration projects and awareness raising actions (see Annex 3).

An example of good practice in sustainable urban transport

Since the late 1980’s Graz (Austria)33 has implemented an integrated transport plan to make it a city of “gentle
mobility” centred around safety, environmental efficiency and increasing the attractiveness of public spaces. In
1992, a city-wide 30km/h speed limit was introduced, which contributed to a 20% reduction in accidents, as well
as significant reductions in emissions of air pollutants and noise. In parallel, the city has restricted parking places
and introduced higher parking charges in the centre, using the revenues to improve public transport. Incentives
are in place to encourage the use of low-emission vehicles. Bicycle lanes have been expanded to over 100 km,
with  bicycle  parking  places  installed  and  bicycle-related  services  developed.  The  pavements  have  been
substantially  improved,  pedestrian  precincts  expanded,  and  primary  pedestrian  routes  and  throughways
integrated  into  the  overall  planning.  Schools  and  businesses  are  being  helped  to  adopt  mobility  management
plans to reduce the use of cars. Citizen information and participation in the transport planning has lead to a high
percentage of the population supporting the city’s policy, including 2 out of 3 of car drivers.

In  order  to  facilitate  road  user  charging,  such  as  now  being  effectively  demonstrated  in
London and considered by  other  cities,  such as Stockholm,  the Commission  has proposed a
Directive  on  electronic  charging  systems  that  will  ensure  the  interoperability  of  road-toll
systems across all areas of the EU.

30

31

32

33

‘European transport policy for 2010 : time to decide’, COM(2001) 370.
‘Towards a European strategy for the security of energy supply’, COM(2000) 769.
COM(2001) 547 final.
www.graz.at

15

 
                                                
The  Commission  also  supports  the  development  of  high  quality  and  accessible  public
transport  in  Europe  through  its  research  programmes  as  well  as  through  its  proposal  for
market  opening.  It  is  preparing  a  Directive  on  the  promotion  of  energy  efficient  and  clean
vehicles  and  is  implementing  a  research  and  demonstration  agenda  on  alternative  road
transport fuels. The Commission’s legislative proposal for introducing controlled competition
into public transport34 is also relevant.  During the 1990s,  a sample of European cities  using
controlled competition, succeeded in increasing the use of public transport by an average of
1.7% per year (compared with reductions of 0.2% per year in cities without competition)35.

The Commission supports the development of the trans-European transport networks (TENS),
which have a considerable impact on the interfaces with urban areas. For example the TENS
programme  supports  the  use  of  intelligent  traffic  management  systems,  the  development  of
nodal  points  such  as  airports  and  ports,  most  of  which  are  in  or  near  urban  areas,  and  the
development  of  infrastructure  connecting  major  urban  areas  in  Europe,  in  particular  by  rail
and waterways.

A  considerable  body  of  EU  legislation  concentrates  on  improving  the  technical  quality  of
vehicles, with a series of Directives setting emission limits for different categories of vehicles
and standards for fuel quality (following the Auto oil programmes I and II)36, noise emission
limits37 and roadworthiness testing38. The Euro 3 and Euro 4 pollutant emission standards will
provide  considerable  benefits  in  the  short  term  as  the  older  fleet  is  renewed  and  the
Commission  is  now  considering  the  future  Euro  5  pollutant  emission  standards  that  will
further  substantially  reduce  emissions  of  NOx  and  particles.  More  indirectly,  the  Directives
on air quality and noise (see Annex 6) will have a considerable influence on urban transport,
as local authorities will need to implement active management of  transport  in order to  meet
their requirements.

The White Paper on European Transport Policy proposed a target of reducing road deaths by
50%  by  2010.  In  2003,  the  Commission  adopted  a  European  Road  Safety  Action
Programme39  which  will  contribute  to  reducing  urban  traffic  fatalities.  The  main  actions
include encouraging road users to improve their behaviour, making vehicles safer (e.g. safer
car  fronts  for  pedestrians  and  cyclists),  improving  road  infrastructure,  and  improving  the
safety  of  commercial  goods  and  passenger  transport.  All  authorities,  including  local
authorities, are invited to subscribe to the European Road Charter and take a commitment to
implement  specific  actions  that  will  be  publicised  and  monitored.  Indicators  of  road  safety
performance  will  be  specifically  developed  for  urban  areas  to  monitor  progress  and  to
evaluate the effectiveness of the measures taken.

34

35

36

37

38

39

Amended  proposal  for  a  Regulation  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  on  action  by
Member  States  concerning  public  service  requirements  and  the  award  of  public  service  contracts  in
passenger transport by rail, road and inland waterway - COM(2002) 107 final.
“Good  practice  in  contracts  for  public  passenger  transport”,  Colin  Buchanan  and  Partners,  study  for
European Commission, 2002.
Directives 98/69, 2001/1, 2002/80, 99/96, 2001/27, 97/24, 2002/51, 98/70.
Directives 70/157, 92/97, 92/61, 97/24, 2001/43, 2000/14.
Directive 96/96.
COM(2003) 311 final.

16

 
                                                
The 2002 eSafety40 initiative complements the European Road Safety Programme by aiming
to  accelerate  the  development,  deployment  and  use  of  safety  systems  using  advanced
information  and  communication  technologies  to  reduce  the  number  of  road  deaths.  For
instance, active safety systems, advanced driver assistance systems, and real-time traffic and
travel  information  will  enable  accidents  to  be  avoided  and  improve  road  users’  chances  of
survival  when  they  occur.  An  eSafety  Working  Group  produced  a  report  with  28
recommendations  and  an  eSafety  Forum  has  been  established  to  take  forward  these
recommendations. In addition, in September 2003 the Commission adopted a Communication
on  ICT  for  safe  and  intelligent  vehicles41  which  detail  the  actions  to  be  taken  by  the
Commission  in  response  to  those  recommendations  in  their  field  of  responsibility.  The
eSafety  initiative  is  seeking  to  encourage  the  participation  of  all  the  key  stakeholders
necessary  for  the  advanced  systems  to  be  successful.  This  includes  the  automotive  and
telecommunications industries, as well as network operators and service providers. Therefore,
the  owners  and  operators  of  the  transport  infrastructure  in  towns  and  cities  will  have a  key
role to play.

2.2.3.  Further measures needed to achieve widespread sustainable urban transport

Many  negative  aspects  of  urban  transport  are  being  comprehensively  addressed  by
Community  action.  The  work  on  improving  the  technical  quality  of  road  vehicles  and  in
encouraging their preferential purchase is of central importance and will be continued.

However, the improvements from these current initiatives need to be set against the predicted
increase  in  traffic  and  congestion  in  urban  areas.  Between  1995  and  2030,  the  number  of
kilometres travelled in urban areas is predicted to increase by 40%. In Europe, 3 million cars a
year are  added to  the fleet  which has  trebled in  the  last 30  years. Sharp  rises  in  car  use  are
expected  in  the  Acceding  and  Candidate  Countries.  It  is  therefore  clear  that  measures  are
needed to deal  with the rising volumes  of  traffic as well  as  on-going  measures  on  emission
standards.  Vehicle  engines  are  cleaner  than  before  but  their  sheer  number  generates  high
levels  of  air  pollutants  in  urban  areas,  contributing  to  large  numbers  of  premature  deaths.
Congestion,  even  with  clean  vehicles,  still  has  high  economic  costs.  As  highlighted  in  the
White Paper on European Transport Policy, “the big problem that urban authorities will have
to resolve, sooner than might be thought, is that of traffic management, and in particular the
role of the private car in large urban centres. … The lack of an integrated policy approach to
town planning and transport is allowing the private car an almost total monopoly”.

It is  therefore  envisaged  that  the  capital  cities  of  Member  States,  and  towns  and  cities  with
more than 100,000 inhabitants, should each prepare, adopt and implement a sustainable urban
transport  plan.  While  some  Member  States  have  started  to  implement  similar  requirements
(e.g.  Finland,  France,  Italy,  the  Netherlands  and  the  UK),  the  Commission  believes  that  a
requirement  could  now  be  set  at  EU  level.  This  point  will  be  the  subject  of  further
consultations in  2004, amongst others  in  the  context  of a specific  working  group  of  experts
and stakeholders.

40

41

http://europa.eu.int/information_society/programmes/esafety/index_en.htm
COM(2003) 542 final.

17

 
                                                
The sustainable urban transport plan would cover the whole urban area, would seek to reduce
the negative impacts of transport and tackle the rising volumes of traffic and congestion, and
would link to regional and national plans and strategies. It would cover all modes of transport
and seek to change the modal split in favour of more efficient transport modes such as public
transport,  cycling  and  walking.  One  of  its  basic  objectives  would  be  to  create  a  more
environmentally  efficient  transport  system  that  serves  all  of  the  town’s  citizens,  who
themselves  have  a  key  role  to  play  in  their  everyday  decisions,  such  as  their  choice  of
transport. The link with land use would be an essential component.

Specific objectives, targets, solutions and packages of measures should not be imposed at the
EU level, but should be decided at the local level, taking into account local circumstances and
in  consultation  with  the  public,  economic  actors  and  other  relevant  stakeholders.  The  plan
would  be  linked  with  the  town  or  city’s  overall  plans  and  objectives  for  environmental,
economical  and  social  development.  In  particular,  while  the  important  and  wide  ranging
impacts of urban transport and its strong economic and social links require the development
of a specific and detailed sustainable urban transport plan, this plan would necessarily play a
key role in the overall environmental management plan proposed in section 2.1.3, and would
need to be fully compatible with it.

The proposed requirement could concern the obligation to adopt such a plan and the related
procedures. These could, for example, include the need to consider a wide range of possible
solutions  (see  the  vision  for  sustainable  urban  transport  in  Annex  2),  the  need  to  integrate
transport and land use planning, the need to set targets (decided at the local level), the need to
monitor  progress  and  to  communicate  this,  as  well  as  the  obligation  to  consult  citizens,
businesses and other stakeholders.

Such plans would help the 500 largest towns and cities in the EU 25 meet the requirements of
the Directives on air quality and noise assessment and management, and would contribute to
meeting  the  Kyoto  agreement  targets.  A  study  in  Bern,  Switzerland,  concluded  that  their
traffic management policy would result in a significant reduction in air pollution in the city,
reducing private vehicle emissions by more than 10%42.

The  plans  would  play  a  particularly  important  role  to  maintain  the  existing  levels  of  use  of
more efficient transport modes in the Acceding Countries. Public transport systems are used
there  by  a  much  larger  proportion  of  the  public  than  in  the  Member  States,  but  this  use  is
falling  while  car  ownership  is  rising  rapidly.  For  example,  Prague  has  lost  30%  of  public
transport passengers between 1991 and 1999.

To  complement  and  support  these  local  plans,  all  Member  States  will  be  encouraged  in
parallel  to  adopt  a  clear  policy  on  urban  transport  to  promote  its  sustainability,  and  as  a
general principle to seek to internalise the external costs of transport through measures such
as taxation, road user charging and licence fees. To improve the understanding of the effects
of new urban transport infrastructure projects, Member States will be encouraged to undertake
evaluations  after  their  completion  to  assess  their  impact  on  the  sustainability  of  the  town’s
transport system.

The  role  of  Community  funding  mechanisms  such  as  the  Community's  Cohesion  Policy  is
discussed  in  section  3.1.  Existing  guidelines  on  the  use  of  structural  funds  already  address
sustainability principles and should be closely followed.

42

www.ecoplan.ch/Projekte/citaire.html

18

 
                                                
The Commission will also continue to develop the different types of support that are already
available (see Annex 3) and that will help the towns and cities put in place these plans, such
as  the  development  of  appropriate  indicators  and  guidance  material,  the  support  for
demonstration projects and exchange of best practice, and awareness raising actions.

 Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Sustainable urban transport

Each capital city and every city and town of over 100.000 inhabitants should develop, adopt,
implement  and  regularly  revise  a  sustainable  urban  transport  plan,  with  short,  medium  and
long-term targets. The Commission believes that there could be a requirement at the EU level
to this effect. This point will be the subject of further consultations in 2004, amongst others in
the context of a specific working group of experts and stakeholders.

All Member States will be encouraged to:

– 

– 

– 

set out a clear framework policy on sustainable urban transport;

evaluate  the  impacts  of  new  urban  transport  infrastructure  projects  on  the
sustainability of the town’s transport system;

closely follow the guidelines on the use of structural funds.

In  the  framework  of  the  White  Paper  on  European  Transport  Policy,  the  Commission  is
preparing  a  Directive  focussing  on  the  procurement  of  low  energy  and  low  emission  road
vehicles by public authorities.  The  aim of  this  will  be  to  encourage  the  purchase  of  cleaner
and more efficient vehicles, but it will not set new vehicle standards or encroach on existing
vehicle tax incentive frameworks.

In  the  framework  of  the  Alternative  Fuel  Strategy,  the  Commission  will  propose  an  Action
Plan  promoting  the  market  development  for  alternative  fuels,  in  particular  natural  gas  and
hydrogen

The  Commission  will  continue  to  develop  and  expand  the  CIVITAS  programme,  urban
research initiatives and the exchange of good practice and experience.

The  Commission  will  develop  the  transport-related  capacities  of  the  250  or  more  local  and
regional  Energy  agencies  and  other  agencies  in  Europe  to  support  the  implementation  of
sustainable urban transport and promote best practices.

The Commission will identify a basic set of sustainable urban transport indicators, making use
of the work of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport in this field.

The Commission will continue promotional activities such as the European car free day and
mobility week. The need for guidance and training on sustainable urban transport issues and
the contribution of new working methods such as tele-working will be assessed.

19

 
 
2.3. 

Sustainable construction

2.3.1.  What makes sustainable construction a priority

Buildings and the built environment are the defining elements of the urban environment. They
give a town and city its character and landmarks that create a sense of place and identity, and
can make towns and cities attractive places where people like to live and work. The quality of
the built environment therefore has a strong influence on the quality of the urban environment
but this influence is much deeper than purely aesthetic considerations.

Heating and lighting of buildings accounts for the largest single share of energy use (42%, of
which 70% is for heating) and produces 35% of all greenhouse gas emissions. Buildings and
the built environment use half of the material taken from the Earth’s crust and are the source
of 450 MT construction and demolition waste per year (over a quarter of all waste produced).
The interim Communication “Towards a thematic strategy on the prevention and recycling of
waste”43  notes  that  volumes  of  construction  and  demolition  waste  are  rising  and  that  the
nature  of  the  waste  is  becoming  more  complex  as  the  range  of  materials  used  in  buildings
grows. This limits the scope for reusing and recycling this waste (at present only about 28%)
increasing the need for landfill sites and for further mineral extraction.

In  Europe,  people  spend  almost  90%  of  their  time  inside  buildings.  Poor  design  and
construction methods  can have a  significant  effect  on  the  health  of  the  building’s  occupiers
and  can  produce  buildings  that  are  expensive  to  maintain,  heat  and  cool,  disproportionately
affecting the elderly and less affluent social groups. Badly designed buildings such as housing
estates  can  facilitate  criminal  behaviour.  Changing  the  ways  that  buildings  and  the  built
environment are designed, constructed, renovated and demolished therefore has the potential
to make significant improvements in the environmental and economic performance of towns
and  cities  and  the  quality  of  life  of  urban  citizens  (see  the  proposed  vision  for  sustainable
urban construction in Annex 2).

Example of good practice in sustainable construction

The Metropolitan Council of Lille44 (France) organised a competition in 2003 to support  construction  projects
that emphasise a high level of environmental, social and economic quality. For example, the new school canteen
at Lompret will have a high energy efficiency, use at least 20% renewable energy, and will stock and re-use rain
water. The materials have been selected for their environmental quality to guarantee a high indoor air quality that
will not compromise the health of the schoolchildren. The project aims to minimise the combined construction
and  operating  costs  over  the  whole  life  of  the  building  (50-60  years).  In  parallel,  Lille  is  organising  training
courses on sustainable construction techniques for local building professionals in collaboration with their trade
organisations  so  as  to  increase  the  availability  and  practice  of  sustainable  construction.  This  new  approach  is
conceived and  financed in the framework  of  a  public-private  partnership  (MIEL21),  and  will  be  progressively
generalised.

43

44

COM(2003) 301 final.
www.mairie-lille.fr

20

 
                                                
While  the  knowledge  of  how  to  construct  buildings  in  a  sustainable  way  exists,  most  new
buildings are not being built using these proven techniques. Even if they were, the slow rate
of replacement of existing buildings (between 0.5 and 2% per year) is such that it would be a
considerable  length  of  time  before  they  had  a  significant  impact.  As  emphasised  in  the  3rd
European  Minister's  Conference  on  sustainable  housing45,  existing  buildings  must  also  be
made  more  sustainable  by  retrofitting  them  or  ensuring  that  sustainability  is  a  key
consideration in their refurbishment. Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings is
one  of  the  most  cost-effective  ways  of  meeting  the  Kyoto  climate  change  commitments.
Retrofitting Europe’s older building stock with insulation  could  reduce  CO2 emissions from
buildings  and  related  energy  costs  by  as  much  as  42%46.  Renovation  is  more  complex  than
new  construction  as  different  buildings  require  different  solutions,  and  even  more  so  in
protected  buildings,  but  sustainable  renovation  has  several  environmental  advantages  over
demolition  and  reconstruction,  for  example  retaining  the  embedded  energy  and  material.  In
addition,  the  renovation  and  regeneration  of  historic  buildings  and  areas  contributes  to  the
sense of pride and heritage in local communities.

The focus on existing buildings will become particularly important after accession. More than
40% of inhabitants in the larger cities in the Acceding and Candidate Countries live in large,
mass-produced,  prefabricated  housing  estates.  The  figure  is  as  high  as  80%  in  Bucharest.
These  estates  represent  a  challenge  to  urban  sustainability,  with  their  large  scale  and  the
urgent  need  to  tackle  low  energy  efficiency,  poor  maintenance  and  related  health  issues.
While data is still very incomplete, initial estimations suggest that as much as one fifth of the
flats are in need of light renovation, three fifths are in need of major renovation, and one fifth
need  to  be  completely  rebuilt.  The  estates  themselves  also  need  restructuring  to  provide  a
better  mix  of  residential,  economic  and  social  facilities  to  create  sustainable  communities
rather than the current uniform uses that promote lengthy journeys to services.

The  sustainable  construction  of  new  buildings  and  infrastructure  and  the  sustainable
renovation  of  existing  buildings  can  begin  to  achieve  a  major  improvement  in  the
environmental performance of our towns and cities and the quality of life for its citizens by
the middle of this century.

2.3.2.  Current community initiatives on sustainable construction

The 1997 Communication on the Competitiveness of the Construction Industry47 outlined the
importance  and  benefits  of  integrating  environmental  concerns  into  all  aspects  of
construction. The working group on sustainable construction, involving representatives of the
Commission, Member States and industry, produced in 2001 a comprehensive report entitled
“An agenda for sustainable construction in Europe”48, proposing a programme of actions and
a set of targeted recommendations.

45

46

47

48

27-28 June 2002.
“The contribution of mineral wool and other thermal insulation materials to energy savings and climate
protection in Europe”, ECOFYS report for the European Insulation Manufacturers Association, 2003.
COM(1997) 539 final.
europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/construction/suscon/sustcon.htm. The work of the group has focused on
environmentally  friendly  construction  materials,  energy  efficiency  in  buildings,  construction  and
demolition waste management, and life cycle costing of the built environment.

21

 
                                                
This work contributed to the recent Directive on the energy performance of buildings49, which
requires new buildings to  meet minimum  energy  efficiency requirements that will be set by
each  Member  State  following  a  common  methodology.  Existing  buildings  of  over  1,000m2
undergoing a major renovation will also have to meet these minimum requirements and when
buildings are constructed, sold or rented out, an energy performance certificate will have to be
made available.

Several  Community  funding  programmes  support  the  development,  demonstration  and
implementation  of  energy  demand  management  and  the  use  of  renewable  energies  in  both
individual buildings and ‘communities’ of buildings, as well as on other aspects of sustainable
construction (see Annex 3).

The Commission has adopted a proposal for a Directive50 on the promotion of energy end-use
efficiency  and  energy  services  to  support  the  widespread  development  of  energy  efficiency
and energy service providers that would not just sell energy but help their customers improve
their energy efficiency and manage their energy needs. In the long-term, this Directive should
radically change the way energy is marketed, leading to significant savings in energy use.

The Construction Products Directive51 covers health and environment issues and mandates to
CEN  are  being prepared  for  the  development  of  harmonised  standards  and  test  methods  for
indoor air quality.

2.3.3.  Further measures needed to achieve widespread sustainable construction

Despite the availability of proven techniques, most buildings are not being built or renovated
in a sustainable way. The  main barrier is the  lack  of  interest  from  builders  and  buyers  who
perceive,  incorrectly,  sustainable  construction  as  expensive  and  are  suspicious  of  new
technologies, doubting their long-term reliability and performance. The longer  term benefits
of sustainable construction such as lower maintenance and running costs, better durability and
higher  resale price  are  not  immediately  apparent  in  the  short  term  or  at  initial  purchase  (on
average,  a  building  will  cost  up  to  10  times  more  to  operate  during  its  life  than  it  cost  to
build). Action is therefore needed to emphasise these longer term benefits so that purchasers,
banks and mortgage companies can differentiate between buildings designed and constructed
using standard techniques and those using sustainable techniques.

The Directive on the energy performance of buildings has made a significant step forward in
highlighting  long-term  ecological  performance.  This  approach  should  be  progressively
extended to smaller buildings. More fundamentally, it should be extended to include other key
environmental  and  sustainability  elements,  such  as  indoor  air  quality,  accessibility,  noise
levels, comfort, environmental quality of the materials and the life-cycle cost of the building.
It  should  also  include  the  ability  of  the  building  to  resist  environmental  risks,  such  as
flooding, storms or earthquakes, depending on their location.

49

50

51

Directive  2002/91/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  16  December  2002  on  the
energy performance of buildings (OJ L 1, 4.1.2003, p. 65).
(COM(2003) 739).
Council  Directive  89/106/EEC  of  21  December  1988  on  the  approximation  of  laws,  regulations  and
administrative 
products
(OJ L 40, 11.2.89, p. 15).

the  Member  States 

construction 

provisions 

relating 

of 

to 

22

 
                                                
This will first require developing a common methodology at the European level for evaluating
the overall sustainability performance of buildings and construction, including their life-cycle
costing. This would build on the existing methodology for the integrated energy performance
of  buildings  and  other  existing  initiatives  and  be  developed  in  collaboration  with  all  the
relevant stakeholders. The methodology should not only be  applicable to  existing buildings,
but  also  to  the  plans  for  new  building  and  significant  renovations,  so  as  to  stimulate  the
incorporation of sustainable techniques at the design stage. Decisions made at the design stage
determine life-cycle  costs, energy  consumption, indoor air quality, and  the  recyclability and
reuse of demolition waste.

The common methodology, adapted and adopted in the Member States as appropriate, and the
resulting  evaluations  and  life-cycle  costing  should  then  be  used  to  promote  best  practice
linked to a range of incentives. For example, a high level of sustainability might lead to lower
tax  rates;  insurance  companies  and  lending  institutions  might  offer  more  favourable
conditions. The demonstration of lower life-cycle costs should make buildings more attractive
to buyers and financial institutions. Once the appropriate methodology is well established, the
Commission  will  then  propose  further  non-energy-related  environmental  performance
requirements to complement Directive 2002/91.

In  parallel,  various  other  measures  need  to  be  taken  to  support  the  mainstreaming  of
sustainability  techniques.  Several  Member  States  have  adopted  a  sustainable  construction
programme  with  associated  programmes  of  action,  and  these  positive  initiatives  should  be
generalised  and  systematically  implemented.  Local  authorities  similarly  need  to  promote
sustainable  construction.  Sustainability  should  be  incorporated  into  national  building  codes,
standards  and  regulations,  using  where  possible  a  performance-based  approach  rather  than
prescribing  particular  techniques  or  solutions  to  be  applied.  Member  States  and  local
authorities also need to set an example in their own purchasing requirements and where public
funds  are  used  in  housing  and  other  construction  works,  as  called  for  in  the  3rd  European
Minister's Conference on sustainable housing.

The  need  for  training  in  sustainable  construction  methods  and  techniques  of  professionals
involved in the design and construction industry has been highlighted as a priority, as well as
the  need  for  the  construction  team  to  work  in  a  different  way  to  overcome  traditional
professional,  design  and  institutional  barriers  that  hinder  the  adoption  of  sustainable
construction. Differences in terminology can also be a barrier. The Commission will therefore
explore the possibilities for providing related training and guidance.

Demonstration  projects  should  continue  to  be  supported  through  Community  research
programmes,  focusing  on  “normal”  construction  and  renovation  projects  such  as  standard
town houses, schools, hospitals and work places. Research is also needed to improve practice
developing sustainable methods and techniques for certain infrastructure construction such as
roads and utility networks.

In  the  framework  of  the  Thematic  Strategy  on  the  Prevention  and  Recycling  of  Waste,  the
Commission  will  consider  measures  to  tackle  the  rising  volumes  of  construction  and
demolition waste.

23

 
Better  and  more  systematic  information  on  the  environmental  characteristics  of  building
materials  is  necessary  to  guide  designers,  builders  and  their  customers  in  their  choice  of
materials,  and  the  Commission  will  develop  the  environmental  labelling  of  construction
materials in the framework of environmental product declarations (EPD’s) and/or the EU eco-
label as appropriate. In order to guide the choice of consumers with respect to buildings and
building  services,  the  Commission  will  propose  a  corresponding  EU  eco-label  and/or  a
harmonised  EPD,  making  use  of  the  common  methodology  for  sustainability  evaluation.
Other awareness raising actions will also be considered, such as prizes for architecture based
on sustainability.

Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Sustainable construction

The  Commission  will  develop  a  common  methodology  for  evaluating  the  overall
sustainability of buildings and the built environment, including life-cycle cost indicators. This
will also be applicable to the plans for new building and significant renovations. All Member
States will be encouraged to adapt and adopt this methodology and to use it in support of best
practice.  The  Commission  will  then  propose  further  non-energy-related  environmental
performance  requirements  to  complement  Directive  2002/91  on  the  energy  performance  of
buildings, taking into account the methodology of this Directive.

As indicated in Directive 2002/91, the Commission, assisted by the Committee established by
the Directive, will examine possible ways to address the renovation of smaller buildings and
general incentives for energy efficiency.

All  Member  States  will  be  encouraged  to  develop  and  implement  a  national  sustainable
construction programme, and set high performance requirements using European harmonised
standards  and  the  Eurocode.  Local  authorities  will  similarly  be  encouraged  to  promote
sustainable construction.

All  Member  States,  local  authorities  and  other  public  purchasers  will  be  encouraged  to
introduce  sustainability  requirements  in  their  own  tendering  procedures  for  buildings  and
other  construction  works  and  in  relation  to  the  use  of  public  funds  for  buildings  and  other
construction works. They will be encouraged to develop fiscal incentives for more sustainable
buildings.

The  Commission  will  explore  opportunities  for  training,  guidance,  exchange  of  experience
and further research on sustainable construction.

The  Commission  will  consider  measures  to  tackle  the  growing  levels  of  construction  and
demolition waste as part of the Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste.

The  Commission  will  develop  the  environmental  labelling  of  construction  materials  (EPDs
and/or  EU  eco-label),  and  will  propose  an  EU  eco-label  and/or  a  harmonised  EPD  for
buildings and/or building services.

2.4. 

Sustainable urban design

Sustainable urban design refers to the pattern and type of land use within the urban area.

24

 
2.4.1.  What makes sustainable urban design a priority

The  way  land  is  used  in  an  urban  area  is  fundamental  to  a  town  or  city’s  character,  its
environmental  performance  and  the  quality  of  life  it  provides  for  its  citizens.  Decisions  on
land use need to protect a city’s identity, cultural heritage, historic street pattern, green space
and  biodiversity.  Poor  land  use  decisions  have  created  urban  areas  that  are  regarded  as
unattractive to live in and have produced patterns of settlement that are not sustainable.

Urban sprawl is the most urgent of the urban design issues. Towns and  cities are  expanding
outwards into rural areas at a faster rate than their population is growing (a 20% expansion in
the last 20 years with only  a  6% increase in population over the  same  period). Green space
(valuable  agricultural  and  natural  land)  is  being  replaced  by  low-density  housing  and
commercial uses. Urban sprawl reinforces the need to travel and increases dependence upon
private  motorised  transport  to  do  so,  leading  in  turn  to  increased  traffic  congestion,  energy
consumption  and  polluting  emissions.  These  problems  are  most  acute  where  residential
densities  are  low  and  where  daily  activities  (home,  work,  shopping)  are  widely  separated.
There  is  a  sharp  increase  in  car  use  where  land  use  densities  fall  below  50-60  people  per
hectare (see figure 2).

Figure 2: Car use is reduced at higher housing densities (reprinted by permission52)

Unlike towns and cities in the existing Member States, rural to urban migration is still taking
place in some towns and cities in the Acceding and Candidate Countries. However, this alone
cannot  account  for  the  rate  of  expansion  of  these  urban  areas.  Urban  sprawl  is  a  serious
problem  for  these  countries,  fuelled  by  changes  in  land-use  attribution  and  by  large  out  of
town shopping centres and commercial projects. Up to 30% of retail floor space in some of
their  towns  and  cities  is  in  such  large-scale  premises,  a  much  higher  figure  than  in  the

52

Newman  PW  and  Kenworthy  JR,  1989.  Gasoline  Consumption  and  cities:  a  comparison  of  US  cities
with a global survey. Journal of American Planning Association, 55(1): 24-37.

25

 
                                                
Member  States.  The  migration  of  economic  activity  beyond  the  municipal  administrative
boundary also reduces its tax income, undermining its ability to invest in the future.

At the same time that towns and cities are expanding outwards, many contain large amounts
of  unused,  derelict  land  (‘brownfield  sites’)  and  high  numbers  of  empty  properties.  Social
segregation can occur within cities with more affluent citizens leaving these unattractive, less
prosperous areas. Again, the Acceding and Candidate Countries face a  greater magnitude of
these  problems  than  the  Member  States.  Derelict  land  and  empty  properties  need  to  be
brought back into productive use to alleviate pressure for new developments outside the urban
area. The social, economic and environmental costs of leaving land and property unused in an
urban area are high.

The location of infrastructure is another crucial land-use issue. Cities compete with each other
to attract investment and offer incentives such as greenfield sites where construction costs are
lower  for  new  commercial  projects.  However,  the  siting  of  employment,  retail  and  leisure
centres  outside  urban  areas,  for  instance  around  motorway  junctions,  undermines  the
economic viability of the city centre as a commercial district, encourages car use and excludes
citizens who do not have access to a car from these jobs and services. The siting of industrial
developments  within  an  urban  area  also  raises  issues  of  social  equity  if  they  are  mainly
situated in poorer neighbourhoods.

Previous  policy  papers  (see  Annex  1)  have  emphasised  the  need  to  construct  high  density,
mixed  use  and  compact  urban  areas  to  minimise  these  problems.  Different  approaches
implemented in towns and cities of some of the Acceding and Candidate Countries, such as
strong  functional  divisions  in  land  uses  in  the  city,  promote  the  need  to  travel.  These  areas
will  need  restructuring  or  “retro-fitting”  to  make  them  more  sustainable.  Large  areas  of
housing  outside  the  city  that  lack  basic  services  will  need  to  be  converted  into  sustainable
communities.

An example of good practice in sustainable urban design

Following the Second World War, Warsaw (Poland) needed to rebuild its housing stock very quickly to provide
for a rapidly growing population. The Natolin Wyzyny Housing Estate53 is one example of the type of housing
estates built. It is characterised by high, multi-storey buildings, a monotonous spatial structure and large areas of
open  space.  Reconstruction  and  privatisation  of  the  estate  started  in  1994.  Reconstruction  measures  included
adding heat insulation to building facades, modernising heating and plumbing systems and introducing metering
systems  for  individual  consumption.  A  state  subsidy  of  920,000  ECU  was  granted  to  insulate  the  facades.  By
1998, about 60 % of dwellings had been privatised and 90 % of the housing stock renovated or reconstructed. In
addition, the functional patterns of buildings were changed to provide a mixed use pattern and create sustainable
neighbourhoods rather  than  the  original  uniform  housing  blocks  that  provided  almost  no  services  to  residents.
Significant  new  volumes  of  retail  space,  shops  and  office  space  were  created.  The  reconstruction  project  has
created  a  more  sustainable  community  that  is  an  attractive  place  to  live  in  with  high  standards  of  energy
efficiency. 

Growing mobility is resulting in the emergence of new patterns of urban development where
one urban area can have several “centres”, each specialising in a different function (shopping,
offices,  entertainment)  or  competing  against  each  other.  There  are  also  increasing  links
between neighbouring urban areas which produce networks of cities. One of the challenges of
urban design is to respond to these emerging patterns so as to overcome negative effects such
as  excessive  dependence  on  the  private  car  and  urban  sprawl  (see  the  proposed  vision  for

53

www.ursynow.pl

26

 
                                                
sustainable  urban  design  in  Annex  2),  and  to  develop  the  necessary  cooperation  between
neighbouring authorities.

Green space in  a  town  and city has  a strong influence  on  the  quality  of  life  for  its  citizens.
Such  spaces  provide  opportunities  for  exercise,  social  interaction,  relaxation  and  peace  and
quiet.  Well  managed  green  spaces,  parks  and  woodlands  can  become  much  loved  and
distinctive features of  an  urban  area.  They should  be protected  and  the  opportunity  for  new
green areas or other public spaces to be created through the reuse of brownfield land should
be considered. Green spaces are  also  important for  urban  biodiversity.  Urban  design  should
protect important habitats from urbanisation and promote biodiversity by incorporating it into
the city’s fabric. Enabling urban citizens to have contact with wildlife is an important way to
raise awareness of wider environmental issues.

In  addition  to  these  issues,  the  use  of  land  in  all  European  towns  and  cities  will  become
increasingly  important  as  demographic  and  environmental  changes  take  place.  Europe’s
citizens  are  living  longer  and  the  demand  for  individual  homes  for  single  occupiers  is  also
increasing. Even though total populations in Italy, Greece, Spain and Portugal are falling, the
number  of  households  is  dramatically  increasing.  This  demand  must  be  managed  in  a
sustainable  way.  Expansions  of  towns  and  cities  must  be  planned  and  fit  within  an  overall
long-term  strategy,  with  the  environmental  impacts  identified  and  minimised,  rather  than
being  an  unplanned  process  leading  to  urban  sprawl.  Future  climate  change  may  mean  that
current  plans  for  new  areas  of  settlement  are  no  longer  appropriate,  for  instance  due  to  a
higher risk of flooding.

An example of good practice in sustainable urban design

Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain)  has  systematically  implemented  a  policy  of  mixed  land  use,  high  density  along  public
transport corridors, rehabilitation of its historical districts, decentralisation of social services, balanced access to
green spaces, the development of public transport, bicycle paths and pedestrian zones and other key principles of
sustainable urban design and development such as investment in social programmes. In this way, despite having
almost  quadrupled  its  population  since  1950,  the  city  has  managed  to  maintain  and  develop  a  compact,  high
quality urban environment, with a surrounding green ring.

City centres must become attractive places to live in, otherwise in spite of the environmental
arguments in favour of high density cities, citizens will continue to move out to the suburbs or
surrounding countryside. The 1999 Communication  “Sustainable  Urban Development in the
European  Union:  a  Framework  for  Action”,  and  the  2001  EU  Expert  Group  on  the  Urban
Environment’s  Report  “Towards  More  Sustainable  Land Use” (see  Annex 1) both  highlight
the  importance  of  land  use  in  achieving  a  sustainable  urban  environment  for  the  reasons
outlined  above.  Land  use  also  has  a  strong  role  to  play  in  the  sustainability  of  the  built
environment,  for  instance  by  allowing  proper  alignment  to  maximise  passive  solar  heating.
Sustainable urban design will therefore be a key element of the thematic strategy for the urban
environment.

2.4.2.  Current community initiatives on Urban Design

The European Spatial Development Perspective (ESPD)54prepared in 1999 by the Committee
on Spatial Development has been adopted by all of the Member States on a voluntary basis. It
sets  out  objectives  and  guidelines  for  balanced  and  sustainable  spatial  development,  with  a
third  of  the  60  agreed  policy  options  directly  addressing  the  question  of  how  to  control  the

54

ESDP: European Spatial Development Perspective  - Towards Balanced and Sustainable Development
of the Territory of the European Union (1999) ISBN 92-828-7658-6.

27

 
                                                
physical  expansion  of  towns  and  cities.  Following  on  from  this,  the  European  Spatial
Observatory Network  (ESPON) programme  implements  and  co-ordinates  research in spatial
planning, and is putting in place a framework for collecting and analysing spatial data.

Several  Directives  have  an  influence  on  urban  land  use,  notably  the  Directives  on
environmental impact assessment (EIA)55 and strategic environmental assessment (SEA)56, as
well as the water framework Directive57. Article 12 of the Directive on the control of major
accident hazards58 (“Seveso II”) requires that Member State’s land-use planning and/or other
relevant policies take into account the objectives of preventing major accidents and limiting
the consequences of such accidents. Public participation in environmental decision making is
an important element in these procedures, in line with the Aarhus Convention.

The  Commission  is  preparing  a  proposal  for  a  framework  Directive  to  create  a  policy  and
legal  framework  for  the  establishment  and  operation  of  an  Infrastructure  for  Spatial
Information  in  Europe  (INSPIRE59).  It  will  make  harmonised  and  high-quality  spatial
(geographic)  information  readily  available  for  formulating,  implementing,  monitoring  and
evaluating Community policies and for providing information to the citizen in a wide range of
sectors  at  local,  regional,  national  or  international  level.  This  will  have  a  major  effect  in
improving  the  range  and  quality  of  spatial  data  available  to  those  involved  in  urban  design
and land-use planning.

55

56

57

58

59

Directive 85/337/EEC as amended by Directive 97/11/EC.
Directive 2001/42/EC.
Directive 2000/60/EC.
Directive 96/82/EC.
www.ec-gis.org/inspire.

28

 
                                                
The Structural Funds Regulations and Guidelines for the period 2000-200660 set out the need
for  sustainable  approaches  to  the  use  of  urban  land,  including  priority  to  be  given  “to  the
rehabilitation  of  derelict  industrial  sites  (brownfields)  over  the  development  of  greenfield
sites”.  The  URBAN  II  initiative  supports  “mixed-use  and  environmentally-friendly  brown-
field  redevelopment,  involving  reduced  pressures  on  green-field  development  and  urban
sprawl”. Indicative eligible measures include “reclamation of derelict sites and contaminated
land;  rehabilitation  of  public  spaces,  including  green  areas;  and  renovation  of  buildings  to
accommodate  economic  and  social  activities,  in  a  sustainable  and  environmentally-friendly
manner”. INTERREG has offered similar opportunities.

Community  guidelines  on  State  aid  for  environmental  protection61  outline  the  conditions
under which financial assistance to companies  for rehabilitating polluted  industrial sites can
be considered compatible with the common market. Section E.1.8. of these guidelines states
that the ‘polluter pays principle’ applies, hence aid for the rehabilitation of a polluted site can
only be given where the polluter cannot be identified or made to bear the cost. In addition to
compatible measures described in these guidelines, the Commission in its Decision on “State
aid N 385/2002 - United Kingdom: Support for Land Remediation” recently considered that
aid for reusing brownfield land could in general be considered compatible with the common
market.

The  Commission  supports  different  research  projects  related  to  the  revitalisation  of  city
centres  and  neighbourhoods,  the  rehabilitation  and  re-use  of  contaminated  and  brownfield
sites,  sustainable  retrofitting  of  urban  areas  such  as  large  housing  estates  and  on  ways  to
reduce  urban  sprawl,  especially  through  the  integration  of  land  use  and  transport  planning
(see Annex 3).

In  the  framework  of  the  Thematic  Strategy  for  Soil  Protection62,  the  Commission  has
identified soil sealing  as one  of  the  eight  major  threats  for  the  European  soil.  A  core  set  of
indicators  to  address  soil  sealing  are  being  developed  by  the  European  Topic  Centre  on
Terrestrial Environment.

The Commission is preparing a Communication on hazards63 that amongst others will focus
on the need for mapping in relation to natural and man-made hazards, such as flooding. This
will  contribute  to  helping  those  involved  in  urban  design  take  into  account  more
systematically such hazards in their planning.

The  2001  Communication  on  a  biodiversity  action  plan  for  the  conservation  of  natural
resources64  foresaw,  amongst  others,  a  series  of  actions  specifically  for  urban  areas,  in
particular  relating  to  use  of  greenfield  and  brownfield  sites  and  contaminated  land.  The
Commission  will  report  to  the  Council  and  Parliament  in  2004  on  the  progress  in
implementing  the  plan,  reviewing  the  relative  priorities  of  the  different  actions.  The  urban
aspect will receive full consideration in this report.

60

61

62

63

64

Commission  Communication  concerning  the  Structural  Funds  and  their  coordination  with  the
Cohesion.Fund. Guidelines for programmes in the period 2000 to 2006 (OJ C 267, 22.9.1999, p. 12).
OJ C 37, 3.2.2001, p. 3.
COM(2002) 179 final.
www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/civil/prote/integrated_strategy_en.htm
COM(2001) 132 final.

29

 
                                                
2.4.3.  Further measures needed to achieve widespread sustainable urban design

The favoured vision of high density, mixed use settlements with reuse of brownfield land and
empty property, and planned expansions of urban areas rather than ad hoc urban sprawl, has
been repeated in each Community policy document on the urban environment (see Annex 1).
The Strategy will endorse this vision as the valid basis for Europe’s cities whilst recognising
that there are limits to acceptable population densities (indeed some urban areas suffer from
poor quality environments due to over crowding) and also recognising that converting areas to
mixed uses is easier than reversing urban sprawl or increasing land-use densities. The vision
will  be  developed  to  reflect  current  trends  in  towns  and  cities  (multiple  centres)  and  the
regional dimension (concentrated decentralisation).

It  is  not  for  the  Community  to  set  a  standard  system  for  making  land  use  decisions,  or  to
define the “ideal” settlement pattern as each town and city is unique and the solutions needed
to achieve a sustainable urban environment are specific to each case. However, it is clear that
some  approaches  are  unsustainable  and  the  Strategy  will  seek  to  discourage  these  and
promote  the  more  sustainable  alternatives.  The  actions  proposed  in  relation  to  sustainable
urban management (section 2.1.3) will contribute to this. The Commission will also explore
the possibility of developing guidelines on specific issues that could have a positive influence
on daily practice. These could concern, for example, guidelines on the location and density of
new  developments,  the  integration  of  green  space,  retrofitting  urban  areas  to  improve  their
sustainability,  or  on  the  continuity  of  the  urban  fabric  (knitting  new  and  old  developments
together).

Urban sprawl is a priority issue for Europe's towns and cities and in this context it is clearly
beneficial  to  reuse  derelict  and  brownfield  land  within  city  centres  for  other  uses.  Some  of
these have adopted policies and approaches that have succeeded in slowing urban sprawl and
increasing  land  use  densities.  Member  States  need  to  ensure  that  their  land  use  planning
systems  deliver  these  objectives.  Incentives  to  encourage  sustainable  urban  design,  for
example discouraging greenfield development, need to be adopted. Strategies and policies for
urban areas need to be linked with regional and national strategies to ensure their coherence,
and avoid local initiatives being undermined.

Research, exchange of experience and promotion of best practice on urban land issues is of
particular importance and the Commission will investigate opportunities for reinforcing these
activities.

The Thematic  Strategic on Soil will consider  issues  such  as  soil  sealing  that  are  relevant  to
this priority theme and may propose additional measures to limit this. Objectives such as the
reuse of brownfield land and limiting urban sprawl are common to both Strategies.

30

 
Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Sustainable urban design

All Member States will be encouraged to:

– 

– 

– 

– 

ensure  that  their  land  use  planning  systems  achieve  sustainable  urban  settlement
patterns  and  take  into  account  environmental  risks,  and  to  undertake  a  review  to
assist this;

develop  incentives  to  encourage  the  reuse  of  brownfield  land  over  the  use  of
greenfield  land,  create  national  databases  of  brownfield  land  and  set  challenging
targets for its reuse, and provide support for the reuse of empty properties in urban
areas;

set minimum residential land use densities to encourage higher density use and limit
urban sprawl;

evaluate  the  consequences  of  climate  change  for  their  cities  so  that  inappropriate
developments  are  not  begun  and  adaptations  to  the  new  climatic  conditions  can  be
incorporated into the land use planning process.

The Commission will prepare guidelines on “high density, mixed use” spatial planning, and
will propose definitions of brownfield and greenfield land. The Commission will explore the
possibility of developing other guidelines on specific urban design issues.

The Commission will explore opportunities for training, exchange of experience and further
research on sustainable urban design.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) will continue to monitor land use and land cover
changes as a priority data set for the future. Urban sprawl and land use will be the subject of a
special report by the EEA.

3. 

TOWARDS A MORE INTEGRATED APPROACH

One  of  the  main  challenges  of  improving  the  urban  environment  lies  in  the  diversity  of
environmental issues, the multitude of forces, actors and factors influencing the environment
and the quality of life in urban areas, and the fragmented approach taken so far. Integration is
needed in several ways:

– 

– 

– 

– 

Horizontally,  to  integrate  the  urban  environment  in  the  most  relevant  Community
policies, such as transport, cohesion, health, research and technological development.

Horizontally within Community environmental policy, to develop an urban focus in
the  key  sectors  such  as  water,  air,  noise,  waste,  climate  change,  nature  and  bio-
diversity.

Vertically, between the different levels of administration: EU, national, regional and
local.

Horizontally,  at  the  local  level,  by  encouraging  local  authorities  to  adopt  an
integrated  environmental  management  plan  and 
integrated
environmental management system (see section 2.1).

implement  an 

31

 
3.1. 

Horizontal integration within Community Policies

The integration of urban environment issues into relevant EU policies is a long-term process
that  requires  consistent  and  sustained  co-operation  and  co-ordination  between  different
Commission services.

The  1990  Green  Paper  on  the  Urban  Environment  (see  Annex  1)  started  the  integration
process  within  the  Commission  and  raised  the  profile  of  urban  environment  issues  and
policies. It contributed to the launch of the URBAN initiative65, of the Community Regional
Development  Fund,  which  devoted  approximately  one  billion  Euro  for  the  sustainable
development  of  urban  districts  facing  severe  social,  environmental  and  economic  problems.
The  1998  “Communication  on  Sustainable  Urban  Development  in  the  European  Union:  a
Framework  for  Action”  led  to  the  inclusion  of  urban  environmental  considerations  in  the
Commission guidelines for regional development programmes 2000-2006, contributed to the
renewal of the URBAN initiative (approximately 728 M€), and supported the development of
the City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage research programme. Not all of the Framework’s
intentions  came  to  fruition  and  the  Thematic  Strategy  will  inject  new  vigour  into  the
integration process.

Since  2003,  the  Commission  carries  out  an  extended  impact  assessment66  on  all  significant
new  policies  and  related  instruments  that  have  the  potential  to  lead  to  significant
environmental, economic and social impacts. Issues relevant to the urban environment, such
as land use, transport, pollution and health, are part of this assessment. This will help ensure
that future Community policies from all Commission services are compatible with the aims of
the Thematic Strategy.

In the field of research, the results from the City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage research
programme are now becoming available. The programme, from its conception, has sought to
provide a comprehensive approach by integrating the key urban issues.  It is  already  evident
that  there  are  some  important  results  which  will  fill  gaps  in  knowledge,  provide  new
approaches and inform policy making. Examples of these have been referred to in Annex 3. It
is essential that there is a continued effort to establish and disseminate best practice developed
by projects supported by the Community’s research framework programme so that it is widely
used  in  towns  and  cities67.  Where  innovative  technologies  need  to  be  further  developed  to
address urban environment problems, these should also be supported.

In  the  field  of  cohesion  policy,  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund  (ERDF)  and  the
Cohesion Fund have made significant contributions to the sustainable development of many
urban centres. For the 2000-2006 programming period at least 10% of the ERDF (Objectives
1 and 2) amounts are for urban centres and urban population. These correspond to almost €15
billions (11.5 for Objective 1 and 3.4 for Objective 2). Large contributions from the Cohesion
Fund  serve  the  same  purpose  though  the  estimation  of  total  amounts  is  more  difficult  to
calculate. Some examples of the use of the Funds are included in Annex 5. In the context of
the Third Cohesion Report on the Cohesion Policy, the Commission is considering the use of
mainstream funds for sustainable urban development in the post-2006 Cohesion Policy.

65

66

67

europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/urban2/index_en.htm
Communication from the Commission on Impact Assessment COM(2002) 276 final.
Note: many urban-related European research projects and concerted actions have also been launched in
the framework of COST and EUREKA.

32

 
                                                
Education  and  training  have  been  highlighted  as  essential  in  each  priority  theme,  and
through  programmes  such  as
to  support 
the  Commission  will  explore  ways 
Leonardo da Vinci.

this 

Through its focus on the four priority themes  that each have strong links to  these and other
different Community policy areas, the Thematic Strategy itself will lead to better integration
of  urban  environment  issues  in  relevant  Community  policies,  in  particular  in  relation  to
transport and energy.

 Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Integration within Community Policies

The  Commission  believes  that  the  knowledge  gaps  identified  in  the  preparation  of  the
Thematic  Strategy  should  be  the  basis  for  the  continuation  of  the  EU  urban  research  and
demonstration  activities,  including  enhanced  dissemination  of  the  results  from  existing  and
future European urban research.

In  the  context  of  the  Third  Cohesion  Report  on  the  Cohesion  Policy,  the  Commission  is
considering the use of mainstream funds for sustainable urban development in the post-2006
Cohesion Policy.

The Commission will consider how training and education policy, through programmes such
as Leonardo da Vinci, can support the achievement of a sustainable urban environment.

3.2. 

Horizontal integration within Community Environmental Policy

The Community is active in all of the environmental sectors that are critical in urban areas, in
particular air quality, climate change, waste, water, noise and biodiversity. Although currently
most  of  the  measures  in  these  sectors  do  not  have  a  particular  urban  focus,  they  contribute
significantly to the improvement of the urban environment. It is important that the baselines
set  by  these  general  measures  are  implemented  and  developed.  The  Thematic  Strategy  will
consider  ways  in  which  their  implementation  can  be  facilitated  in  urban  areas,  and  ways  in
which  a  particular  urban  focus  can  be  integrated  into  future  measures  and  accompanying
actions. Overviews  of  existing  activities  in  these  sectors,  which  are  relevant  for  the  priority
themes identified for the Thematic Strategy, are provided in Annex 6.

33

 
 Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Integration within Community Environmental Policy

 Water:  In  the  context  of  the  Water  Framework  Directive  and  its  Common  Implementation
Strategy,  the  Commission  will  prepare  a  recommendation  on  how  local  authorities  can
implement  sustainable  water  management  and  contribute  more  effectively  to  river  basin
management. Further and more targeted measures will also be considered in the Strategy.

 Climate  change:  The  Commission  will  consider  the  possibility  of  supporting  networks  of
cities  that  address  adaptation  to  the  impacts  of  climate  change,  and  will  provide  general
scientific support, for example, concerning the nature, scale and timing of the different effects
being predicted.

 Air:  The  CAFE  (Clear  Air  for  Europe)  programme  will  take  into  account  urban  transport
demand management and modal shift elements in the development of measures on air quality.
CAFE will also explore the links between outdoor and indoor air quality in urban areas, and
the reporting requirements on air quality will be reviewed to allow an urban focus.

 Waste: Within the framework of the Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of
Waste, the Commission will assess the potential role of the Community in the development of
local initiatives to manage and reduce the environmental impacts of waste. In particular, the
urban dimension of managing certain waste flows, such as construction and demolition waste
(see  also  section  2.3.3),  will  be  taken  into  account  in  the  definition  of  future  Community
policy promoting recycling.

 Nature and Biodiversity: The Commission will develop guidelines to help local authorities
manage  and  promote  biodiversity  in  urban  areas,  and  guidelines  on  the  protection  of
endangered  species  and  habitats  in  urban  areas.  The  Commission  will  develop  biodiversity
indicators.

 Pesticides:  The  Thematic  Strategy  on  the  Sustainable  Use  of  Pesticides68  will  propose
relevant  measures  (e.g.  training,  guidelines)  addressed  to  local  authorities  and  other
professional  and  non-professional  users  on  different  issues  related  to  the  sustainable  use  of
pesticides.

3.3. 

Integration between the different levels of administration.

Although  the  Thematic  Strategy  will  focus  on  urban  areas,  the  influence  of  regional  and
national factors is strong and must be taken into account in developing local strategies for a
high  quality  and  healthy  urban  environment.  Similarly,  regional,  national  and  Community
strategies must be reviewed to check that they are promoting the same goals at the local level.
Vertical  integration  between  these  different  administrations  is  vital.  A  key  element  of  this
integration  should  be  the  adoption  by  Member  States,  within  the  framework  of  their
sustainable development plans, of a national urban environment strategy. Where appropriate,
regional strategies should also be adopted. These should help fulfil the Johannesburg plan of
implementation agreed at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

68

COM(2002) 349 final.

34

 
                                                
In  order  to  support  this  process  and  to  provide  their  towns  and  cities  with  information,
expertise  and  advice,  national  and/or  regional  “Focal  Points  for  the  Urban  Environment”
should be nominated. The focal points should help local and regional authorities gain access
to data  and  expertise,  training,  awareness  raising actions  and  best  practice  examples, with  a
view to facilitating the implementation of the national urban environment strategy.

An example of good practice for a National Focal Point for the Urban Environment

In  1973  the  German  Institute  of  Urban  Affairs  (Difu)69  was  founded  by  the  Deutscher  Städtetag  (German
Association  of  Towns  and  Cities)  with  the  aim  of  identifying  long-term  prospects  for  urban  development  and
providing expert advice to municipal authorities to help them  solve their problems. With 100 employees, Difu
offers some 130 towns a broad spectrum of services in the fields of the urban environment, urban development,
economic  policy,  social  policy,  cultural  policy,  legislation  and  municipal  finances.  Studies,  expert  reports,
training seminars, information and documentation services, and regular publications promote the user-orientated
dissemination  of  scientific  findings.  Difu  provides  a  forum  where  local  authorities  can  exchange  ideas  and
experience and municipalities can gain advice on how to implement their planning objectives in administrative
practice.

Calls  have  also  been  made  for  specialist  centres  for  specific  topics.  For  example,  the  3rd
European  Minister’s  conference  on  sustainable  housing  recommended  the  establishment  in
each State of a national point of contact for sustainable housing to encourage the exchange of
experience and good practice. Indeed, given the integrated nature of the problems facing the
urban environment and local authorities, it would be appropriate to concentrate the wide range
of issues within one focal point.

It should also be noted that the administrative structures and boundaries have not always kept
pace with the geographical extension of towns and cities. Member States, the regions and the
local  authorities  may  therefore  need  to  reflect  on  the  co-ordination  and  the  distribution  of
competencies  necessary  to  address  the  major  urban  environmental  issues,  in  particular
between neighbouring authorities and between different levels.

In the White Paper on European Governance in 2001, the Commission put forward the idea of
target  based  tripartite  agreements  between  the  Member  States,  territorial  authorities  and  the
Commission,  and  the  environment  was  identified  as  an  area  for  testing  this  potential  new
instrument.  Three pilot projects on the  urban  environment have  been launched to assess  the
added value of tripartite agreements in this area at the European level.

69

www.difu.de

35

 
                                                
 Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Integration between different levels of administration

All Member States will be encouraged to:

– 

– 

– 

adopt national and/or regional urban environment strategies;

nominate National and/or Regional Focal Points for the Urban Environment;

consider raising awareness exercises for regional and local administrations on urban
environment issues.

The Member  States, the  regions and the  local  authorities  will  be  encouraged  to  develop  the
co-ordination  and  the  distribution  of  competencies  necessary  to  address  the  major  urban
environmental issues.

4. 

INDICATORS, DATA, TARGETS AND REPORTS

Identifying  indicators  for  the  urban  environment  is  important.  They  highlight  which  data  is
needed  to  monitor  urban  trends.  They  allow  the  effectiveness  of  initiatives  and  progress
towards a high  quality and healthy  environment  to be assessed, enable targets to  be  set  and
help steer decision making to more sustainable outcomes.

At the local level, the Commission has provided an “off the shelf” set of urban environment
indicators that can be used by towns and cities on a voluntary basis. The European Common
Indicators  (ECI)70 were  developed  by  the  EU  Expert  Group  on  the  Urban  Environment  and
are particularly useful for local authorities just starting to tackle environmental issues for their
urban  area  as  a  whole.  They  provide  a  focus  for  establishing  their  initial  policy  and  action
plans,  as  well  for  communicating  locally  to  citizens71  and  to  raise  the  general  level  of
awareness of key urban environmental issues. They can be adapted or extended by the town
or  city  to  reflect  the  local  situation,  and  can  support  the  widespread  implementation  of
environmental management plans by local authorities (see section 2.1.3).

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

70

71

European Common Indicators

Citizen satisfaction with the local community
Local contribution to global climatic change
Local mobility and passenger transportation
Availability of local public open areas and services
Quality of local ambient air
Journeys by children to and from school
Sustainable management of the local authority and local business
Noise pollution
Sustainable land use
Products promoting sustainability
Ecological footprint

www.sustainable-cities.org/indicators/index.htm
‘Environmental 
ISBN 92-9167-470-2.

Issue  Report  No  30 :  Towards  an  Urban  Atlas’  EEA/JRC  Publication

36

 
                                                
At  the  European  level,  while  there  are  many  indicators  in  use  in  different  cities  and  towns,
they are in general only sporadically implemented, do not provide comparable data, or are not
suited to the multiple ambitions of the Thematic Strategy. Similarly, the data gathered in the
framework of sectoral actions, such as air or water, are rarely analysed separately at the urban
level.  The  Commission  will  therefore  identify  a  set  of  indicators  that  can  be  used  at  the
European level to guide the collection of data necessary to monitor the Strategy. This will be
underpinned  by  the  proposed  INSPIRE  Directive  (see  section  2.4.2)  which  will  provide  a
standardised  format  for  the  collection  and  exchange  of  spatial  information.  It  will  take  into
account  relevant  on-going  initiatives  such  as  the  ECI,  the  Urban  Audit  II  which  analyses
economic, social and environmental data from 200 cities, and the Transport and Environment
Reporting  Mechanism  (TERM)  which  provides  data  on  transport  and  related  environmental
parameters. It will also make use of the European Information and Environment Observation
Network (EIONET), set up by  the  member  countries  of  the  European  Environment  Agency
(EEA) and work such as the EEA and Joint Research Centre’s Urban Atlas which assesses the
links between urban sprawl and the social and economic factors that drive it.

An example of good practice for urban environmental data

Prague’s  Environmental  Information  System  (IOZIP)  began  in  the  1980s  and  now  focuses  on  collecting  and
processing  data  on  the  environment  and  offering  this  information  to  municipal  bodies,  experts  and  the  public.
This gives an excellent overview of environmental issues and development to planners and investors. The system
supports a variety of products, such as the Environment Atlas72 (supported by an EU Interact project), a series of
annual  ‘state  of  the  urban  environment’  reports  for  Prague73  since  1989,  CD  ROMs  on  overall  environmental
development of the city and a web site on the Internet offering data and maps (GIS based) to a wider audience (a
pilot project). The on-line version also features data derived from the EU HEAVEN project on air quality and
weather  conditions.  The  wide  ranging  new  technology-based  municipal  information  system  is  proving  to  be
highly efficient in linking a number of environmental projects on sustainable development in the city of Prague.
The system is run and paid for by the city of Prague.

With respect to data on environment and health, the bio-monitoring of children, as foreseen in
the  European  Environment  and  Health  Strategy  includes  a  commitment  to  develop
environment  and  health  indicators,  bringing  together  ongoing  activities  in  both  the
environment  and  health  fields.  Moreover,  the  biomonitoring  of  children,  as  foreseen  in  the
strategy, will focus on children in urban environments. This programme will in the long-term
allow an analysis of whether the progress in improving the urban environment is reflected in
the improvement of children’s health, and in which towns and cities extra effort is required.

While for some urban environmental issues, such as air quality, limit values have been set at
the  European  level,  for  many  others  such  as  sustainable  urban  transport,  the  target  setting
should be done at the local level. Local authorities are in the best position to take account of
the local conditions, making a single European target inappropriate. However, there is a clear
need for guidance on target setting, and  for  some issues  indicative targets at  the  national or
European level could be usefully  discussed.  The Commission  will therefore seek to  provide
guidelines for target setting and will explore the possibilities of developing indicative targets
where appropriate.

72

73

www.wmap.cz/atlasen
www.praha-mesto.cz/zp/rocenky/eng.asp

37

 
                                                
Finally, the EEA should, within its regular reporting activities, report on the state of the urban
environment in Europe’s towns and cities. It is already a requirement of Directive 2003/4/EC
on public access to environmental information74 that Member States regularly prepare state of
the  environment  reports.  The  state  of  the  urban  environment  report  should  cover  the  main
environmental sectors (air, noise, water, waste, biodiversity), as  well as the priority areas of
the  thematic  strategy  (management,  transport,  construction,  design)  and  the  wider  aspects
(health  and  quality  of  life).  It  should  include  some  form  of  comparative  evaluation  of
individual  towns  and  cities.  Such  a  detailed  report  is  necessary  to  drive  the  future
development of the Thematic Strategy, to make the information available to European citizens
and  would  serve  to  stimulate  the  local  authorities  to  improving  the  environmental
performance of their municipality.

 Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Developing targets and indicators

The Commission will identify key indicators to monitor the effects of the Thematic Strategy
and the state of the urban environment.

Member States will be encouraged to support the use of the European Common Indicators at
the local level.

The  EEA  will  report  on  the  state  of  the  urban  environment  in  the  EU  within  its  regular
reporting activities and will ensure access to data on the urban environment to provide better
information to the policy maker, implementing actors and the public and to guide and monitor
the progress of the Thematic Strategy.

The  Commission  will  seek  to  provide  guidance  and  advice  to  towns  and  cities  on  setting
targets  for  urban  environment  issues,  and  will  explore  the  possibilities  of  developing
indicative targets where appropriate.

74

Directive  2003/4/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  28  January  2003  on  public
access 
90/313/EEC
(OJ L 41, 14.2.2003, p. 26).

repealing  Council  Directive 

environmental 

information 

and 

to 

38

 
                                                
5. 

SUPPORTING THE MAINSTREAMING OF GOOD PRACTICE AT LOCAL LEVEL

5.1. 

Local authorities

In 1994, a number of towns and cities and local authority networks in Europe established the
Aalborg Charter75 which commits its  signatories to the  Local  Agenda 21  process and  to  the
development  of  long-term  action  plans  towards  sustainability.  The  European  Sustainable
Cities and Towns Campaign was established  to develop networking between the  signatories
and between existing networks of towns and cities, and to widen participation in the Charter.
To  date,  political  representatives  from  more  then  1,950  cities  and  towns  from  41  European
countries  have  committed  their  municipalities  to  the  Charter76.  These  towns  and  cities  and
their networks have been the driving force behind the development of Local Agenda 21 and
its  practical  implementation,  and  are  currently  discussing  an  Aalborg+10  initiative  which
would go a significant step further by committing its signatories  to  explicit and quantitative
targets and actions for the next decade.

An example of good practice in implementing Local Agenda 21

Started  in  1998,  the  LA21  process  in  Ferrara  (Italy)  has  now  become  an  integral  part  of  their  development
strategy.  As  the  result  of  a  continuing  emphasis  on  awareness  raising,  sustainability  concepts  are  now  largely
understood  by  local  stakeholders  and  have  become  part  of  everyday  practice.  A  range  of  methods  to  develop
participation  and  partnerships  (such  as  forums,  workshops,  working  groups,  agreements,  projects)  have  been
used to prepare and implement a set of voluntary local plans, covering amongst others energy, traffic, health and
welfare. These now form the basis of the city’s new Urban Master Plan. In 2002 the city council approved its
first  Environmental  Balance,  including  natural  resource  management  targets,  green  procurement,  and  the
implementation of a local environmental management system.

The Commission has supported the Aalborg Charter, the Campaign and the various networks
that  work  towards  sustainable  urban  development,  notably  through  the  Community
framework  for  co-operation  to  promote  sustainable  urban  development77.  Other  support  is
available. The INTERREG initiative78 offers a range of opportunities for towns and cities to
exchange experience on sustainable urban development and for projects that cover small scale
environmental  infrastructure  development,  although  these  possibilities  are  underused  by
towns and cities at the moment. Similarly, the URBACT programme allows towns and cities
involved in the URBAN initiative to exchange experience and best practice. The Commission
also  awards  funding  to  town-twinning  activities79  with  the  aim  of  reinforcing  existing  links
between towns and encouraging new twinning initiatives. Over 1 million people a year benefit
from the initiative and environmental themes account for around a third of the 1,250 twinning
projects supported each year. The town twinning initiative offers towns and cities an excellent
way  of  exchanging  experience  and  good  practice  on  the  wide  range  of  urban  environment
issues. In addition, the different EU urban research programmes (see Annex 3) have brought
together several hundred cities in many projects to cooperate in developing and implementing
best practice.

75

76

77

78

79

www.sustainable-cities.org/keydocs.html
A number of regions have signed up to a comparable initiative, the 1998 Valencia Charter.
Decision  No  1411/2001/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  27  June  2001  on  a
development
to 
Community  Framework 
(OJ L 191, 13.7.2001, p. 1.)
www.interreg3c.net
europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/towntwin/index_en.html

cooperation 

sustainable 

promote 

urban 

for 

39

 
                                                
The Member States also have a strong role to play in promoting best practice, the adoption of
Local Agenda 21, the Aalborg Charter and similar initiatives.

Taking into account the development of the Strategy and of a more action-oriented approach
to  LA21,  the  Commission  will  consider  how  to  adapt  and  develop  its  support  for  local
authorities and their networks, amongst others through a revised framework for co-operation
to promote sustainable urban development. The Commission will also explore the possibility
of  using  the  co-operation  framework  to  disseminate  more  widely  the  results  of  the  City  of
Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage projects and  other European projects relevant  to the urban
environment.

5.2. 

The role of the citizen

Much of the emphasis of the Thematic Strategy  will inevitably fall on recommendations for
action by the European Commission, the Member States and local authorities. However, the
individual citizen also has a vital role in achieving a sustainable, healthy urban environment.

Public  participation  in  decision  making  is  recognised  as  a  prerequisite  for  achieving
sustainability.  Initiatives  such  as  the  Aarhus  Convention  and  the  Governance  White  Paper
promote opportunities for public involvement and any proposals in the Strategy for plans to
be drawn up by municipalities would include appropriate provisions for public participation.

More  fundamentally,  individual  decisions  and  behaviours  have  a  strong  influence  on  the
success of  any local plan or  framework  for  action. Individuals  can choose whether  to  walk,
cycle, take the bus or take their car. They  can  choose  which  energy source they  use  to  heat
their homes, and whether to invest in better insulation. As set out in this Communication, a
lack of public awareness of the environmental consequences of their  actions  is  sometimes a
considerable barrier preventing a more sustainable approach. Raising awareness of the public
and changing behaviour are necessarily important elements of any strategy to achieve a high
quality and healthy urban environment.

At the European level, the Commission undertakes various awareness raising activities such
as the European Car Free Day and these will be continued. New activities will be developed,
such  as  the  Green  Urban  Days  in  which  cities  present  their  environmental  activities  and
performance  to  their  citizens.  Strategies  drawn  up  by  municipalities,  regions  and  national
Governments  should  not  only  involve  the  public  but  also  contain  appropriate  activities  to
encourage changes in behaviour.

 Actions proposed for the forthcoming Thematic Strategy
(these proposals will be the subject of further consultations in 2004)
Supporting the mainstreaming of good practice at local level

 The Commission will propose a revised Community framework for co-operation to promote
sustainable urban development.

 The Commission will explore ways of improving the dissemination of urban research results
to towns and cities.

 The  Commission  will  examine  the  ways  in  which  it  can  support  the  development  of  an
Aalborg+10  initiative  by  towns  and  cities  to  set  in  place  a  co-ordinated  action  committing
them to explicit and quantitative targets for the next decade.

40

 
6. 

NEXT STEPS

In preparing the Commission proposal for the Thematic Strategy, scheduled for mid-2005, the
Commission will continue its process of extensive consultation initiated to help prepare this
Communication, and invites contributions to the ideas and approaches presented. To this end,
in  2004  the  Commission  will  hold  several  stakeholder  consultation  events  and  technical
working  groups  to  examine  in  further  detail  the  actions  proposed,  their  feasibility  and  how
they would contribute to improving the urban environment. They will be composed of a range
of  stakeholders  and  experts,  including  representatives  of  Member  States,  Acceding  and
Candidate Countries, regions, cities, enterprises, NGOs and academics.

The  Commission  web-site  (www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/urban/thematic_strategy.htm)  will
provide  up  to  date  documentation,  and  an  opportunity  for  stakeholders  to  comment  directly
(deadline for comments is 15 April 2004).

41

 
Annex 1: Urban Environment Policy Development

The  Thematic  Strategy  will  constitute  an  important  step  in  a  series  of  initiatives  that  have
contributed to the development of Europe’s policy on the urban environment.

The  1990  “Green  Paper  on  the  Urban  Environment”80  presented  a  comprehensive  and  far-
sighted review of the challenges facing the urban environment and for the first time proposed
an overall approach and a series of actions at the European level, stressing the importance of
developing co-operation and integration between policies.

The EU Expert Group on the Urban Environment was established in 1991.

The Sustainable Cities Project was launched in 1993. The aims of the project were to promote
new ideas on sustainability in European urban settings; foster a wide exchange of experience;
disseminate  good  practices  on  sustainability  at  the  urban  level;  formulate  recommendations
for  the  EU  institutions,  national,  regional  and  local  authorities;  and  to  assist  the
implementation of the European Community's Fifth Environmental Action Programme.

In  1996,  the  EU  Expert  Group  produced  a  major  report  “European  Sustainable  Cities”  in
support of the Local Agenda 21 process. The report provided a detailed framework for local
action,  identifying  urban  management,  policy  integration,  eco-systems  thinking  and  co-
operation  and  partnership  as  the  basic  principles  for  progressing  towards  sustainability  in
urban areas.

The 1997 Communication “Towards an Urban Agenda in the European Union”81 built on this
report,  focussing  on  the  economic,  social  and  environmental  challenges  facing  European
towns and cities, and underlining the need for an urban perspective in EU policies. This was
followed by the 1998 Communication on  “Sustainable Urban Development  in the European
Union:  A  Framework  for  Action”82  which  for  the  first  time  took  a  true  sustainable
development approach, with four interdependent policy aims:

– 

– 

– 

– 

Strengthening economic prosperity and employment in towns and cities;

Promoting equality, social inclusion and regeneration in urban areas;

Protecting  and  improving  the  urban  environment  towards  local  and  global
sustainability; and

Contributing towards good governance and local empowerment.

80

81

82

COM(1990) 218 final.
COM(1997) 197 final.
COM(1998) 605 final.

42

 
                                                
In particular, it detailed a series of policy objectives for improving the urban environment that
remain valid and will provide the essential foundation for the Thematic Strategy:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Improve  ambient  air  quality  in  urban  areas,  the  reliability  and  quality  of  drinking
water  supplies,  the  protection  and  management  of  surface  and  ground  waters;
reduce  at  source  the  quantity  of  water  requiring  final  disposal  and  reduce
environmental noise.

Protect  and  improve  the  built  environment  and  cultural  heritage,  and  promote
biodiversity and green space within urban areas.

Promote  resource  efficient  settlement  patterns  that  minimise  land-take  and  urban
sprawl.

Minimise the environmental impacts of transport through aiming at a less transport-
intensive  path  of  economic  development  and  by  encouraging  the  use  of  more
environmentally sustainable transport modes.

Improve  environmental  performance  of  enterprises  by  promoting  good
environmental management in all sectors.

Achieve measurable and significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in urban
areas, especially through the rational use of energy, the increased use of renewable
energy sources and combined heat and power and the reduction of waste.

Minimise and manage environmental risks in urban areas.

Promote  more  holistic,  integrated  and  environmentally  sustainable  approaches  to
the management of urban areas, within  functional urban areas,  foster eco-systems-
based approaches that recognise the mutual dependence between town and country,
thus improving linkage between urban centres an their rural surroundings.

In 2001, the EU Expert Group produced the report “Towards more sustainable urban land use:
advice to the European Commission for policy and action”.

On a wider level, Article 6 of the Treaty places sustainable development at the very centre of
EU policies and actions, as underlined by the 2001 Communication “A Sustainable Strategy
for a Better World: A European Union Strategy for Sustainable Development”83.

83

COM(2001) 264 final.

43

 
                                                
Annex 2: A European Vision for Sustainable Cities, Sustainable Urban Management,
Transport, Construction and Design

The following visions proposed here have been developed following extensive consultation,
and will be used to guide the Strategy and those that have a key role in its implementation.

European Cities of the 21st Century

Cities and towns should be designed, constructed and managed to support a healthy, vibrant,
inclusive and  environmentally  efficient  economy, to  support  the  well-being  of and  meet  the
needs of its citizens in a sustainable manner, and be sensitive to and work in harmony with the
natural systems which sustain it.

A vision for sustainable urban management

Sustainable  urban  management  is  a  process  through  which  the  sustainable  development  of
urban areas, their immediate environs and the regions within which they are located may be
secured. It seeks to minimise the negative impacts of urban areas on ecological cycles at all
levels,  applying  the  precautionary  principle,  and  to  improve  ecological  conditions  to  make
cities healthy places to live.

It  focuses  upon  the  preservation  of  the  natural  environment  within  its  social  and  economic
context,  integrating  the  environment  into  other  policies,  and  recognising  the  interrelated
nature of the social, the economic and the environmental, and the need to secure equitable and
just policy outcomes.

It  requires  reformed  organisational  structures  which  enable  integrated  policy  approaches  to
urban problems to be developed, and is based on the best available information on the state of
environment, using the most suitable approaches and tools which meet the specific needs of
the  urban  areas  in  question.  Local  authorities  are  the  natural  hosts  of  sustainable  urban
management.

It develops a culture of learning, understanding and respect within organisations and amongst
individuals involved in the processes of sustainable development policy making, and involves
the participation of stakeholders, interest organisations and citizens in an open and inclusive
decision making process.

It  is  a  continuing  cycle  of  problem  analysis,  planning  and  programming,  implementation,
monitoring, progress  assessment,  and  evaluation  that  builds  on  accumulated  knowledge  and
experience, ensuring that new policy approaches learn from past performance, and recognises
the need for long term vision in policy making.

44

 
A vision for sustainable urban transport

A sustainable urban transport system:

– 

– 

– 

Supports the freedom of movement, health, safety and quality of life of the citizens
of current and of future generations;

Is environmentally efficient; and

Supports a vibrant, inclusive economy, giving access to opportunities and services to
all, including less affluent, elderly or disabled urban citizens and non-urban citizens.

It achieves these objectives by, amongst others:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Promoting  a  more  rational  use  of  private  cars,  and  favouring  clean,  quiet  energy
efficient vehicles powered by renewable or alternative fuels;

Providing a regular, frequent, comfortable, modern, competitively priced, well linked
network of public transport;

Strengthening the share of non-motorised transport (walking and cycling);

Making the most efficient use of land;

Managing transport demand through the use of economic instruments and plans for
behavioural change and mobility management;

Being  actively  managed,  in  an  integrated  manner,  with  the  participation  of  all  the
stakeholders;

Having  quantified  short,  medium  and  long-term  objectives,  with  an  effective
monitoring system.

A vision for sustainable construction

Sustainable  construction  is  a  process  where  all  the  actors  involved  (e.g.  owner,  financier,
engineer,  architect,  builder,  material  supplier,  permitting  authority)  integrate  functional,
economic, environmental and quality considerations to produce and renovate buildings and a
built environment that is:

– 

– 

– 

– 

Attractive, durable, functional, accessible, comfortable and healthy to live in and use,
promoting the well-being of all that come into contact with it.

Resource  efficient,  in  particular  with  respect  to  energy,  materials  and  water,
favouring the use of renewable energy sources and needing little external energy to
function,  making  appropriate  use  of  rain  and  ground  water  and  correctly  handling
waste  water,  and  using  materials  that  are  environmentally  friendly,  that  can  be
readily recycled or reused, that contain no hazardous  compounds  and  can be  safely
disposed of.

Respects the neighbourhood and local culture and heritage.

Is  competitively  priced,  especially  when 
into  account 
considerations, such as maintenance costs, durability and re-sale prices.

taking 

longer-term

45

 
A vision for sustainable urban design

Sustainable urban design is a process whereby all the actors involved (national, regional and
local authorities, citizens, community based organisations, NGOs, academics and enterprises)
work together to integrate functional, environmental and quality considerations to design and
plan a built environment that:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Creates  beautiful,  distinctive,  secure,  healthy  and  high  quality  places  for  people  to
live  and  work  in  that  foster  a  strong  sense  of  community,  pride,  social  equity,
integration and identity;

Supports a vibrant, balanced,  inclusive and  equitable economy that promotes  urban
regeneration;

Treats  land  as  a  precious  resource  that  must  be  used  in  the  most  efficient  way
possible,  reusing  land  and  empty  property  within  the  urban  area  in  preference  to
seeking  new  land  outside  and  avoiding  urban  sprawl  (compact  cities  and,  at  the
regional level, concentrated decentralisation);

Considers the relationship between cities and their hinterlands and wider regions;

Ensures  that  new  developments  are  located  strategically,  accessible  by  public
transport, and respecting the natural environment (biodiversity, health, environmental
risk);

Has sufficient density and intensity of activity and use so that services such as public
transport are viable and efficient whilst respecting a high quality living environment
(privacy, personal space and minimising adverse effects such as noise);

Promotes  a  mixed  land  use  to  make  best  use  of  benefits  of  proximity  in  order  to
minimise the need to travel between home, shops and employment;

Has  a  green  structure  to  optimise  the  ecological  quality  of  the  urban  area
(biodiversity, micro climate and air quality);

Has high quality and well planned infrastructure including public transport services,
streets, paths and cycleways to promote accessibility, particularly for disadvantaged
communities, and to support a high level of social, cultural and economic activity;

Makes use of state of the art resource saving approaches such as low energy housing,
fuel efficient transport, district heating and recycling systems;

Respects and enhances existing cultural heritage and communities.    

46

 
Annex 3: Examples of Research or Demonstration Projects and Initiatives Financed by
the Commission in Support of Sustainable Urban Management, Transport,
Construction and Design

Sustainable Urban Management

“The  City  of  Tomorrow  and  Cultural  Heritage”  Key  Action  within  the  5th  Framework
Programme  for  research84  has  been  active  in  providing  tools  that  urban  authorities  need  to
manage their urban areas  (for instance,  the ECOLUP85 project uses EMAS  to manage land-
use planning in local authorities) and in building the institutional and social capacity for urban
sustainability. The LASALA project undertook a comprehensive review of the Local Agenda
21 initiative in Europe and created a self assessment tool for local authorities to use to report
on their performance. The PASTILLE project looks at how environmental indicators should
be  used  to  greatest  effect.  The  Commission  is  also  funding  a  peer  review  project  for  local
administrations  using  EMAS86.  In  the  field  of  urban  waste  management,  SWA-tool,  for
example,  is  developing  a  methodology  for  solid  waste  analysis,  tested  in  some  EU  and
accession  country  cities,  and  the  PAYT  project  analyses  the  potential  advantages  and
problems associated with a “pay as you throw” policy. INTEGAIRE is a thematic network on
air  quality management  and  urban  governance, providing  input  to  the  Clean  Air  for  Europe
initiative.

Sustainable Urban Transport

To  promote  the  spread  of  good  practice  across  Europe,  the  Commission  offers  financial
support  to  Europe’s  most  advanced  “light  tower”  cities  through  the  CIVITAS  Initiative87.
CIVITAS currently brings together and supports a first group of 19 cities willing to introduce
and  demonstrate  bold  and  innovative  measures  to  radically  improve  their  urban  transport
system. A second group of CIVITAS cities will be selected in 2004. The ELTIS website88 and
different  teaching  programmes89  are  used  to  strengthen  the  knowledge  of  urban  transport
professionals.  The  Urban  Transport  Benchmarking  Initiative90  allows  cities  to  assess  and
improve the performance of their transport system through self evaluation.

Through the Sustainable Mobility and Intermodality91 and the Energy92 research programmes
the Commission is supporting research and best practice demonstrations. Besides the above-
the  worlds  biggest  fuel  cell  bus
mentioned  CIVITAS  Initiative,  projects 
demonstration project (CUTE). They address issues such as the implementation of urban road
user  charging  schemes  (PROGRESS),  policy  requirements  for  high  quality  public  transport
(VOYAGER),  socio-economic  impacts  of  urban  transport  investments  (TRANSECON),
urban  freight  policies  (BESTUFS)  and  the  assessment  of  mobility  management  and
behavioural change programmes (MOST, TAPESTRY).

include 

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

www.cordis.lu/eesd/ka4/home.html
www.ecolup.info
www.emascities.org
www.civitas-initiative.org
www.eltis.org
www.transport-training.org , www.eu-portal.net
www.eltis.org/benchmarking/
europa.eu.int/comm/research/growth/gcc/ka02.html
europa.eu.int/comm/research/energy/nn/nn_rt_en.html

47

 
                                                
The City of Tomorrow and Cultural Heritage research programme covers urban transport and
particularly  the  links  with  other  issues.  Examples  of  projects  include  the  development  of  a
practical  tool  to  assist  local  authorities  develop  and  monitor  a  range  of  transport  studies  to
combat  social  exclusion  (MATISSE),  mobility  services  such  as  car  sharing,  including  the
launch  of  the  first  scheme  in  Eastern  Europe  in  Bucharest  (MOSES),  the  promotion  of
walking  in  urban  areas  (PROMPT),  information  dissemination  on  cycling  strategies
(VELOINFO) and the value of freight distribution centres (CITY FREIGHT).

Through STEER, the ‘transport-part’ of the new Intelligent Energy for Europe93 programme,
the  Commission  is  also  developing  the  promotion  and  dissemination  of  best  practice,
information and advice on the energy aspects of urban transport.

Within  the  IST  programme  in  FP5  and  FP4,  the  Commission  has  co-financed  research
projects  developing  methodologies  for  the  assessment  of  traffic  related  air  /  noise  pollution
especially  for  urban  areas.  These  projects  have  designed  part  or  complete  decision  support
systems, including the different necessary modules like sensors, data capture, data validation,
data  aggregation,  modelling  the  prediction  of  air/noise  quality  (e.g.  the  projects  ECOSIM,
EFFECT,  EMMA,  HEAVEN,  ADA,  HARMONOISE).  Other  projects  have  dealt  with  the
need  to  inform  citizens and  change  via  this  information  their  behaviour  as  a  function  of  air
quality predictions (e.g. APNEE, APNEE-TU).

In the field of awareness raising for sustainable urban transport, the Commission initiated the
annual European car-free day (“In town without my car!”) in 200094. Support for the event is
growing,  with  760  cities  and  towns  involved  in  2000,  1005  in  2001  and  1448  in  2002.  In
2002,  the  Commission  launched  the  European  Mobility  Week25,  a  week-long  event  of
awareness raising focusing on various aspects of sustainable mobility. Awards were given to
the best performing cities. In 2003 and 2004 there will be a European Mobility Management
Action Day during this week95. The Commission has produced various publications, including
“Kids on the Move” (2002) and “Cycling: The Way Ahead for Towns and Cities” (1999)96.

Sustainable urban construction

Several  Community  funding  programmes  support  the  development,  demonstration  and
implementation  of  energy  demand  management  in  buildings.  The  most  recent  research
Framework  Programmes  include  work  on  eco-buildings  which  aims  to  reduce  the
consumption  of  energy  in  individual  buildings  and  to  promote  the  self-supply  of  new  and
renewable  energies.  The  CONCERTO97  initiative  concentrates  on  the  integration  of  self-
supply  and  demand  management  techniques  in  larger  “communities”  of  buildings.  Its  focus
on energy efficiency, combined with renewable energies and new technologies will reduce the
CO2  emissions  significantly  in  a  cost-effective  way.  The  Intelligent  Energy  for  Europe98
programme, acting closer to the market, aims to facilitate the replication at a very large scale,
for example in the retro-fitting and new construction of social housing.

93

94

95

96

97

98

europa.eu.int/comm/energy/intelligent/index_en.htm
www.mobilityweek-europe.org/
www.emma-day.info
europa.eu.int/comm/environment/pubs/urban.htm
europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/energy_transport/rtd/concerto/index_en.htm
europa.eu.int/comm/energy/intelligent/index_en.htm

48

 
                                                
“The  City  of  Tomorrow  and  Cultural  Heritage”  programme  is  very  active  on  sustainable
construction  issues.  Several  projects  constitute  a  major  step  forward  in  establishing  and
promoting  sustainable  construction  and  renovation  practices  in  Europe.  PRESCO  aims  to
define a European Code of Practice for Sustainable Building, and CRISP aims to develop and
validate  harmonised  criteria  and  indicators  to  measure  the  sustainability  of  construction
projects  particularly  within  the  urban  built  environment.  SUREURO  deals  with  the
sustainable  refurbishment  of  post  war  housing  in  Europe  and  aims  to  develop  practical
management  tools  for  integrating  sustainable  development  and  tenant  participation  in  the
process.  A  40%  reduction  in  overall  energy  use  is  planned.  The  RUFUS  project  considers
methodologies  for  the  re-use  of  foundations  in  urban  areas  to  reduce  costs  and  waste
generated and the SHE project, proposed by social housing organisations, aims to manage the
building process of some 750 sustainable dwellings. The WAMBUCO project will produce a
waste  manual  for  building  construction  to  save  resources  and  improve  on-site  productivity.
Sustainable  construction  techniques  and  technology  are  also  being  addressed  in  the
framework  of  the  Commission’s  Environmental  Technology  for  Sustainable  Development
Action Plan.

Sustainable urban design

The  “City  of  Tomorrow  and  Cultural  Heritage”  research  programme  supports  research
projects on the revitalisation of city centres and neighbourhoods (including the rehabilitation
and re-use of contaminated and brownfield sites), sustainable retrofitting of urban areas such
as  large  housing  estates  and  on  ways  to  reduce  urban  sprawl,  especially  through  the
integration  of  land  use  and  transport  planning.  Examples  include  the  ECOCITY  project
analysing  the  links  between  land  use  and  transport,  the  LUTR  project  producing  a  guide  to
decision  makers  on  achieving  sustainability  in  land  use  and  transport  and  the  SCATTER
project looking at urban sprawl. The HQE²R project aims at providing a methodology to help
municipalities move towards a sustainable urban renewal and development. A cluster of five
projects seeks to assess the various contributions of green spaces to urban sustainability and
develop tools for their management and planning in towns and  cities. A number of projects
deal with the integration of cultural heritage into urban development planning. For example,
the SUIT project aims to specify procedures to apply the SEA and EIA  Directives in towns
and  cities  with  an  important  cultural  heritage  dimension.  The  UGIS  project  examines  how
urban  development  programmes  can  promote  social  inclusion  and  better  urban  governance.
CABERNET99 is a  concerted  action  across  21  European  countries  with  the  aim  to  facilitate
the development of new sustainable solutions for the rehabilitation of urban brownfields.

The  Joint  Research  Centre  is  also  active  in  this  area.  The  MOLAND100  database  covers
around 40 urban areas and monitors land use to provide data on the correlation between land
use  policies  and  demographic  trends  with  spatial  evolutions.  The  JRC  is  also  working  on  a
framework for integrating the concepts of spatial planning and sustainable urban management
into a decision support system for preventing  and  mitigating the  effects  of  extreme  weather
driven events (flooding, forest fires, landslides).

99

100

www.cabernet.org.uk
moland.jrc.it/

49

 
                                                
Annex 4: EU Transport Council Definition of Sustainable Transport

The  EU  Transport  Council  adopted  in  April  2001  the  following  definition:  a  sustainable
transport system:

– 

– 

– 

allows  the  basic  access  and  development  needs  of  individuals,  companies  and
societies  to  be  met  safely  and  in  a  manner  consistent  with  human  and  ecosystem
health, and promotes equity within and between successive generations;

is  affordable,  operates  fairly  and  efficiently,  offers  choice  of  transport  mode,  and
supports a competitive economy, as well as balanced regional development;

limits emissions and waste within the planet's ability to absorb them, uses renewable
resources at or below their rates of generation, and, uses non-renewable resources at
or  below  the  rates  of  development  of  renewable  substitutes  while  minimising  the
impact on the use of land and the generation of noise.

50

 
Annex 5: Examples of the Use of the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund for
Sustainable Urban Development

An underground for Athens

This was an ambitious project for a city of four million inhabitants which was also one of the
most polluted cities in Europe. Athens has 1.4 million vehicles but public transport had been
reduced to one over-land electrified line and an inadequate bus services. The level of use of
the public transport system had effectively collapsed. However, European Union funding and
favourable loans from the European Investment Bank allowed two new underground lines to
be  brought  into  service  in  early  2000.  This  reduced  the  number  of  daily  trips  by  private
vehicles  by  an  estimated  250,000.  It  has  helped  to  achieve  significant  savings  in  time  and
energy  use,  a  better  quality  of  life  for  residents,  a  better  urban  environment,  and  a  better
image for the city in general.

In terms of employment, 4,500 people were involved in constructing the sections currently in
service, 3,000 more are working on the new extension, and the public corporation managing
the new metro has created 800 permanent jobs.

Building policies for the outskirts of cities

The proliferation of large shopping centres  and factory outlets centres  on  the edge  of towns
and cities has negative effects on the urban and regional balance  and on the environment. It
promotes the decline of city centres, increased traffic, successive encroachment of green areas
and  deterioration  of  the  landscape.  These  consequences  can  have  repercussions  on  border
regions  in  neighbouring  countries.  To  limit  these  developments  and  ensure  coherence,
regional  planning  policies  must  be  coordinated  in  cross-border  areas  and  be  part  of  a  long-
term transnational approach.

The  relevant  regional  authorities  of  North-Rhine  Westphalia  (Germany),  the  Province  of
Limburg  (Netherlands),  the  Walloon  Region  and  the  Flemish  Region  (Belgium)  and  a
German  NGO  carried  out  the  TRADE  project..  A  cross-border  working  group  brought
together the knowledge needed to  evaluate  the  applications  for  new  retail  shopping  centres,
introduced  a  system  of  consultation  and  developed  common  working  methods.  It  compared
the  experiences  of  the  respective  authorities  and  studied  the  consequences  of  building  the
centres, particularly in border areas. Finally, it defined guidelines which all partner authorities
adopted.  In  parallel,  workshops  were  organised  (shop  owners,  local  authorities  and  other
institutions) to inform them about the situation and to give them an opportunity to say what
they thought about the TRADE project.

The four regions now have common principles and criteria to ensure that the building of retail
shopping centres does not negatively affect local and neighbouring town centres or harm the
environment. The granting of building permits is based on these references. A plan to build 7
factory  outlet  centres,  representing  a  total  area  of  100,000  m²,  was  subjected  to  these
principles, and the number of centres was reduced to 2, with smaller retail surface areas. As a
pilot transnational project, TRADE will lead to the creation of a transnational network for the
coordination of regional policies in this matter.

51

 
Dublin: priority for buses and cyclists

With assistance from the European Union, the Dublin authorities started a series of interlinked
schemes to improve traffic flow in the urban area of Greater Dublin. A network of "corridors"
will be reserved for a quality bus service, pedestrian precincts and 60km of cycle tracks have
been  laid  out  and  traffic  has  been  organised  to  give  priority  to  cyclists.  In  addition,  several
bicycle parks have been built in the city centre, at stations, along the principal roads into the
city.

Palermo is improving the local environment by increasing the efficiency and reliability
of public transport

A  project  implemented  in  Palermo  as  part  of  the  Urban  programme  is  bringing  new
technology  to  transport.  The  result  is  an  integrated  public  transport  management  system,
known  as  "Saturn"  (Satellite  Application  for  Transport  in  Urban  Nodes)  which  uses
geostationary  satellites.  It  records  the  exact  position  of  each  vehicle  on  the  bus  route  and
displays  its  precise  time  of  arrival  on  electronic  display  units  installed  at  each  stop.  Users
know exactly how long they will have to wait and can plan accordingly.

Cleaner water gives new life to Szczecin

Located  on  the  river  Odra,  the  port  city  of  Szczecin  (population  420,000)  is  a  major
contributor to pollution in the Baltic Sea. At present, the city has only one small, mechanical
wastewater treatment plant. Only 13% of the total wastewater generated in the city is treated.
The quality of drinking water in Szczecin is also poor, well below EU standards. The city’s
water  supply  is  largely  dependent  on  a  single  pipeline  from  one  main  water  source  at  the
Miedwie  lake,  to  the  south  east  of  the  city.  The  rate  of  leakage  in  the  water  distribution
system  is  high.In  March  2000  the  city  completed  a  master  plan  to  implement  a  major
programme of investment, which includes two new  wastewater treatment plants, up-grading
the  existing  plant,  and  a  major  programme  of  sewerage  extension  and  rehabilitation.  The
overall aim  is  to  enable  the  city  to  achieve  compliance  with  EU  standards,  in  particular  the
Urban Wastewater Directive and the Drinking Water Directives.

Further information on these projects and others can be obtained from:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/projects/stories/index_en.cfm

52

 
Annex 6: The Urban Environment in Environmental Policy

Water:  Emission  control  is  essentially  provided  for  by  the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment
Directive101.  Going  beyond  emission  controls,  the  Water  Framework  Directive102  sets  an
obligation to achieve good water quality for all waters, and introduces a holistic management
of each river basin and its catchment area. In terms of consequences for the urban areas, the
good quality of all waters makes it easier to provide good quality drinking water, as required
by  the  Drinking  Water  Directive103,  and  also  to  provide  recreational  and  bathing  waters  of
good quality, as required by the Bathing Water Directive104.

However,  of  much  greater  significance  to  towns  and  cities  is  the  river  basin  management
process which requires the participation and contribution of local authorities. Cities and towns
own  or  regulate  much  of  the  water-related  infrastructure  and  have  permitting  and  taxation
powers that could be used to considerably improve the sustainable use of water.

For  example,  promoting  the  permeability  of  surfaces  in  urban  areas  and  the  separation
rainwater runoff from the sewage system, could contribute to natural groundwater recharging,
reduce costs of waste water collection and treatment, and reduce flooding. They could invest
in or require  the  renovation of the  water  supply  system  to  reduce  the  current  high  levels  of
leakage.  They  could  promote  more  sustainable  use  of  water  in  households  and  industry  via
their  permitting  powers  and  could  set  targets  for  per  capita  consumption,  generalising  the
implementation of water demand management, and supporting these targets with appropriate
local water taxes and/or pricing.

In  order  to  bring  more  cities  to  make  more  significant  contributions  to  the  management  of
river  basins,  several  measures  could  be  proposed.  The  general  implementation  of
environmental management systems that cover water use, as presented in section 2.1.3, would
provide  the  general  basis  for  getting  small  cities  more  actively  involved,  but  still  with  the
freedom to set their own targets for water as appropriate locally. To support this process, the
Commission  will  prepare  appropriate  guidelines  on  how  urban  authorities  can  implement
sustainable water management and contribute more effectively to the river basin management,
and could where appropriate propose more targeted measures of a binding nature.

101

102

103

104

Council  Directive  91/271/EEC  of  21  May  1991  concerning  urban  waste-water 
(OJ L 135, 30.5.1991, p. 40).
Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a
framework for Community action in the field of water policy (OJ L 327, 22.12.2000, p. 1).
Council  Directive  98/83/EC  of  3  November  1998  on  the  quality  of  water  intended  for  human
consumption (OJ L 330, 5.12.1998, p. 32).
Council  Directive  76/160/EEC  of  8  December  1975  concerning  the  quality  of  bathing  water
(OJ L 31, 5.2.1976, p. 1).

treatment

53

 
                                                
Climate change and energy: A number of cities, for example those in the Climate Alliance
and Energie-Cities networks, are taking initiatives that support the wide range of measures the
EU  Climate  change  programme  (ECCP105).  The  Commission  will  continue  to  support  such
networks  (see  section  5.1).  However,  their  proactive  approach  and  contributions  need  to  be
generalised,  and  the  measure  proposed  in  section  2.1.3  to  generalise  the  implementation  of
urban  management  systems,  covering  amongst  others  the  collective  management  of  energy
and green house gas emissions in the town concerned, is perhaps the most cost-effective way
of doing so. This would encourage the towns and cities to feel responsible for the energy use
and  greenhouse  gas  emissions  coming  from  their  territory  and  would  lead  them  to  set  their
own targets for their contribution in this area.

Air: The basic framework for air quality is set by Directive 96/62, requiring, amongst others,
Member  States  to  produce  detailed  action  plans  for  urban  zones  and  agglomerations  where
limit  values  are  exceeded.  Limit  or  target  values  have  been  set  by  daughter  Directives  for
SO2, particles, CO, benzene, NO2, NOx, lead and tropospheric ozone (and shortly PAHs and
heavy  metals),  and  national  emission  ceilings  have  been  set  for  SO2,  NOx,  VOCs  and
ammonia.  Various  Directives  set  emission  limits  for  different  categories  of  vehicles  and
motor fuel quality (see section 2.2.2), and Directive 99/13106 limits the emissions of volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) from a wide range of industrial installations.

The on-going CAFE (clean air  for  Europe)  programme107 is in the  process  of establishing  a
comprehensive scientific basis for linking air pollution and its effects on health, eco-systems
and cultural heritage, in preparation for the Thematic Strategy on Air Pollution scheduled to
be proposed in mid-2005. Its objective is to outline the actions needed in Europe at different
levels  to  meet  ambitious  objectives  to  protect  the  environment  and  human  health  from
significant negative impact from air pollution. In particular it may outline new limit values for
air  quality  as  well  as  emission  limit  values/standards  for  vehicles  and  industrial  activities.
Such  more  technically  oriented  solutions  can  be  effectively  complemented  by  the
development  of  measures  that  contribute  to  making  urban  transport  more  sustainable  (see
section  2.2)  and  the  CAFE  programme  will  take  into  account  such  alternatives  in  the
development of its measures. CAFE will also explore the links between outdoor and  indoor
air quality in urban  areas,  and the  reporting  requirements  on air quality  will  be  reviewed  to
allow an urban focus.

Noise:  Directive  2002/49  relating  to  the  assessment  and  management  of  noise  requires
Member  States  to  map  exposure  to  environmental  noise  and  to  adopt,  at  the  appropriate
administrative level, action plans to manage  noise,  amongst  others  for  large  agglomerations
(initially  those  with  more  than  250,000  inhabitants  and  later  those  with  more  than  100,000
inhabitants). Noise maps are to be produced using common indicators, therefore allowing for
comparability throughout the EU.

Nature and Biodiversity: While the implementation of the Birds108 and Habitat109 Directives
and of the NATURA 2000 network concerns mostly non-urban areas, a number of protected

105

106

107

108

COM(2000) 88 final.
Council  Directive  1999/13/EC  of  11  March  1999  on  the  limitation  of  emissions  of  volatile  organic
compounds  due 
installations
(OJ L 85, 29.3.1999, p. 1)
COM(2001) 245 final.
Council  Directive  79/409/EEC  of  2  April  1979  on 
(OJ L 103, 25.4.1979, p. 1).

the  conservation  of  wild  birds

the  use  of  organic  solvents 

in  certain  activities  and 

to 

54

 
                                                
species  and/or  habitats  are  nevertheless  found  in  urban  areas  where  their  protection  raises
specific difficulties. Guidelines are therefore needed to help the relevant authorities, including
the  local  authorities,  to  deliver  adequate  protection.  More  generally,  a  surprisingly  high
proportion of species may be found in urban areas, in the parks and gardens and other green
spaces, and there is an enormous potential to reinforce and develop this urban biodiversity to
the  benefit  of  both  the  species  and  the  inhabitants.  For  example  a  number  of  cities  are
beginning  to  develop  “green-corridors”  to  link  green  spaces  within  the  town  and  with  the
neighbouring countryside, reducing the isolation of these natural urban populations. Raising
the awareness of urban citizens on nature and biodiversity is also an important investment that
will  bring  many  positive  benefits  in  the  longer  term.  The  2001  Communication  on  a
biodiversity action plan for the conservation of natural resources110 foresaw, amongst others, a
series of actions specifically for urban areas. The Commission will report to the Council and
Parliament in 2004 on the progress in implementing the plan, reviewing the relative priorities
of  the  different  actions.  The  urban  aspect  will  receive  full  consideration  in  this  report.  The
Commission will also develop biodiversity indicators

Waste: With 80% of the population living in urban areas, an equivalent proportion of various
types of waste, such as municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, commercial waste, construction
and  demolition  waste,  is  generated  in  towns  and  cities,  and  is  affected  by  the  key
environmental  legislation  on  waste.  This  includes  principally  the  Waste  Framework
Directive111,  which  requires  Member  States  to  ensure  that  waste  is  treated  without
endangering  human  health  or  the  environment,  lays  down  permitting  and  inspection
obligations  and  to  adopt  waste  management  plans,  the  Landfill  Directive112  which  sets
requirements  for  safe  landfill  and  the  reduction  of  waste  going  to  landfill,  in  particular
biodegradable  waste,  the  Packaging  Waste  Directive113,  which  sets  recovery  and  recycling
targets, the Incineration Directive114 which sets emission limit values for incinerators, and the
ELV115 and EEE116 Directives, which set recovery, recycling and reuse targets and take-back
obligations for end-of-life vehicles and electronic and electrical equipment respectively.

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna
and flora (OJ L 206, 22.7.1992, p. 7).
COM(2001) 132 final.
Council Directive 75/442/EEC of 15 July 1975 on waste (OJ L 194, 25.7.1975, p. 39).
Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste (OJ L 182, 16.7.1999, p. 1).
European  Parliament  and  Council  Directive  94/62/EC  of  20  December  1994  on  packaging  and
packaging waste (OJ L 365, 31.12.1994, p. 10).
Directive  2000/76/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  4  December  2000  on  the
incineration of waste (OJ L 332, 28.12.2000, p. 91).
European  Parliament  and  Council  Directive  94/62/EC  of  20  December  1994  on  packaging  and
packaging waste (OJ L 269, 21.10.2000, p. 34).
Directive  2002/96/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  27  January  2003  on  waste
electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) (OJ L 37, 13.2.2003, p. 34).

55

 
                                                                                                                                                        
The Thematic Strategy on the Prevention and Recycling of Waste and the Thematic Strategy
on  the  Sustainable  Use  and  Management  of  Resources  are  together  developing  an  overall
strategy  that  will  amongst  others  contribute  to  minimising  the  production  of  waste  and
maximising  its  recovery.  The  highly  “concentrated”  production  of  waste  in  urban  areas
facilitates its selective recovery and treatment, and provides opportunities and challenges that
merit a particular urban focus on waste-related issues. Furthermore, local authorities are key
players in the implementation of waste policy. In particular, a number of local initiatives aim
at encouraging participation of the population and small businesses in waste planning, waste
prevention and recycling. Other aspects of waste policy concerned by urban planning include
location  of  waste  collection,  pre-treatment  and  treatment  facilities  and  environmentally
friendly  transport  systems  such  as  transport  on  waterways.  Such  approaches  are  closely
related to the implementation of Local Agenda 21s. The Commission will explore the possible
role  of  the  Community  in  the  development  of  these  initiatives.  In  particular,  the  urban
dimension of managing certain waste flows, such as construction and demolition waste, will
be taken into account in the definition of future Community policy promoting recycling.

56