Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the 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: 2004-09-30
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: industrial plot, sustainable development, town planning, urban area, urban transport

18.2.2005

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

C 43/35

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the
the European Economic and Social Committee and the
Council,

the European Parliament,

Committee of the Regions – Towards a thematic strategy on the urban environment

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

(2005/C 43/09)

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission: Towards a thematic strategy on the urban
environment (COM(2004) 60 final);

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 11 February 2004 to consult it on this
subject, under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 10 February 2004 to instruct its Commission for Sustain-
able Development to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to its opinion on the Commission Communication: Sustainable Urban Development in the
European Union: A Framework for Action: (COM(1998) 605 final - CdR 115/99 fin (1));

Having regard to its opinion on the Commission Communication: Towards an urban agenda in the Euro-
pean Union (COM(1997) 197 –final CdR 319/97 fin (2));

Having regard to the Commission Communication on European Governance (COM(2001) 428 final);

Having regard to the Protocol on the Application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality,
appended to the Treaty establishing the European Community;

Having regard to the definition of ‘sustainable development ’ in the Amsterdam Treaty;

Having regard to the Commission Communication on A Sustainable Europe for a Better World: A Euro-
pean Union Strategy for Sustainable Development (Commission's proposal to the Gothenburg European
Council) (COM(2001) 264 final);

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions: Towards a global partnership for
sustainable development (COM(2002) 82 final);

Having regard to its opinion on the Commission Communication on the sixth environment action
programme of the European Community ‘Environment 2010: our future, our choice - the Sixth Environ-
ment Action Programme’, and the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council
on the Community Environment Action Programme 2001–2010 (COM(2001) 31 final - CdR 36/2001
fin (3));

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament and
the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘A European environment and health strategy’
(COM(2003) 338 final);

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament:
Biodiversity Strategy (COM(1998) 42 final) and the Communication from the Commission to the Council
and the European Parliament: Biodiversity Action Plan (COM(2001) 162 final);

Having regard to its draft opinion (CdR 93/2004 rev. 1) adopted on 8 July 2004 by its Commission for
sustainable development (rapporteur: Ms Tarras-Wahlberg, member of Stockholm City Council, SE/PES);

(1) OJ C 293, 13.10.1999, p.58
(2) OJ C 251, 10.8.1998, p.11
(3) OJ C 357, 14.12.2001, p. 44.

C 43/36

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Official Journal of the European Union

18.2.2005

WHEREAS

1)

2)

3)

4)

5)

Some 80 % of European Union citizens live in urban areas and it is clear that many of these have
serious environmental problems. Urban environmental problems impact primarily on town dwellers,
but they also have negative regional effects in terms of the environment and quality of life.

In order to improve the environmental situation in European Union cities, more resources are
needed as well as a flexible strategy that takes account of the different characteristics of European
towns and cities. This should be a long-term strategy, and compatible with EU sustainable develop-
ment policy.

For the strategy to be effective, it is essential that it should establish the link between an improved
urban environment and opportunities to benefit from European Union support in various policy
areas.

The strategy should also lead to social integration and fair environmental conditions within the EU,
whilst taking account of poor countries' needs for resources and creating fairness between genera-
tions.

In light of changing urban conditions and the subsidiarity principle, the local authorities should bear
the main responsibility for framing the measures that need to be adopted in a specific urban area.

Unanimously adopted the following opinion at
30 September 2004 in Brussels (meeting of 30 September):

its 56th plenary session held on 29 and

1. The Committee of the Regions' views

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

General

1.1 welcomes the Commission Communication as a first
step towards a thematic strategy on the urban environment,
called for in the EU's 6th environmental action programme.
The future thematic strategy will play an important role in
improving the quality of the urban environment. Therefore, it
is crucial to acknowledge the role and responsibility of the
local and regional authorities in achieving the objectives of the
EU's sustainable development strategy;

it

considers that

1.5
towns and their
immediate, as well as their more distant hinterland should be
seen as mutually dependent, i.e. following the thinking of the
ESDP (European Spatial Development Perspective);

is important that

1.6
appreciates the fact that the Commission intends to
promote ecologically orientated education and exchanges of
experience and research in the field of the urban environment;

1.7
would remind the Commission of the European Urban
Charter, adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Autho-
rities (CLRAE), a consultative body of the European Council.
The Urban Charter describes the complexity of urban areas.

Sustainable urban management

1.2
underlines the fact that the urban environment is a
complex area. Environmental aspects need to be meshed in
with economic aspects, e.g. competitiveness and employment
regions, and social aspects, e.g. segregation and integration, in
order to achieve sustainable development in urban areas and
agglomerations. Cultural aspects should also be included;

1.8
appreciates the fact that the Commission aims high in
highlighting the need for a structured approach to urban
management, with a view to increasing cross-sectoral work,
and facilitating follow-up and comparative studies in order to
improve the urban environment;

appreciates the commission's decision to address the
1.3
question of working ‘towards a more integrated approach’.
Both the horizontal/cross-sectoral approach (between policy
areas and between different players) and the vertical approach
(between different levels of administration) need to be devel-
oped in order to get a global view of sustainable urban devel-
opment;

1.9
would also stress the need for new urban management
systems to be strategic and operational across administrative
borders in an urban area and in the areas adjacent to it.

Sustainable urban transport systems

appreciates the fact that the Commission is helping to
1.4
frame common objectives and indicators for urban environ-
mental follow-up. However, it is important that these should
serve as a guide rather than be prescriptive;

1.10
questions the Commission proposal to develop a sepa-
rate plan for urban transport systems. One of the most impor-
tant aspects of a sustainable urban environment is precisely the
fact that it links transport systems with land development, and
this is best achieved at regional and local level;

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1.11
would encourage the Commission to disseminate best
practice in transport in terms of cooperation and coordination
both between the various authorities and between the different
modes of transport in order to make transport more efficient
and reduce environmental impact.

Sustainable construction

1.12 welcomes the fact that the Commission is to develop
a common methodology for assessing the overall sustainability
of buildings and the built environment, as a tool for use in new
building and significant renovation;

1.13
considers that the Commission must not supplement
Directive 2002/91/EC with requirements that are not linked to
energy-related environmental performance. The directive must
be fully implemented in national legislation and assessed before
any further proposals are drafted;

1.14
appreciates the Commission proposal to draft national
sustainable construction programmes and agrees that public
purchasers must include a sustainability requirement in their
tendering procedures for construction projects.

Sustainable urban design

1.15
appreciates the fact that the Commission encourages
sustainable urban settling patterns and the use of brownfield
land over the use of greenfield land, in order to achieve sustain-
able urban development based on the high-density city;

1.16
does not recommend that the Commission should
frame guidelines for high density, mixed-use spatial planning.
Neither does it endorse the proposal for the Commission to
define brownfield and greenfield land or develop other guide-
lines on specific urban design issues. The Committee of the
Regions considers that spatial planning is a national, regional
and local competence, and every country has its own cultural
and topographical features, construction traditions, etc.

2. Committee of the Regions' recommendations

for the public sector, with the focus on sustainable urban devel-
opment;

it

is

that

important

considers

2.4
that EU measures
regarding transport systems and mobility recognise and build
on already existing transport and mobility plans that have
local authorities with
produced good results, and support
respect to the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;

2.5
considers that a sustainable urban transport plan must
be based on an integrated approach which is consistent with
social, environmental and economic policies at
local and
regional level. The regional and local level is the most appro-
priate level for developing sustainable cities and urban areas
and for coordinating issues and players in a holistic approach;

2.6
encourages development of methods to facilitate the
switch to more sustainable modes of transport; examples of
areas that need developing are economic management tools,
mobility management and intelligent transport systems (ITS);

2.7
recommends, as an alternative to legislation, devel-
oping tools and methods building on agreements that can win
the Member States over to sustainable urban development. The
Committee of the Regions calls on the Commission to frame
urban development agreements, working along the lines of, for
example,
the open coordination method and the Ålborg
Charter, or tripartite agreements. It is essential, here, that the
regional and local
level be provided with the influence and
resources it needs to enable it to take part;

calls on the Commission to develop resources for
2.8
exchanges of
through
and
networks. Network efforts under Interreg IIIC could provide a
model to build on in the Life and Urban programmes, for
example;

expertise-sharing

experience

takes a positive view of the Commission's proposal
2.9
the Member States should be encouraged to develop
that
national or regional strategies for the sustainable urban envir-
onment. These should be developed into strategies for the
sustainable development of cities and agglomerations;

2.1
accepts that the Commission is right to propose ambi-
tious goals for more sustainable urban environment. Believes,
however that the role of the Commission is to propose policy
frameworks and agree targets but should not include proposing
the legislative framework of how this should be achieved;

takes a positive view of the Commission's proposal
2.10
that
the Member States should be encouraged to establish
national or regional Focal Points to provides cities with back-
up in the form of information, expertise and advice. These
Focal Points should champion the sustainable development of
cities and agglomerations;

it

is

that

important

considers

that EU measures
2.2
regarding the urban environment
recognise and build on
already existing urban environmental management plans and
environmental management systems that have produced good
results, and support local authorities with respect to the princi-
ples of subsidiarity and proportionality;

2.3
considers that environmental management plans and
environmental management systems must be assessed further
in terms of their environmental benefits, and then developed

considers that

the comprehensive national efforts
2.11
many Member States are making to promote sustainable urban
development in areas such as the environmental
labelling of
construction materials or the renovation of older buildings
containing materials incompatible with the environment must
be taken on board before framing new systems. Furthermore,
the Committee believes that harmonisation measures required
to adapt to any new systems must not involve duplication of
effort, more red tape or expense;

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2.12
would highlight the fact that many of the Commis-
sion's proposals are concerned with creating standards, systems,
indicators and methods to make comparisons between coun-
tries possible. The Committee believes that it is very important
to develop systems that do not put pressure on resources, or
increase costs and red tape for regional and local authorities;

2.13
considers that it is very important that all the propo-
sals should be flexible and simple, in view of the various coun-
tries' situations and needs;

2.14
considers that it is important that the Commission
proposals should promote a step-by-step approach, and do not

create any tension between cities that manage to implement
the proposals at once and those that are unable to comply with
them immediately;

2.15
considers that the Commission must clarify what is
meant by ‘towns and cities’ and ‘urban areas’. Definitions could,
if necessary, be worked out in each Member State;

stresses the need for the thematic strategy consistently
2.16
to take into account the links between the urban environment
and its hinterland, making provision, where necessary,
for
agreements and cooperation with the relevant authorities of the
surrounding areas concerned.

Brussels, 30 September 2004

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Peter STRAUB

Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on the Communication from the Commission to the
the European Economic and Social Committee and the
European Parliament,

the Council,

Committee of the Regions on reinforcing the civil protection capacity of the European Union

(2005/C 43/10)

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS,

Having regard to the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the
European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on Reinforcing the civil protec-
tion capacity of the European Union (COM(2004) 200 final);

Having regard to the decision of the European Commission of 25 March 2004 to consult the Committee
of the Regions on this subject, under the first paragraph of Article 265 of the Treaty establishing the Euro-
pean Community;

Having regard to the decision of its Bureau of 19 June 2003 to instruct its Commission for Sustainable
Development to draw up an opinion on this subject;

Having regard to its Opinion on the management and consequences of natural disasters: the role of European
structural policy of 3 July 2003 (CdR 104/2003 fin) (1);

Having regard to Council Decision 1999/847/EC of 9 December 1999 establishing an action programme in
the field of civil protection (2000-2004) (2);

Having regard to Council Decision 2001/792/EC, Euratom of 23 October 2001 establishing a community
mechanism to facilitate reinforced cooperation in civil protection assistance (3);

Having regard to the initiatives of the Commission in late 2003 to adopt the implementing instruments
for Council Decision 2001/792;

(1) OJ C 256 of 24.10.2003, p. 74
(2) OJ L 327 of 21.12.1999, p. 53
(3) OJ L 297 of 15.11.2001, p. 7