Urban Agenda for the EU
Pact of Amsterdam

Establishing the

Urban Agenda for the EU
‘Pact of Amsterdam’

Agreed at the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers Responsible for
Urban Matters on 30 May 2016 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

On 30 May 2016, in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, upon the invitation by the Netherlands
Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), the Informal Meeting of EU Ministers
responsible for Urban Matters was held.
The meeting was also attended by the Vice President for Energy Union, the European
Commissioner for Regional Policy and Representatives of the European Parliament (EP),
the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), the European Economic and Social Committee
(EESC), the European Investment Bank (EIB), Norway, UN Habitat and relevant stakeholder
organisations such as EUROCITIES and Council of European Municipalities and Regions
(CEMR), as well as the European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN), URBACT, European
Observation Network for Territorial Development and Cohesion (ESPON), European Council
of Spatial Planners (ECTP) and European Council of Spatial Planners (EFAP).

Preamble
The European Union is one of the most urbanised areas in the world. Today, more than 70% of Europe’s citizens
lives in an Urban Area1 2. The UN projects that by 2050 this percentage will reach 80%3. The development of
Urban Areas will have a major impact on the future sustainable development (economic, environmental, and
social) of the European Union and its citizens.
Urban Areas of all sizes can be engines of the economy which boost growth, create jobs for their citizens
and enhance the competitiveness of Europe in a globalised economy. At present, 73% of all jobs and 80% of
people aged 25-64 with a tertiary education are based in European cities, towns and suburbs. Urban Areas are,
however, also places where challenges such as segregation, unemployment, and poverty are concentrated.
Considering the above, Urban Areas play a key role in pursuing the EU 2020 objectives and in solving many of its
most pressing challenges, including the current refugee and asylum crisis. Urban Authorities4 play a crucial role
in the daily life of all EU citizens. Urban Authorities are often the level of government closest to the citizens. The
success of European sustainable urban development is highly important for the economic, social and territorial
cohesion of the European Union and the quality of life of its citizens.

The need for an Urban Agenda for the EU
In order to realise the full potential of the European Union and deliver on its strategic objectives, the Urban
Agenda for the EU strives to involve Urban Authorities in achieving Better Regulation, Better Funding and Better
Knowledge (knowledge base and exchange):
• EU legislation is to a large extent implemented in Urban Areas and has direct and indirect implications for
Urban Authorities. EU legislation sometimes has conflicting impacts and its implementation at local level
can be difficult. Therefore, EU regulation should anticipate these difficulties.
• Urban Authorities are among the key beneficiaries of EU funding. Access to existing funding is however
sometimes administratively burdensome. The Urban Agenda for the EU aims to improve accessibility and
coordination of existing funding possibilities and to contribute to their simplification.
• Knowledge on how Urban Areas evolve is fragmented and successful experience can be better valorised,
diffused and exploited. The Urban Agenda for the EU therefore intends to enhance a better urban policy
knowledge base and the exchange of good practice.
Delivering the full potential of Urban Areas requires a joint approach between both sectoral policies and the

1

This figure is based on the ‘degree of urbanisation’ definition of an urban area (cities, towns and suburbs):
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/degree-of-urbanisation/overview

2

The term ‘Urban Areas’ is used in the Pact to denote all forms and sizes of urban settlement and their citizens, since the precise
definition of a ‘City’ and an ‘Urban Area’ differs from one Member State to another.

3

This projection is based on national definitions which may differ from the ‘degree of urbanisation’ definition. The EU level
results, however, are almost identical to results from the ‘degree of urbanisation’ definition.

4 The term ‘Urban Authorities’ is used to address the relevant public authorities responsible for the governance of the aforementioned ‘Urban Areas’, be it local, regional, metropolitan and/or national authorities.

3

different levels of government. A balanced, sustainable and integrated approach towards urban challenges
should, in line with the Leipzig Charter on sustainable European cities, focus on all major aspects of urban
development (in particular economic, environmental, social, territorial, and cultural) in order to ensure sound
urban governance and policy. There is a need to enhance the complementarity of policies affecting Urban
Areas and to strengthen their urban dimension. This can be achieved by involving all levels of government,
by ensuring coordination and effective interaction between policy sectors, in full respect of the subsidiarity
principle and in line with the competences of each level. The Urban Agenda for the EU offers a new form of
multilevel and multi-stakeholder cooperation with the aim of strengthening the urban dimension in EU policy.
Each stakeholder is free to determine its own level of participation in the Urban Agenda for the EU.
In order to address the increasingly complex challenges in Urban Areas, it is important that Urban Authorities
cooperate with local communities, civil society, businesses and knowledge institutions. Together they are the
main drivers in shaping sustainable development with the aim of enhancing the environmental, economic,
social and cultural progress of Urban Areas. EU, national, regional and local policies should set the necessary
framework in which citizens, NGOs, businesses and Urban Authorities, with the contribution of knowledge
institutions, can tackle their most pressing challenges.
The Urban Agenda for the EU acknowledges the polycentric structure of Europe and the diversity (social,
economic, territorial, cultural and historical) of Urban Areas across the EU. Furthermore, the Urban Agenda for
the EU acknowledges the importance of Urban Areas of all sizes and contexts in the further development of
the European Union. A growing number of urban challenges are of a local nature, but require a wider territorial
solution (including urban-rural linkages) and cooperation within functional urban areas. At the same time,
urban solutions have the potential to lead to wider territorial benefits. Urban Authorities therefore need
to cooperate within their functional areas and with their surrounding regions, connecting and reinforcing
territorial and urban policies.

Establishing the Urban Agenda for the EU
Along the road towards the Urban Agenda for the EU many milestones have been reached, as is reflected
in the list of declarations from the Ministers responsible for Urban Matters (see annex). The latest one, the
Riga declaration (June 2015), provides political support for the development of the Urban Agenda for the
EU, acknowledging its potential contribution to balanced territorial and sustainable development and the
achievement of common European goals.
Today, the EU Ministers responsible for Urban Matters have reached, at their informal meeting in Amsterdam,
agreement on the establishment of the Urban Agenda for the EU as set out in the ‘Pact of Amsterdam’. The
‘Pact of Amsterdam’ describes the main features of the Urban Agenda for the EU. However, the development
of the Urban Agenda for the EU is an ongoing process. The Urban Agenda for the EU will be taken forward by
Member States together with the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Committee of the
Regions (CoR), the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the European Investment Bank (EIB),
representatives of European Urban Authorities and other relevant stakeholders.

4

I		 Objectives and scope of the Urban Agenda for the EU
		

The Ministers affirm that:
1

The Urban Agenda for the EU aims to realise the full potential and contribution of Urban Areas towards
achieving the objectives of the Union and related national priorities in full respect of subsidiarity and
proportionality principles and competences.

2

The Urban Agenda for the EU strives to establish a more effective integrated and coordinated approach
to EU policies and legislation with a potential impact on Urban Areas and also to contribute to territorial
cohesion by reducing the socioeconomic gaps observed in urban areas and regions.

3

The Urban Agenda for the EU strives to involve Urban Authorities in the design of policies, to mobilise
Urban Authorities for the implementation of EU policies, and to strengthen the urban dimension in these
policies. By identifying and striving to overcome unnecessary obstacles in EU policy, the Urban Agenda
for the EU aims to enable Urban Authorities to work in a more systematic and coherent way towards
achieving overarching goals. Moreover, it will help make EU policy more urban-friendly, effective and
efficient.

4

The Urban Agenda for the EU will not create new EU funding sources, unnecessary administrative burden,
nor affect the current distribution of legal competences and existing working and decision-making
structures and will not transfer competences to the EU level (in accordance with Articles 4 and 5 of the
Treaty on European Union).

		Scope
5

In line with the Council Conclusions of 19 November 2014 (Doc. 15802/14), the Urban Agenda for the EU
will fully respect the subsidiarity principle and competences under the EU Treaties. Moreover, the Urban
Agenda for the EU is based on the European Council Conclusions adopted on 26/27 June 2014, which state
that, in line with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, the Union must concentrate its actions
on areas where it makes a real difference. It should refrain from taking action when Member States can
better achieve the same objectives.
The Urban Agenda for the EU focuses specifically on three pillars of EU policy making and implementation:
5.1 Better regulation
The Urban Agenda for the EU focuses on a more effective and coherent implementation of existing
EU policies, legislation and instruments. Drawing on the general principles of better regulation, EU
legislation should be designed so that it achieves the objectives at minimum cost without imposing
unnecessary legislative burdens. In this sense the Urban Agenda for the EU will contribute to the Better
Regulation Agenda. The Urban Agenda for the EU will not initiate new regulation, but will be regarded
as an informal contribution to the design of future and revision of existing EU regulation, in order for it
to better reflect urban needs, practices and responsibilities. It recognises the need to avoid potential
bottlenecks and minimise administrative burdens for Urban Authorities.

5

5.2 Better funding5
The Urban Agenda for the EU will contribute to identifying, supporting, integrating, and improving
traditional, innovative and user-friendly sources of funding for Urban Areas at the relevant institutional
level, including from European structural and investment funds (ESIF) (in accordance with the legal and
institutional structures already in place) in view of achieving effective implementation of interventions
in Urban Areas. The Urban Agenda for the EU will not create new or increased EU funding aimed at higher
allocations for Urban Authorities. However, it will draw from and convey lessons learned on how to
improve funding opportunities for Urban Authorities across all EU policies and instruments, including
Cohesion Policy.
5.3 Better knowledge (base and knowledge exchange)
The Urban Agenda for the EU will contribute to enhancing the knowledge base on urban issues and
exchange of best practices and knowledge. Reliable data is important for portraying the diversity
of structures and tasks of Urban Authorities, for evidence-based urban policy making, as well as
for providing tailor-made solutions to major challenges. Knowledge on how Urban Areas evolve is
fragmented and successful experiences can be better exploited. Initiatives taken in this context will be in
accordance with the relevant EU legislation on data protection, the reuse of public sector information and
the promotion of big, linked and open data.
6

The Urban Agenda for the EU will rely on the principle of an integrated approach to sustainable urban
development as the guiding principle to achieve the goals of the three policy pillars. The Urban Agenda
for the EU will, in addition to the organisations mentioned in the Pact of Amsterdam, make use of
existing European policies, instruments, platforms and programmes such as the opportunities offered by
Cohesion Policy, including its sustainable urban development strand6, Urban Innovative Actions, URBACT,
ESPON, the ‘Covenant of Mayors’, Civitas 2020, RFSC (Reference Framework for Sustainable Cities),
EUKN. It will make full use of the European Innovation Partnership ‘Smart Cities and Communities7’ as
established by the Commission.

7

The Urban Agenda for the EU will foster coherence between urban matters and territorial cohesion, as set
out in the Territorial Agenda 2020. The Ministers responsible for Territorial Cohesion and Urban Matters
will be periodically informed by the DG meeting on urban matters about the development of the Urban
Agenda for the EU.

8

The Urban Agenda for the EU will contribute to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, notably Goal 11 ‘Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable’ and the
global ‘New Urban Agenda’ as part of the Habitat III process.

9

The Urban Agenda for the EU should be implemented in full transparency. All interested parties should
have equal access to information about the state of play of the Urban Agenda and should have equal
possibilities to contribute to the Urban Agenda for the EU.

5

Funding is defined here as the provision of financial resources and/or instruments to finance a need, program or project.

6

Article 7 of the ERDF Regulation 1301/3013

7

European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities established by the Commission Communication nof
10.7.2012 (C(2012)4701 final); http://ec.europa.eu/eip/smartcities/

6

II		 Priority Themes and cross-cutting issues of
the Urban Agenda for the EU

		

The Ministers agree:

10

That, taking into account the priorities of the EU 2020 strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive
growth, the initial list of Priority Themes (in no particular order) for the Urban Agenda for the EU is
as follows (see Work Programme of the Urban Agenda for the EU for an indicative description of the
themes):
10.1		 Inclusion of migrants and refugees.
10.2		 Air quality.
10.3		 Urban poverty.
10.4		 Housing.
10.5		 Circular economy.
10.6		 Jobs and skills in the local economy.
10.7		 Climate adaptation (including green infrastructure solutions).
10.8		 Energy transition.
10.9		 Sustainable use of land and Nature-Based solutions.
10.10 Urban mobility.
10.11		 Digital transition.
10.12		 Innovative and responsible public procurement.

11

That these Priority Themes will guide the actions of the Urban Agenda for the EU (as listed under
14b, c, and d).

12

That the complexity of urban challenges requires integrating different policy aspects to avoid
contradictory consequences and make interventions in Urban Areas more effective. In line with the
competences and responsibilities of the different participants and taking into account that the EU does
not have competences on some of these issues, the Partnerships shall consider the relevance of the
following cross-cutting issues for the selected priority themes:
12.1 Effective urban governance, including citizens participation and new models of governance.

7

12.2 Governance across administrative boundaries and inter-municipal cooperation: urban-rural, urban-urban
and cross-border cooperation; link with territorial development and the Territorial Agenda 2020 (well-balanced
territorial development).
12.3		Sound and strategic urban planning (link with regional planning, including ‘research and innovation smart
specialisation strategies’ (RIS3), and balanced territorial development), with a place-based and peoplebased approach.
12.4		 Integrated and participatory approach.
12.5		 Innovative approaches, including Smart Cities.
12.6		Impact on societal change, including behavioural change, promoting, among other things, equal access to
information, gender equality and women empowerment.
12.7		Challenges and opportunities of small- and medium-sized Urban Areas and polycentric development.
12.8		Urban regeneration, including social, economic, environmental, spatial and cultural aspects, also linked to
the brownfield redevelopment with the objective of limiting greenfield consumption.
12.9		 Adaptation to demographic change and in- and out migration.
12.10		Provision of adequate public services of general interest (within the meaning of Article 14 TFEU in
conjunction with Protocol Number 26).
12.11		International dimension: link with the New Urban Agenda (Habitat III) of the UN (to be agreed upon), the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs, 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development) of the UN and the
Paris Agreement on climate change of December 2015.

8

III Operational framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU
		

The Ministers agree:

13

That the Urban Agenda for the EU is a coherent set of actions of key European actors. It is a new form of
informal multilevel cooperation where Member States, Regions, representatives of Urban Authorities,
the European Commission, the European Parliament, the Union’s Advisory Bodies (CoR, EESC), the EIB
and other relevant actors work in partnership.

14

That the actions ensuing from the Urban Agenda for the EU belong to the following categories:
a Themes – The Urban Agenda for the EU will focus on a limited number of Priority Themes
(see chapter II).
b Horizontal and Vertical Coordination – Thematic Partnerships are a new instrument for multilevel and
cross-sectoral (horizontal and vertical) cooperation to deliver more effective solutions to urban
challenges and ensure a more integrated approach at the level of Urban Areas.
c Impact Assessments – To reduce conflicting impacts of EU legislation on Urban Areas and burdensome
implementation at local and regional level, when assessing territorial impacts, it should be explored
if better methods as well as specific tools can be used on issues relevant for Urban Areas. This can be
done by taking the possible impact of EU legislation on Urban Areas more into account, both in EU
policy making and the legislative process.
d Knowledge – The exchange of knowledge and experiences as well as monitoring results in Urban Areas
will be central to improving and assessing the effects of the Urban Agenda for the EU and relevant
EU actions. Therefore, more reliable data on Urban Areas is needed and should be exchanged, while
taking into account the relevant EU data protection legislation, the need to minimise administrative
burdens and the heterogeneity of Urban Authorities.
The concrete actions under these categories are listed in the Working Programme of the Urban Agenda
for the EU.

15

That the governance of the Urban Agenda for the EU will work as follows:
The activities of the Urban Agenda for the EU will be coordinated by the DG meeting on Urban Matters.
The DG meeting on Urban Matters will:
a Ensure that the actions are organised in such a way that they are transparent, conceived with and
supported by (representatives of) Member States, Urban Authorities and the European Commission,
mutually reinforcing and having the most effective impact on EU policy making;
b Report to the Informal meeting of Ministers responsible for Urban Matters and Territorial Cohesion;
c Monitor progress on the actions of the Urban Agenda for the EU;
d Provide feedback on the Action Plans to the Partnerships;
e Give informal guidelines for future developments of the Urban Agenda for the EU;
f Evaluate the current and future set of actions of the Urban Agenda for the EU at the latest by 2020;
g Review the initial list of Priority Themes which will be revised by the Informal Meeting of Ministers
responsible for Urban Matters.
In the Working Programme, the Operational Framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU is described
in more detail. The DG Meeting on Urban Matters will review the Working Programme and suggest
amendments to the Ministers responsible for Urban Matters for approval. A report on the amendments
made will be submitted to the General Affairs Council (GAC).
9

IV Partnerships
The Ministers agree:
16

That Partnerships are the key delivery mechanism within the Urban Agenda for the EU.

17

That the aim of the Partnerships is to develop a multilevel and cross-sectoral governance approach in an
open and transparent way in order to achieve the wider objective of the Urban Agenda for the EU as listed
under Part I and based on a strong involvement of practitioners from Urban Authorities. The Working
Programme explains the working method of the Partnerships in more detail.

18

To ensure focus and real impact on the ground, Partnerships should have a bottom-up approach
analysing, inter alia, concrete cases in Urban Areas which exemplify bottlenecks and potentials.

19

That each Partnership will formulate an Action Plan with concrete proposals for Better Regulation, Better
Funding and Better Knowledge, related to the theme of the Partnership, which can be regarded as nonbinding contributions to the design of future and the revision of existing EU legislation, instruments and
initiatives.

20

That the input of the Partnerships for future and existing EU regulation with an urban impact will be
submitted for consideration, after informal guidance by the DG Meeting on Urban Matters, to the
European Commission. Furthermore, these proposals could be brought to the attention of incoming EU
Presidencies in view of their possible inclusion in the working programme of these Presidencies.

21

10

That participation in Partnerships is voluntary.

V		 Member States
The Ministers agree:
22

To take the appropriate steps for the implementation of the Urban Agenda for the EU and engage, as
appropriate, relevant bodies at all levels of government in the implementation of the Urban Agenda for
the EU, in line with their respective competences and the principle of subsidiarity.

23

On the need for better involvement of relevant key partners, including representatives of urban
and regional authorities, in the preparation as well as the evaluation of EU policy through existing
opportunities for consultation available to Member States.

24

To strengthen dialogue with the European Commission about how to improve the exchange of data
on Urban Areas at the EU level (including the urban audit), taking into account the need to minimise
administrative burdens as much as possible.

25

To promote, as appropriate and in line with the proportionality principle, the improvement of the
knowledge base and the proportionate collection of data on urban development issues, referring to
different types of urban units at EU level, taking into account the need to minimise administrative
burdens as much as possible and using existing tools and instruments.

26

To engage with Urban and Regional Authorities, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the
CoR and the EIB, whilst respecting the principle of proportionality, in the debate on improving existing
instruments in Cohesion Policy and other EU policies aimed at urban development, the more wide-spread
and effective use of financial instruments by Urban Authorities, and the deployment of the European
Fund for Strategic Investments in relation to funding in Urban Areas. This includes simplification of rules
across funding programmes and instruments.

27

That the Urban Agenda for the EU should be regularly discussed by Ministers responsible for Urban
Matters, preferably at least once every 18 months.

28

To take note of the Council Conclusions of 12 May 2016 on the New Urban Agenda prepared in the
framework of the third United Nations Conference on Housing and Sustainable Development
(Habitat III).

11

VI Urban Authorities
The Ministers agree:
29

That Urban Authorities are invited to take an active role in the Urban Agenda for the EU and to provide
the required expertise for all Urban Agenda for the EU actions, since they play a crucial role in the Urban
Agenda for the EU, providing political guidance locally and crucial insights on needs as well as expertise
on how best to tackle the challenges they face.

30

To encourage Urban Authorities to capitalise on the knowledge and capacity of specialist EU Urban
networks in the relevant Partnerships.

31

To call upon Urban Authorities to continue to work together with Regional Authorities, the private sector,
local communities, knowledge institutions and civil society in bringing forward the Urban Agenda for the
EU.

32

To invite the CoR, as the Union’s advisory body formally representing regions and municipalities at EU
level, to contribute to the further development of the Urban Agenda for the EU.

33

To call upon and directly involve EUROCITIES, CEMR and other bodies representing Urban Authorities,
to contribute to the further development of the Urban Agenda for the EU and the exchange of good
practices, and to make use of the outcome of the Urban Agenda for the EU actions, especially the work of
the Partnerships.

34

To encourage networking and exchange of knowledge between Urban Authorities of Urban Areas of all
sizes and between different levels of government.

12

VII European Commission
The Ministers agree:
35

To welcome the progress of the European Commission as set forth in the Staff Working Document on the
Results of the Public Consultation on the Key Features of an Urban Agenda for the EU.

36

To call upon the European Commission to play an active role and continue facilitating the implementation
of the Urban Agenda for the EU within its existing budgets, including the provision of basic technical
assistance to the Partnerships from 1 January 2017 onwards.

37

To call upon the European Commission to align its actions on strengthening the urban dimension of EU
policies to the Urban Agenda for the EU.

38

To call upon the European Commission to further strengthen in a transparent way its coordination
and streamlining of policies directly or indirectly impacting on Urban Areas, in order to enhance the
complementarity of the policies and strengthen their urban dimension, in particular in the areas of Better
Regulation, Better Funding and Better Knowledge.

39

To call upon the European Commission to set up a one-stop-shop for matters regarding the Urban
Agenda for the EU and the urban dimension of EU policies and thereby to facilitate full, reliable and
customised information for Urban Areas and stakeholders.

40

To call upon the European Commission to ensure the continuity, coherence and coordination of the Urban
Agenda for the EU by supporting, where relevant, the implementation of the set of actions of the Urban
Agenda for the EU, particularly the work of the Partnerships.

41

To call upon the European Commission to respect urban diversity and consider, after guidance by
the DG Meeting on Urban Matters, in a transparent manner and where appropriate, the results and
recommendations of the Partnerships when drafting relevant proposals for and reviewing EU legislation,
instruments and initiatives.

42

To call upon the European Commission to report back regularly to the Council, for the first time in the
course of 2017, on the implementation and results of the Urban Agenda for the EU.

43

To call upon the European Commission to continue to work with Urban Authorities and their
representative organisations through the various existing opportunities for consultation and feedback
offered, when developing relevant new policy and legislative initiatives and evaluating existing EU
strategies, policies and legislation.

44

To call upon the European Commission to continue to explore improved assessments of urban impacts,
where relevant, as part of the Impact Assessments, using available tools and including stronger
stakeholder involvement. These improved Impact Assessments, if applied proportionally, can be
important instruments to better incorporate the urban and territorial dimension in new EU initiatives, in
line with the objectives of the better regulation agenda.

13

VIII European Parliament
The Ministers agree:
45

To thank the European Parliament for its active contribution to the Urban Agenda for the EU and to
encourage future cooperation in this field with the Committee on Regional Development (REGI) and the
URBAN Intergroup, as well as with other Committees and Intergroups whose scope has a clear urban
dimension.

46

To welcome the emphasis of the European Parliament on the use of better regulation in relation to the
strengthening of the urban dimension in EU policy.

47

To invite the European Parliament to consider, where appropriate, the results and recommendations
of the Partnerships after guidance by the DG Meeting on Urban Matters, for the agenda of relevant
Committees when discussing relevant new and existing EU legislation.

14

IX European Investment Bank (EIB)
The Ministers agree:
48

That the EIB plays an important role, also in cooperation with other international financial institutions
and national promotional banks, in the financing of investments in areas covered by the Urban Agenda
for the EU, in grant-loan blending for urban investments, and in advising Member States and cities about
urban project preparation and financial instruments.

49

To invite the EIB to support the development of better funding approaches in the urban context,
including through financial instruments, in cooperation with the European Commission.

50

To invite the EIB to contribute to the work of the Partnerships in particular with regard to better funding
and better knowledge.

51

To invite the EIB to reflect, where relevant, the outcomes of the Urban Agenda for the EU as appropriate
in its urban lending, grant-loan blending and advisory services approach in the urban context taking
into account the need to support sustainable urban development strategies and without jeopardising its
financial discipline.

15

X		 Civil Society, Knowledge Institutions and Business
The Ministers agree:
52

To recognise the potential of civil society to co-create innovative solutions to urban challenges, which can
contribute to public policy making at all levels of government and strengthen democracy in the EU.

53

To invite the EESC to contribute, within its competence, to the further development of the Urban Agenda
for the EU.

54

To invite civil society organisations, knowledge institutions and businesses to provide informed advice
on all actions within the framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU aimed at Better Regulation, Better
Funding and Better Knowledge.

16

Annex
Pact of Amsterdam
List of Reference Documents
The Pact of Amsterdam builds on the following list of documents adopted at Informal Meetings of Ministers
responsible for Territorial Cohesion and/or Urban Matters:
• The ‘European Spatial Development Perspective – Towards Balanced and Sustainable Development of the
Territory of the European Union’ agreed at the Informal Council of Ministers responsible for Spatial Planning
in Potsdam, May 1999.
• The ‘Lille Action Programme’ adopted at the Informal Council of Ministers responsible for urban affairs held
in Lille on 3 November 2000.
• The ‘Urban Acquis’ adopted at the Informal Council of Ministers responsible for territorial cohesion, held in
Rotterdam on 29 November 2004.
• The ‘Bristol Accord’ adopted at the Informal Council of Ministers on sustainable communities held in Bristol
on 6-7 December 2005.
• The ‘Territorial Agenda of the EU - Towards a More Competitive and Sustainable Europe of Diverse Regions’
adopted at the Informal Council of Ministers responsible for spatial planning and urban development held in
Leipzig on 24-25 May 2007.
• Leipzig Charter on sustainable European cities, adopted at the Informal Council Meeting of Ministers on
urban development of 24-25 May 2007 in Leipzig.
• The ‘Marseille Declaration’ adopted at the Informal Ministerial Meeting of Ministers responsible for urban
development on 25 November 2008.
• Toledo Declaration, adopted at the Informal Council Meeting of Ministers on urban development of 22 June
2010 in Toledo.
• Territorial agenda of the EU 2020, agreed at the Informal Ministerial Meeting of Ministers responsible for
Spatial Planning and Territorial Development of 19 May 2011 in Gödöllő.
• The ‘Road map’ for the implementation of the new Territorial Agenda adopted during Polish presidency in
November 2011.
• Declaration of Ministers towards the EU Urban Agenda, adopted at the informal meeting of EU ministers
responsible for Territorial Cohesion and Urban Matters, Riga, 10 June 2015.

Other Intergovernmental documents
• The Treaty of Lisbon amending the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty establishing the European
Community, signed at Lisbon, 13 December 2007 and entered into force on 1 December 2009.
• Council Resolution of 12 February 2001 on architectural quality in urban and rural environments
(2001/C 73/04).
• The strategy ‘EUROPE 2020’, approved by the European Council on 17 June 2010 following the Commission
Communication ‘EUROPE 2020: A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’ dated 3 March 2010
(COM(2010)2020); and the renewed ‘EU Sustainable Development Strategy’, adopted by the European
Council on 15/16 June 2006.
• General Affairs Council conclusions of Nov 2014 (point 32).

I

The following list contains important reference documents for the Pact of Amsterdam and the development of
the EU Urban Agenda. The presence of a document on the following list should not be taken as endorsement of
its content:

Presidency Conclusions
• Presidency Conclusions adopted at the Informal Meeting of the Directors General of Territorial Cohesion/
Spatial Development and Urban Development on 21 November, 2013 in Vilnius.
• Presidency Conclusions adopted at the Informal Meeting of Ministers responsible for cohesion policy of
24-25 April 2014 in Athens.
• Presidency Conclusions of the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union on the occasion
of the Informal Ministerial Meetings on Territorial Cohesion and Urban Policy (26 and 27 November 2015).

European Commission
• Communication from the Commission of 6 May 1997 entitled ‘Towards an urban agenda in the European
Union’ (COM(1997)0197).
• The Communication from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the Committee of the
Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee entitled ‘Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion:
Turning territorial diversity into strength’ dated 6 October 2008 (COM(2008)0616).
• The Working Document of the Directorate-General for Regional Policy ‘Fostering the urban dimension –
Analysis of the Operational Programmes co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (20072013)’ from November 2008; and the Guide from the Commission on ‘The urban dimension in Community
policies for the period 2007 – 2013’ updated in December 2009.
• Commission’s report entitled ‘Cities of tomorrow: Challenges, visions, ways forward’, October 2011.
• Communication from the Commission of 18 July 2014 on the urban dimension of EU policies – key features of
an EU urban agenda (COM(2014)0490).
• Communication from the Commission of 16 December 2014 entitled ‘Commission Work Programme 2015’
(COM(2014)0910).
• Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and
Social Committee of the Regions. Commission Work Programme 2015. A New Start (COM (2014)910),
• Commission Staff Working Document / Results of the Public Consultation on the key features of an EU Urban
Agenda (SWD(2015) 109 final/2).
• Commission’s report entitled ‘Cities of tomorrow: Investing in Europe’, Brussels, 17-18 February 2014.
• Better regulation for better results – an EU agenda (COM(2015) 215 final).

European Parliament
• The European Parliament resolution of 24 March 2009 on the Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion and
the state of the debate on the future reform of cohesion policy (2008/2174(INI)); the European Parliament
report of 24 March 2009 on the urban dimension of cohesion policy in the new programming period
(2008/2130(INI)).
• European Parliament resolution of 23 June 2011 on the European urban agenda and its future in cohesion
policy.
• European Parliament resolution of 9 September 2015 on the urban dimension of EU policies (2014/2213(INI)).

EESC and CoR
• Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) of 21 September 2011 on ‘Metropolitan
Areas and City Regions in Europe 2020’.
• Opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 25 June 2014 on ‘Towards an Integrated Urban Agenda for the
EU’.

II

• Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions ‘The improvement of the implementation of the
Territorial Agenda of the European Union 2020’, 17 April 2015.
• Opinion of the EESC ‘An EU urban agenda – strengthening the urban dimension of EU policymaking for a
more effective delivery of Europe 2020’, 23 April 2015.
• Opinion of the EESC on ‘The future of the EU Urban Agenda seen from the perspective of civil society’
(exploratory opinion requested by the Netherlands presidency of the EU), 17 February 2016.
• Opinion of the European Committee of the Regions ‘Concrete steps for implementing the EU Urban Agenda’
(requested by the Dutch EU Presidency), 8 April 2016.

Other
• European Urban Charter, adopted by the Council of Europe’s Standing Conference of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) on 18 March 1992, a Session held during the annual Plenary Session of the
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities CLRAE (17-19 March 1992, Strasbourg).
• European Urban Charter II. Manifesto for a new urbanity, adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities (CLARE) on the occasion of its 15th Plenary Session, Strasbourg, 29 May 2008.
• EUROCITIES strategic framework 2014-2020: towards an EU urban agenda for cities, December 2014.
• CEMR Contribution to an Urban Agenda, February 2014.
• Vienna Declaration by the Mayors of the EU Capital Cities ‘A strong voice in Europe’, 21 April 2015.
• CEMR Position Paper, ‘Territorial development An EU Urban Agenda should facilitate local authorities’ action
on the ground’, December 2015.
• Declaration by the Mayors of the EU Capital Cities on the EU Urban Agenda and the Refugee Crisis, 21 April
2016.
• European City Makers Agenda, May 2016.

III

Working Programme of the Urban Agenda
for the EU
The Working Programme of the Urban Agenda for the EU describes the Operational Framework of the
Urban Agenda for the EU in detail: the working method, concrete actions and the themes of the Urban
Agenda for the EU. It supports the Pact of Amsterdam agreed at the Informal Meeting of Ministers
responsible for Urban Matters on 30 May 2016.
The DG meeting on Urban Matters will review the Working Programme and suggest amendments to
the Ministers responsible for Urban Matters for approval. A report on the amendments made will be
submitted to the General Affairs Council (GAC). 		

Table of Contents
A

Governance of the Urban Agenda for the EU

B

Initial list of Priority Themes

C

Description of actions under the Urban Agenda for the EU

D

Working method of the Partnerships

A		 Governance of the Urban Agenda for the EU
In addition to Part III of the Pact about the Operational Framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU, the Working
Programme gives a further description of the Governance of the Urban Agenda for the EU:
DG meeting on Urban Matters
The activities of the Urban Agenda for the EU will be coordinated by the DG meeting on Urban Matters. When
discussing matters related to the Urban Agenda for the EU, the DG meeting will include Member States, the
European Commission, the CoR, CEMR, and EUROCITIES as members in order to reflect the multilevel character
of the Urban Agenda for the EU. Partner States, EESC, EP, EIB, URBACT, ESPON and EUKN participate as
observers in the DG meeting. Other stakeholders may be invited by the Council Presidency as observers.
When discussing urban issues related to the Urban Agenda for the EU, the DG meeting will be prepared and
organised by the EU Member State holding the Council Presidency, who will co-chair the meeting with the
Commission.
Urban Development Group
The Urban Development Group (UDG) is an informal advisory body to the DG meeting on Urban Matters.
In order to both ascertain the autonomy of the Council Presidency to table its own priorities and ensure the
continuity of the Urban Agenda for the EU, the Urban Development Group will have a dual purpose: to discuss
urban issues in general at the intergovernmental level and to give advice to the DG meeting about the Urban
Agenda for the EU. When deemed necessary, the meeting of the Urban Development Group will be divided in
two different parts in line with the abovementioned objectives.

i

In the framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU, the UDG will work both as an advisory and monitoring body
for the DG meeting.
When discussing matters related to the Urban Agenda for the EU, the Urban Development Group will include
relevant representatives from Member States (urban national experts), the European Commission, the
European Parliament, the EU Advisory bodies (CoR, EESC), EIB, representatives of Urban Authorities (CEMR,
EUROCITIES), in order to reflect the multilevel character of the Urban Agenda for the EU. Partner States,
URBACT, ESPON and EUKN participate as observers in the Urban Development Group. Other stakeholders may
be invited by the Council Presidency as observers.
When discussing urban issues related to the Urban Agenda for the EU, the Urban Development Group will be
prepared and organised by the Council Presidency, who will co-chair the meeting with the Commission.
Guidance
The DG meeting will provide non-binding guidance to the actions of the Urban Agenda for the EU upon advice
of the Urban Development Group. This informal guidance is formed by consensus.

B		 Initial list of Priority Themes
The list was established based on a survey among Member States and representatives of urban and regional
authorities in July 2015 organised by the Netherlands and under consideration of the Commission Staff
Working document (‘Results of the Public Consultation on the key features of an Urban Agenda for the EU,
SWD(2015) 109 final/2), published on 27 May 2015 as well as the results of three thematic workshops on this
matter (organised by the European Commission in September 2015). The Priority Themes are in line with the
intergovernmental documents mentioned in the annex.
The list was presented to the DG meeting on Urban Matters in Luxembourg in October 2015 and agreed with in
principle.
The themes were selected based on the following selection criteria:
• Themes must require integrated action at the EU-level and multi-level cooperation.
• Clear support of Member States, European Commission and Urban Authorities.
• Themes address the major challenges in Urban Areas.
• Themes have the potential to generate concrete results in a reasonable timeframe.
• Themes which promote the EU 2020 objectives.
This list may be reviewed by the DG meeting by consensus and will be revised by the Informal Meeting of
Ministers responsible for Urban Matters. The DG meeting will review the list of themes yearly and provide
guidance. Any member of the DG meeting can submit a detailed advisory proposal for a revision of the list
based on the abovementioned criteria. In all cases the work of each Partnership will be focused on measures to
make better use of existing EU regulations and funding in relation to Urban Areas and to showcase and share
best practice, knowledge and evidence of what works. Partnerships will not generate actions which result in
new EU regulations and new or increased funding.
The following introductions of the initial list of Priority Themes (in no particular order) are for illustrative and
discussion purposes only. The descriptions will not in any way restrict future work or place limitations on
future partnerships.

ii

1

Inclusion of migrants and refugees
The objectives are to manage integration of incoming migrants and refugees (extra-EU) and to provide
a framework for their inclusion based on willingness and integration capacity of local communities. This
will cover: housing, cultural integration, provision of public services, social inclusion, education and
labour market measures, chances of second-third generations, spatial segregation.

2

Air quality
The objective is to realise systems and policies to ensure a good air quality for human health. This will
cover: legislative and technical aspects linked to a wide range of polluting sources such as cars, industries,
agricultural activities, etc.

3

Urban poverty
The objectives are to reduce poverty and improve the inclusion of people in poverty or at risk of poverty in
deprived neighbourhoods. Urban poverty refers to issues related to structural concentration of poverty in
deprived neighbourhoods and solutions that need to be designed and applied with integrated approach:
• Place-based solutions: urban regeneration of deprived neighbourhood;
• People-based solutions: socio-economic integration of people living in neighbourhoods.
The focus will be on: spatial concentration of structural poverty in deprived neighbourhoods (and
regeneration of these areas) and child poverty.

4

Housing
The objectives are to have affordable housing of good quality. The focus will be on public affordable
housing, state aid rules and general housing policy.

5

Circular economy
The objective is to increase the re-use, repair, refurbishment and recycling of existing materials and
products to promote new growth and job opportunities. For instance, additional measures to increase
resource productivity by 30% by 2030 could boost GDP by nearly 1%, while creating 2 million additional
jobs. The focus will be on: waste management (turn a waste into a resource), sharing economy, resource
efficiency.

6

Jobs and skills in the local economy
The objectives are prosperity and low unemployment. The focus will be on: (a) attracting and keeping
enterprises; (b) creating new enterprises; (c) producing and consuming locally; (d) supporting new ways of
working; and (e) ensuring that skills meet the needs.

7

Climate adaptation (including green infrastructure solutions)
The objectives are to anticipate the adverse effects of climate change and take appropriate action
to prevent or minimise the damage it can cause to Urban Areas. The focus will be on: vulnerability
assessments, climate resilience and risk management (including the social dimension of climate
adaptation strategies).

8

Energy transition
The objectives are to have a long-term structural change in energy systems i.e. shift to renewable energy
and energy efficiency. The focus will be on: improving energy efficiency (also in buildings), fostering
innovative approaches for energy supply (e.g. local systems) and increasing the local production of
renewable energy.

iii

9

Sustainable use of land and Nature-Based solutions
The objective is to ensure that the changes in Urban Areas (growing, shrinking and regeneration) are
respectful of the environment, improving quality of life. The focus will be on: urban sprawl, development
of brownfields and on renaturing / greening Urban Areas.

10

Urban mobility
The objectives are to have a sustainable and efficient urban mobility. The focus will be on: public
transport, soft mobility (walking, cycling, public space) and accessibility (for disabled, elderly, young
children, etc.) and an efficient transport with good internal (local) and external (regional) connectivity.

11

Digital transition
The objective is to provide better public services to citizens and create business opportunities. The
focus will be on: data collection (including ownership), better use of open data, data management
(including the capacity of citizens, Urban Authorities and privacy issues) and digital services (incl. new
technologies) and accessibility of digital public services to disabled and elderly citizens (in accordance
with international WCAG 2.0 standards).

12

Innovative and responsible public procurement
The objective is to use this powerful tool to address social and environmental objectives and to do more
with less. This will cover innovative approaches in procurement.

C		 Description of actions under the Urban Agenda for the EU
The Urban Agenda for the EU will be implemented through a coherent set of actions. Under paragraph 15 in the
Pact of Amsterdam four categories of actions are mentioned: Themes, Vertical and Horizontal Coordination,
Impact Assessments and Knowledge. The different concrete actions under these four categories, aimed at
improving the urban dimension of EU-policies, are the following:
1

Partnerships (see section D).

2

In line with the Commission Staff Working Document1, improvement of the coordination by the European
Commission of existing instruments and initiatives by:
a Mapping the urban related Commission initiatives in the selected Themes of the Urban Agenda for the
EU with a view to identifying gaps, overlaps and synergies;
b I dentifying the main actors, networks and platforms within the selected themes with a view to
streamlining cooperation and exchange of good practice.

3

It will be explored, when assessing territorial impacts, if better methods as well as specific tools can be
used on issues relevant for Urban Authorities by taking the possible impact of EU legislation on Urban
Areas into account more, both in EU policy making and the legislative process.

4

Alignment of the Urban Innovative Actions with the selected Themes for the Urban Agenda for the EU by
the European Commission.

5

1

iv

Contribution of URBACT to the Priority Themes with its activities of exchange and learning through

Commission Staff Working Document, 27 June 2015 (SWD(2015) 109 final/2)

transnational networking, capacity building, capitalisation & dissemination of urban knowledge and
know-how.
6

Alignment of the work of the Urban Development Network (UDN) of the European Commission to the
framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU by the European Commission.

7

The scientific work and solutions developed by the Joint Programming Initiative Urban Europe in the area
of research and innovation will be used to promote and exchange evidence based proposals for urban
policy and urban projects.

8

Contribution of specific research activities of the European Observation Network, Territorial
Development and Cohesion (ESPON) to the selected Themes, where deemed relevant.

9

Organisation by the Presidency of the Council of the EU of the Informal Ministerial Meeting of Ministers
for Urban Matters about the progress of the Urban Agenda for the EU, to be held preferably at least
once during every Trio Presidency, with the participation of the Commission, the European Parliament,
European Advisory Bodies, EIB, representatives of Urban Authorities and relevant stakeholders.

10

Continuation of the organisation of a biennial CITIES Forum by the European Commission to debate and
report progress on the Urban Agenda for the EU to a wider audience.

11

Development of appropriate tools and formats to implement a transparent, inclusive and effective
implementation of the EUUA.

The set of actions can be reviewed by the DG meeting. The Ministers responsible for Urban Matters will revise
the set of actions.

D		 Working method of the Partnerships
I 		 Organisation
1 Membership
Each Partnership is made up of Urban Authorities (cities), the European Commission, EU organisations
(EIB, EESC, CoR), Member States, Partner States, experts, umbrella organisations (e.g. EUROCITIES,
CEMR), knowledge organisations (e.g. URBACT, ESPON, EUKN) and stakeholders (NGOs, business,
etc.). Participation is voluntary and open to all those interested, committed2 and ready to dedicate
resources, taking into account the need for balanced composition indicated below. It is important that
all members of the Partnership have extensive experience and expertise on the topic.
Advisable composition of the Partnership: a partnership is composed of about 15 to 20 partners
(balanced composition3).
Partners representing Urban Authorities
a Five Urban Authorities to be nominated by the following parties:
		

i	Member States, URBACT (upon approval of the Monitoring Committee) and the Committee of

2

Commitment refers to endorsement, active involvement and leadership by people in positions of authority.

3

Balanced geographically and between Commission, Member States, Urban Areas and other stakeholders. With regards to the
Urban Areas, there should be a representation of both ‘bigger’ and ‘small and medium’ cities.

v

the Regions can propose Urban Authorities for nomination to the DG meeting, which will select
up to three Urban Authorities.
		

ii	EUROCITIES and CEMR can propose Urban Authorities for nomination to the DG meeting,
which will select up to two Urban Authorities. In order to facilitate transparency and
balanced representation in the nomination process, nominations of Urban Authorities for the
partnerships will be presented by EUROCITIES and CEMR to the DG meeting before becoming
final (if deemed necessary through a written procedure).

		

iii	If insufficient Urban Authorities are nominated, the Coordinator of the Partnership may propose
Urban Authorities for nomination to the DG meeting, after consulting with other partners,
(if necessary through a written procedure).

b EUROCITIES and CEMR may each nominate one representative of the secretariat of their own
organisation.
Partners representing Member States
c Five Member States to be agreed upon by the DG meeting on Urban Matters. 4
Partners representing the European Commission
d Commission representatives of the relevant DGs (number of representatives depends on number
of DGs which need to be involved on the specific theme).
Partners representing stakeholders
e The coordinators of the Partnership may propose others for nomination to the DG meeting such as:
		

i

Managing Authorities of ESIF;

		ii EIB;
		

iii Experts (e.g., Universities etc.);

		

iv	NGOs/ economic and social partners (at European level) notably the EESC/ civil society

		

v Private sector representatives.

organisations;

Observers
f In addition, the Partnership may include some observers (e.g. URBACT, EUKN).
Regions, Partner States, city consortiums or national city umbrella organisations can also be
nominated instead of an Urban Authority as partner in the partnership through any of the routes set
out above under 1.a.
If a Partnership is not complete at the start, during their first meeting, partners will decide on how to
proceed on finding the additional partners. This could also be the case if members of the Partnership
fail to contribute actively to the work.
Duration: The timeframe of each Partnership to achieve results is about three years. After these three
years, the Partnership will present its results to the DG meeting. Thematic Partnerships may then be
terminated or continued, if deemed necessary and on decision by the partners. The DG meeting shall
be informed about any institutional changes in their Partnership.

4 It should not be the members of the UDG, but persons from the Member State with expertise in the Priority Theme and sufficient authority to take decisions (typically someone from a Ministry which is in charge of the theme concerned).

vi

2 New Partnerships
Proposals for new Partnerships have to be presented to the UDG. The UDG will then advise the DG
meeting about the proposals for new Partnerships. The DG meeting will decide on which theme
a Partnership will start and when deemed necessary by the DG meeting the Informal Ministerial
Meeting on Urban Matters will decide on this.
3 Coordinators
A Partnership will choose one or two of its members as coordinator(s), immediately after its
establishment. The coordinator(s) will chair the meetings of the Partnership. Coordinators are the
key actors to make the Urban Agenda for the EU operational. They are the main point of contact for
members of the Partnership and other interested Urban Authorities, the Commission and Member
States. Partnerships may ask the Commission to facilitate the process, among others concerning the
coordination between Partnerships, and to provide assistance for Secretariat duties and for expertise
at EU level.
The coordinators are expected to cover the cost of their work.
Responsibilities of the Coordinators:
a Organising the Partnership meetings: preparing the agenda, sending the invitations, providing the
meeting rooms (in their Ministry, City Hall, etc.), inviting (external) speakers where appropriate,
drafting the minutes, etc.;
b Chairing the Partnership meetings;
c Organising the work between Partnership meetings (e.g. written consultation, asking for
contributions, preparing documents, etc.);
d Being the link between the Partnership and the Urban Authorities, the Commission and Member
States, including the UDG and DG meetings, (including drafting a concise annual report) as well
as a wider range of interested parties such as Urban Authorities, Member States not involved in
the specific partnership and other stakeholders (in particular inform on the progress and offer the
possibility to contribute e.g. through consultations, e-mails, updates, conferences, etc.);
e Cooperation with the other Partnerships, when deemed of added value;
f Participating and contributing to other working groups/ networks;
g Coordinating the drafting of the Action Plan;
h Monitoring and reporting on progress (through inter alia the website (see chapter III, paragraph 2
of the Working Programme));
i

Coordinating the work (e.g. ensuring that the contributions are prepared on time and at a good
quality, mediating if there are different positions with a view to arriving at an acceptable position,
etc.);

j

Coordinating the communication on actions and results (visibility);

k Responsible for transmitting results from the Partnership to the DG meeting.
4 The Role of Partners:
The partners in a Partnership have specific roles and responsibilities:
a Contribute to the implementation of different actions of the Action Plan;
b Participate in the technical work of the Partnership with own resources;
c Contribute to the Partnership through their own individual expertise but also the wider knowledge
of the organisation they represent;
d Assist in the debate about the Partnership within their territory.

vii

II		 Phases & Deliverables
Step n° 1 - Stocktaking
In the first step, the members of the Partnership would identify the existing work carried out on the
Priority Theme (strategies, actions and working groups/ networks covering these issues at EU level). As
the aim is to avoid duplication but rather ensure coordination and reinforce what is already being done,
this step is crucial to decide how to move forward in building the Partnership (for example: adjust the
topic of the Priority Theme and assessing the relevance of main cross-cutting aspects (as mentioned
under C.1); limit the scope of the Partnership; organise active participation to existing strategies, actions
and working groups/ networks to ensure that the urban dimension of all Member States is taken into
account; etc.). In this stocktaking step, the members of the Partnerships would also identify the sources
of funding and expertise which could be made available for the functioning of the Partnership. The
Commission will contribute by providing the stocktaking at EU level.
Step n° 2 - Preparatory actions (Identifying bottlenecks and potentials)
In the second step, the members of the Partnership would identify the bottlenecks and the potentials
to identify the areas on which the Action Plan should focus. This will require in depth- research and
analytical work. These could be at EU, national or local level. It would lead to a list of preparatory actions
that are needed to define the final actions. The Partnership will take into account and respect the
available data from Member States whose representatives are not included in the Partnership.
Step n° 3 - Define the objectives and deliverables
In the third step, the members of the Partnership would agree on a set of actions that address the issues
of the Priority Theme (Action Plan). The proposed actions need to respect the principles of subsidiarity
and proportionality. This should ideally be done in the first 6-12 months of the Partnership. A model
Action Plan is available for each Partnership and should include:
a Actions which could be, for example:
i

Developing a proposal for better use of or adaptation of existing EU legislation and funding
instruments;

ii Implementing a research project to find possible solutions and/or fill EU wide knowledge gaps.
b Roadmap of each action indicating deliverables, target dates and the responsible organisation (e.g.
Commission, participating Member States, Urban Authorities, etc.).
c If appropriate, indicators and targets could be set (but only if there is a direct link between the
Action Plan and the target).
Step n° 4 - Implementation of the Action Plan
In the fourth step, the members of the Partnership should coordinate the work (aimed at Better
Regulation, Better Funding and Better Knowledge) on the implementation of the Action Plan with
partners of the partnership and other interested parties i.e. other Member States, Urban Authorities
and existing Urban Networks concerned, etc. (once the Action Plan has been designed and agreed).
It is important that the members of the Partnerships develop links with the relevant authorities/
organisations/ enterprises/stakeholders and work in full transparency.
Step n° 5 - Evaluation of the Partnership
The DG meeting will coordinate the evaluation of the work of the Partnership after three years or earlier
if deemed necessary by the DG meeting. Its outcomes should be presented to the DG meeting. The
evaluation will provide input for other existing and new Partnerships and should, if appropriate, contain
general suggestions for further exploration.

viii

III 		 Practicalities
1 Meetings & Gatherings
Each Partnership will decide how often it convenes. During the stocktaking phase, the Partnership
may meet once every two months. In other stages, the Partnership could meet at least every six
months to debate progress on the Action Plan. Meetings should preferably be held back to back with
other meetings or events (for example a thematic event organised by one of the working groups of
EUROCITIES) in order to generate synergies with other initiatives and to inform a broad public on the
state of play of the partnership.
Additionally, once a year, the Commission intends to organise a meeting with all the Coordinators to
discuss the progress of the work, identify synergies between Partnerships and raise organisational
issues which the Commission and Member States could facilitate.
Also, the Commission intends to facilitate a yearly gathering where all partners of the Partnerships
and others interested in the Urban Agenda for the EU will meet to exchange views and to network.
2 Website
A website has been created (www.urbanagenda.nl) where general information on the Urban Agenda
for the EU can be found as well as information on each Partnership, such as participating partners,
working documents, gatherings, outcomes of actions, news, dates of meetings, etc. The website
will create an opportunity for other interested stakeholders to provide an input to the ongoing work
of partnership or the Action Plans, as well as express their willingness to join / contribute to the
Partnership. The coordinators are responsible for updating the website. It is imperative that each
Partnership keeps this website up to date to guarantee transparency.
3 Monitoring and reporting of progress
The partnerships will monitor the progress of their work and submit a concise annual progress report
to the UDG. On this basis, a concise annual summary report about the progress of the partnerships
shall be drawn up by the UDG (to be coordinated by the rotating EU presidency in cooperation with the
European Commission). After approval by the DG meeting, the Presidency, based on the outcome of
the DG meeting will inform the Ministers responsible for Urban Matters, the European Commission,
the European Parliament, and the Union’s Advisory Bodies (CoR, EESC) about the progress of the
Urban Agenda for the EU.
4 Financial support for the Partnerships
In 2016 the Netherlands has financially supported the first four (pilot) Partnerships: Air Quality,
Housing, Urban Poverty and Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees.
To give an initial impulse to the first pilot Partnerships the Netherlands reserved € 50.000,- for each of
the four pilot Partnerships to support their work (for example hiring of experts, conducting research
a.o.). Even though travel and accommodation costs should be at the expense of each partner itself
(i.e. participation should be seen as their normal tasks and is a condition for a real commitment to do
some work), the pilot Partnerships revealed that some partners find it difficult to participate without
financial reimbursement. If needed, the supporting budget can be used to (partly) reimburse partners.
In the Pact of Amsterdam the Member States call upon the European Commission to provide basic
technical assistance to the Partnerships from 1 January 2017 onwards.

ix

Some actions in the Action Plan may require funding. Therefore, it is important that the members of
the Partnerships decide on their funding sources and maintain close links with the Funding Authorities
and financing institutions (banks, public authorities, EIB, Managing Authorities of ESIF etc.) and keep
a close eye on relevant EU calls for projects such as under the Urban Innovative Actions, HORIZON,
COSME, LIFE etc. If actions in the Action Plan require funding, the way of funding should be described
in the Action Plan.

30 May 2016