Dr Elisabeth Helander

1

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

2
The European Commissionand the urban agenda

• Commissions role
• Urban Pilot Projects and URBAN I Community
  Initiative
• URBAN II Community Initiative
• Urban Audit
• Cohesion Report

3
Commissions role

• Regional policy through Structural Funds
  addresses economic development and socio-economic
  disparities
• Disparities between Member States, between
  regions and within cities
• Mainstream SF programmes needed to be
  supplemented by first Pilot Projects, then
  Community Initiative
• no Common Urban Policy but Commission involvement
  welcomed and encouraged by local urban authorities

4
Pilot projects and URBAN I

• Pilot projects, phase I, 1990-93
• - 33 projects planned ERDF contribution of 101
  MECU
• Pilot projects, phase II, 1997-99
• - 26 projects planned ERDF contribution of 63.6
  MECU
• URBAN I Community Initiative, 1994-1999
• - 118 programmes EC contribution of 891 MECU

5
Lessons learned

• Integrated approach - co-ordination of agencies
  and levels of government
• Involvement of local community
• Targeting of resources
• Link with regional/wider urban area strategy
• Link with EU policies - sustainable development,
  employment strategy, equal opportunities

6
Agenda 2000

• Mainstreaming
• - increased focus on urban development in
  Objective 1 2 programmes
• - lessons learned from UPP and URBAN I to be
  applied in Objective 1 and 2 programmes
• But
• URBAN II Community Initiative introduced at
  request of European Parliament and Committee of
  the Regions

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URBAN II

• ERDF of 700m for period from 2001 to 2006
• Extended to small and medium sized towns and
  cities
• Support for innovative strategies for sustainable
  economic and social development
• 50 programmes originally envisaged 70 programmes
  now expected
• 49 draft programmes declared admissible now
  under negotiation, with expected approval later
  in 2001
• Remaining programmes expected to be submitted
  shortly

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Urban Audit

• Led by Commission with support and participation
  of urban authorities throughout Europe
• Published in April 2000
• Comparative assessment of quality of life in 58
  European Cities
• Indicators - socio-economic, civic participation,
  education and training, environment, culture and
  leisure
• Further info at www.inforegio.cec.eu.int/urban/a
  udit
• Next steps include London Paris refine
  indicators include accession countries?

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Urban Audit - coverage
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Urban Audit - Population Densities
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Urban Audit - Disparities within Cities
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Cohesion Report

• Context for future EU interventions in urban
  matters
• Published in February 2001
• Report considers progress towards cohesion
• - at level of Member State
• - at level of regions
• - at level of cities
• Includes Accession States
• Substantial implications for future of Structural
  Funds

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The Debate

• Role of cohesion policy in enlarged EU?
• EU policies to be made more coherent?
• What modification of cohesion policy needed to
  take account of enlargement?
• Cohesion policy to focus on measures of high
  Community added value?
• Priorities for balanced and sustainable
  territorial development?

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The Debate

• How to encourage convergence of poorest regions?
• Form of intervention for other regions?
• Basis for allocation of funds after 2006 to
  Member States and regions?
• Principles for implementation of EU
  interventions?
• Response to increased needs with regard to
  cohesion?

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The Urban Question policy issues to be addressed

• Cities are key location for pursuing cohesion and
  sustainable development
• concentration of economic and social disparities
  in cities
• most acute environmental pressures in cities
• cities are economic centres for development of
  surrounding areas
• networks of cities can stimulate balanced
  territorial development with key role for medium
  sized towns and cities

16
Associated issues

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

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Launching the debate

• Cohesion Forum
• European Parliament, 21-22 May 2001

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People make cities but cities make citizens

• Richard Rogers