Eurocities flash 123 feb13

EUROCITIES FLASHan information service for EUROCITIES members

Ndeg 123

Feb 2013

Our president and mayor of Warsaw Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz has made a fresh plea to the EU Council not to cut the part of the EUrsquos long-term budget that can be used by Europersquos cities

The multiannual financial framework which determines the size of the annual EU budget from 2014 to 2020 is set to be discussed at a crucial summit on 7-8 February 2013 when EU Council president Herman Van Rompuy is confident a deal will be struck The mayors appeal is for member states to ensure a fairer share of funding for urban priorities and cities from the EU budget because this investment can bring important advantages for Europes competitiveness in the longer term

The mayor adds that 85 of the EUrsquos GDP is generated in cities and therefore they should be receiving a fairer share of the funds available from the EU Instead many of Europersquos less populated and predominantly agricultural regions are receiving up to five times as much funding per capita through the Common Agricultural Policy compared to that which urban areas receive through structural funds

Furthermore at a time when public spending is being squeezed throughout Europe and the EU budget might be cut Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz maintains that the EU should direct spending where it makes the greatest and most visible impact It is therefore cities with 75 of the EUrsquos population where this lsquobetter spendingrsquo should be concentrated The opinion piece was featured in a number of key EU media

Also in this issue

A citizensrsquo recovery

his is the European Year of Citizens It needs to be For

there is little doubt that the European project no longer attracts the

popular support it once did Europe is suffering an intense crisis of legitimacy Its distance from citizens is a particular weakness

Yet we can see from the United States that sustaining an effective democracy of multi-level governance across a whole continent presents real challenges In spite of the profile of the presidential office there and the massive electoral engagement it entails the US federal government is widely seen as remote and dysfunctional

This mattered less in times of steady growth But when economies falter these most strategic institutions of government (on both sides of the Atlantic) seem incapable of finding effective solutions

Meanwhile city mayors closest to the citizen are faced with the daily challenges of delivery Their accountability is direct and immediate So the more strongly we can connect the local and the strategic and the more we can bring Europe to serve our citizensrsquo priorities the clearer they will see the salience of the European project

Of course there is no greater priority now than jobs Europe must show how it can support economic recovery at the local level Our cities have massive potential human capital infrastructure producers and consumers the buzz and capacity for innovation This is the lsquosmart sustainable and inclusiversquo growth envisaged by Europe 2020

With the new EU budget under intense discussion here is the chance to demonstrate Europersquos relevance to the everyday lives of citizens For 2013 to be a year for citizens Europe should be supporting city mayors across the continent with serious resources for growth and jobs

Paul BevanSecretary general EUROCITIES

T

2

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Update on procurement and concessions

Second seminar on urban-rural partnerships

Culture and innovation meet in Florence

Entrepreneurship 2020 action plan

Parliament plenary to vote on vehicle noise

Green Digital Toolkit new platform for cities

Irish EU presidency transport priorities

Our report on city responses to homelessness

Cities in action eCopper Oulu

EUROCITIES annual report and work programme 12

New appeal not to cut EU budget for cities

More information bitlyVqM5QR Dorthe Nielsen senior policy advisor dorthenielseneurocitieseu

Flash 123 February 20132

Name Ioanna Tsalakanidou

Function project coordinator

Working languages GR EN

Ioanna joined our projects team on 4 February 2013 and is responsible for coordinating CASCADE and developing new projects in the area of environment and energy She joins us from the Regional Energy Agency of Central MacedoniaDevelopment Agency of Eastern Thessalonikirsquos local authorities in Greece She holds a degree in environmental engineering and an MSc in built environment She is Greek and speaks fluent English

Staff news

Name Yannick Bousse


Working languages EN NL

Yannick Bousse who previously completed a work experience placement in our environment forum and worked as project support officer ndash mobility will remain with us until 30 September 2013 to work on our mobility projects EPOMM CIVITAS VANGUARD and TIDE Amongst other responsibilities Yannick will be lobbying for increased mobility management at EU level for EPOMM ensuring the quality and standard of publications for CIVITAS VANGUARD and communication and dissemination activities for TIDE

Yannick Bousse project coordinator yannickbousseeurocitieseu

highlights

n 18 December 2012 the European Parliamentrsquos internal market committee (IMCO) voted on MEP Marc Tarabellarsquos report on the draft public

procurement directive We had discussed the report with the rapporteur and shadow rapporteur and believe the final report is quite balanced Our members welcome the fact that instead of simply accepting the lowest bid public authorities will have more scope to include environmental considerations as well as social objectives such as buying from firms with a particular social profile They also appreciate the fact that MEPs expanded the concept of lsquoinnovation partnershipsrsquo to encourage innovation under this procedure the public authority states the minimum requirements but leaves it up to the tenderer how best to achieve these goals

On 24 January 2013 IMCO adopted MEP Philippe Juvinrsquos report on the proposed

directive on concessions MEPS backed the European Commission position that this directive is necessary Our position was that the proposed directive was over-prescriptive and we argued for a lighter approach with the sole obligation to publish concession notices and concession award notices Unlike public procurement where there is already a common approach services concessions legislation is very diverse across EU member states according to different historic and cultural models Fortunately the text adopted is far less prescriptive than the text proposed by the European Commission

On both dossiers the political group coordinators are discussing whether to open negotiations with the Council for an early first-reading agreement or to submit the IMCO reports to a Parliament plenary vote


O

Ioanna Tsalakanidou project coordinator ioannatsalakanidoueurocitieseu

Marie Ranty policy advisor marierantyeurocitieseu

The fifth edition of the Mayorsrsquo Think Tank will take place on 13 March 2013 in Cannes France within the context of MIPIM the worldrsquos property market This closed-door event for mayors and top political leaders will focus this year on lsquoLocal authoritiesrsquo perspectives and opportunities for the next decadersquo and lsquoWhat are the measures of attractiveness and competitivenessrsquo Secretary general Paul Bevan will moderate one of the roundtables

Following the Mayors Think Tank an invitation-only lunch will gather a selection of corporate end-users and political leaders providing another unique opportunity to network explore valuable ventures and initiate new business

For more information contact MIPIM conferences manager Maud Chevalier or visit the MIPIM website below

Maud Chevalier MIPIM conferences manager maudchevalierreedmidemcom MIPIM wwwmipimcom

MIPIM Mayorsrsquo Think TankOur annual report 2012 and work programme 2013 is

now available Paper copies have been sent to cities and an online version is available at the link below

Annual report 2012 and work programme 2013 bitlyYx0lIx

EUROCITIES in 2012 and 2013

Cannes | 13 March 2013

Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz EUROCITIES president amp Frank Jensen EUROCITIES president 2010-2012 courtesy of Christiane Blanchard Nantes Metropole

3Flash 123 February 2013

Our Integrating Cities VI conference will take place in Tampere on 9-10 September 2013 alongside the international Metropolis Conference at Tampere Hall More information to follow shortly on the website below

highlights

New forum chair officers meet in Brusselshe new chair officers of our six forums met in Brussels on 24 January 2013 to learn more about each othersrsquo forums to discuss common challenges and share ideas for the year ahead

They identified a set of priority issues that cuts across the work of a number of the forums including financing opportunities for cities green growth cultural heritage (e)inclusion innovation services of general interest and urban-rural linkages They discussed possibilities for addressing the issues together through joint forums or working group meetings and using virtual networking tools

Other challenges around forum work and meetings were also discussed such as how to increase the participation of politicians how to ensure a good geographical representation in all forums as well as issues arising from working groups meeting alongside forums or separately

The set of recommendations put forward by the previous forum chairs in a lsquolegacy documentrsquo were considered and the group discussed how best to use our communication tools and project work related to the forums

T

New forum chairs in pictures

Vanda Knowles policy director vandaknowleseurocitieseu

Integrating Cities VI

Thomas Jeacutezeacutequel project coordinator thomasjezequeleurocitieseu Integrating Cities wwwintegratingcitieseu

Our executive committee (ExCom) met alongside the newly-elected forum chairs in Brussels on 25 January 2013 Two new cities were welcomed into the ExCom Barcelona and Turin

Members were updated on budget issues forum strategy papers for 2013 policy and project developments Preparations for the cooperation platform in Espoo on 16-17 May 2013 were also presented during the

meeting Ghent gave an overview of the programme for the annual conference on 27-29 November 2013 on smart citizens

The next ExCom meeting will be held at politiciansrsquo level together with forum chairs (see box below) on 1 March 2013 in Brussels

Tara Schneider Appriou executive assistant taraschneiderapprioueurocitieseu

Update from the executive committee

Tampere | 9-10 September 2013

Culture Matteo Lepore deputy mayor Bologna

Knowledge society Danieumll Termont mayor Ghent

Economic development Nick Small councillor Liverpool

Mobility Christian Specht first deputy mayor Mannheim

Environment James McKay councillor Birmingham

Social affairs Henk Kool deputy mayor The Hague

Interview with Haringkon Jentoft from Oslo (pictured)

Oslo will run for working group chair at the next meeting on 13 March 2013 in Nuremberg What will be the grouprsquos main priorities in 2013

We are looking to revive the group and once again get city experts involved to share best practice and influence EU legislation The Commission is planning to work on an overall waste legislation review this year which could have a big impact on cities Wersquod also like to contribute to future EU work on food waste Wersquore therefore aiming to share our views and experiences from the

city level with the relevant EU institutions highlighting for example the need for effective waste prevention policies at EU and member state level

What will be the focus of your other activities this year

Our work has always involved the exchange of best practices for sustainable waste management including issues such as waste-to-energy municipal waste or the use of economic instruments to encourage waste prevention We will resume these activities in 2013

All this sounds very promising Is it possible for other EUROCITIES members to join the group

Absolutely we always welcome new members If your city is interested in sharing best practices and influencing EU waste legislation you can nominate a waste expert for the group by sending an email to Michael Klinkenberg at the EUROCITIES secretariat (details below)

Relaunching working group waste

More information bitlyXa0H6V Michael Klinkenberg policy advisor michaelklinkenbergeurocitieseu


cooperation

This year sees a few changes in the working groups under our cooperation strand of work Four will remain directly monitored by the executive committee

working group governance led by Strasbourg (chair) and Gothenburg (vice chair) It will continue to monitor our relations with the main EU institutions It is also likely to work on initiatives relating to the European Year of Citizens and the multilevel governance system being discussed and sketched out through various projects in the EU

working group European Neighbourhood Policy and enlargement Vienna Tbilisi and Beyoglu-Istanbul share the lead this year They will continue to work on cultural programmes of cooperation between EU and non-EU cities

taskforce on the EU budget the multiannual financial framework (MFF) which is the EU budget for 2014 ndash 2020 should be agreed by member states during the first quarter of 2013 Negotiations will then begin between the European Council and Parliament If successful these should lead to a final agreement by the summer Our taskforce will monitor negotiations and continue to make the case for a budget that promotes urban priorities and ensures investments in cities

working group public services chaired by Vienna it will continue the ongoing influencing work based on our position on concessions contracts and state aid It will also begin work with WG housing (social affairs forum) on social housing issues and with our mobility forum on transport services It will also continue to cooperate with our city experts group on public procurement

rban-rural partnerships are high on the EU policy agenda Both the European Parliament and Council would like would like these urban-rural linkages

to be reinforced in the ongoing negotiations on the future cohesion policy The reasons are clear improved territorial cohesion through better accessibility to services stimulation of economic development and job creation through stronger integration of functional areas increased resource efficiency and better use of land through more developed territorial governance

In collaboration with the Polish Mazovia region and the OECD the European Commission is organising a seminar in Warsaw on sustainable urban-rural partnership on 24-25 April 2013 It will focus on implementation how to put sustainable urban-rural partnerships into practice

This follows a first seminar in Metz in November 2012 and is part of a preparatory action carried out for the European Parliament which in addition to

a comprehensive OECD study also includes a desk study on existing evidence


Cooperation working groups in 2013

U

Programme bitly10v0xas Video examples of urban-rural partnerships bitlyWmBbKf Soraya Zanardo policy assistant ndash coordination amp governance sorayazanardoeurocitieseu

2013 launch of the Irish presidency of the EUlsquoFor stability jobs and

growthrsquo is the title of the Irish EU presidencyrsquos six-month term which began on 1 January 2013 Ireland has branded itself as a country driving recovery in Europe and its presidency programme will revolve around three main themes

1 People-centred recovery designed to last Ireland wants to ensure lasting stability in the EU starting with a renewal of economic governance Focus will be on the Banking Union and financial services reform coupled with improved economic coordination through the European Semester process In tandem with this the Irish presidency will focus on youth unemployment Ireland intends to ensure momentum behind the Youth Employment and Social Investment packages and secure agreement on decisions in the areas of health mobility and education

2 Investment in job-friendly growth and in Europersquos resources Ireland will push ahead with legislation to promote Europersquos digital economy and will pursue a number of measures aimed at SMEs recognised as the highest-potential growth and employment source in Europe Measures will include improved access to credit public procurement opportunities and research funding Ireland will play a vital part in securing agreement on the EUrsquos budget 2014-2020 which will lead to sector-specific work on areas such as the reform of common agricultural policy (CAP) cohesion policyand the Horizon 2020 research framework programme Ireland will place particular focus on the potential of Europersquos natural resources on land as well as at sea putting the green economy agenda back on track as an engine for smart sustainable growth

3 Europe and the world a win-win engagement with EU and global partners Ireland will prioritise trade and work towards opening new markets creating new opportunities for enterprise leading to more jobs and growth

Irish presidency wwweu2013ie Dorthe Nielsen senior policy advisor dorthenielseneurocitieseu

This is an important opportunity for policy makers and stakeholders

at European national regional and local level to better understand

the practical aspects of urban-rural partnerships and influence their implementation in future EU cohesion policy and rural

development

Soraya Zanardo policy assistant ndash coordination amp governance sorayazanardoeurocitieseu

Warsaw | 24-25 April 2013


On Wednesday 23 January 2013 Jimmy Deenihan Irish minister for arts heritage and Gaeltacht presented the Irish presidencyrsquos culture priorities to the European Parliamentrsquos culture and education committee

The initial focus will be on reaching agreements on the Creative Europe and Europe for Citizens programmes Regarding the Creative Europe programme the minister acknowledged that there were certain areas where the positions of the Parliament and the Council needed to be reconciled but was confident that these differences could be overcome

He stressed the importance of securing adequate funding for the programme including the planned financial guarantee facility for the cultural and creative sector and also of reaching an early clarification on the question of funding so as not to put the start of the programme in jeopardy

Two further priorities were also presented Firstly the need to progress the proposal for the continuation of the European Capitals of Culture programme beyond 2019 Secondly the importance of recognising and developing the role of culture as a soft power in external relations The Council is considering a policy debate on this topic and was also keen to stress the success of the recent programme of cultural cooperation with China which is to be continued

The opening ceremonies of the two new European Capitals of Culture 2013 took place in January The festivities in Marseille-Provence marked the start of a year of events which will be spread across the whole region encouraging visitors and residents to explore what the area has to offer The lsquoEuro-Mediterranean workshopsrsquo project will focus on cultural cooperation and exchange between countries in the Mediterranean region

The lsquoInterfacersquo project in Kosice seeks to use the cityrsquos border location as a platform for communication innovative ideas and cultural exchanges Events throughout 2013 will showcase the city as a crossroads between east and west and as a place which supports culture and creativity

The European Parliamentrsquos culture committee adopted a report on the proposed Creative Europe programme for 2014-2020 on 18 December 2012 The report was passed with numerous amendments and has now been tabled for a vote in the next plenary session

The committee voted for Creative Europe to operate as a framework programme with separate culture and media programmes operating under the same umbrella but with separate objectives They also voted to give member states the right to choose whether to merge the current national Culture Contact Points and MEDIA Desks or to opt

to keep them separate If kept separate increased coordination and cooperation between them would be expected

Many of the amendments passed reflect our position on the programme referring to the intrinsic value of culture innovation and risk taking inclusion mobility of artists and the use of both quantitative and qualitative performance indicators

culture

he next culture forum will meet in Florence on 13-16 March 2013 to discuss Living culture - European cities towards the future

This can be technological or non-technological innovation including for example social innovation and new forms of funding or governance We would like to hear from your city so please answer our call for contributions by 15 February 2013

A second plenary session will include a keynote speech from MEP Silvia Costa rapporteur on the Creative Europe programme She will reflect on culture in the next generation of European funding programmes (2014-2020) and on the role of culture in local development

The five culture forum working groups will also meet in Florence at various cultural locations to include technical tours Last but not least we invite you to join us for guided walks to discover the cultural treasures of Florence

Please register for the meeting by 15 February 2013


Julie Herveacute policy advisor julieherveeurocitieseu

T


Parliament votes on Creative Europe

Marseille-Provence and Kosice take over as European Capitals of Culture

Call for contributions wwwsurveymonkeycoms2RQWD77 Julie Herveacute policy advisor julieherveeurocitieseu


Irish presidency presents culture priorities

Florence | 13-16 March 2013

We will focus in particular on how cities use innovative

solutions in their cultural policies and activities


economic development

uropean Commission vice president Antonio Tajani unveiled a long-awaited Entrepeneurship 2020 action plan on 9 January 2013 It is designed to support entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial culture in Europe

Almost 40 of Europeans would choose to be their own boss given the chance If this potential could be exploited millions of new businesses would be created

The plan covers six key areas where action is needed to create an environment in which entrepreneurs can flourish

access to finance

support during the crucial phases of the business lifecycle

unleashing new business opportunities of the digital age

easier transfers of business ownership

second chances for honest entrepreneurs after bankruptcy

administrative simplification

The Commission also intends to promote entrepreneurship in specific segments of the population women senior citizens migrant populations and the unemployed

We emphasised many of these points in our response to the Commission consultation on the action plan from September 2012 The Commission and member state governments will implement the proposed actions between 2013 and 2017


Nick Small Liverpool city councillor and chair of our economic development forum (EDF) and Carolien Gehrels deputy mayor of Amsterdam and vice chair of the EDF (both pictured) met on 11 January 2013 to finalise their 2013 strategy

The EDF will meet three 2013 The first meeting will be in Turin on 10-12 April and will focus on how cities can attract investment through initiatives ranging from urban planning through to enterprise policy The second forum will be held in Tampere on 17-19 June on open innovation The third takes place in Glasgow in the autumn where members will discuss youth entrepreneurship

The seven EDF working groups this year are cohesion policy entrepreneurship and SMEs innovation integrated urban development metropolitan areas city branding and attractiveness (previously under the executive committee) and a new working group on international economic relations

Nick Small and Carolien Gehrels also agreed to further involve businesses universities and research centres in EDF conferences

They also agreed to organise a meeting for EDF politicians in September 2013 where they will agree on the EDF political messages for the year ahead

EDF in 2013Update from Commissioner Hahn on structural funds

As the trialogue on the structural funds regulations between the European Council Parliament and Commission continues Commissioner Hahn met with the Brussels-based regional offices on 22 January 2013 to give an update on recent developments

The commissioner hopes there will not be further cuts to cohesion policy in the negotiations on the multiannual financial framework If the allocation for cohesion policy is reduced the Commission would have to consider reviewing the proposed structure of the policy which currently includes three categories of regions more developed transition and less developed

Negotiations on the structural funds regulations are expected to conclude before the summer and are currently further advanced than negotiations on CAP and the maritime and fisheries fund

The Commission is concerned about negotiations on thematic concentration ie the focus of the majority of spending on a few key objectives Member states and the Parliament are aiming to include more investment objectives and reduce the proposed level of concentration The Commission worries this will undermine the effectiveness of the policy which would have little impact if spread too thinly

Parliament and Council have reached agreement on strategic programming which should allow member states and managing authorities to start developing their operational programmes The Commission will issue a template for the partnership agreements shortly and is encouraging member states to have a first draft of their partnership agreements ready for June 2013

The delegation of funding to sub-regional authorities including cities is still being discussed Commissioner Hahn said the Council and Parliament are looking at voluntary measures mainly due to significant resistance in member states but also because of a variable capacity to manage and implement programmes in cities and other local authorities irrespective of their size Citing the example of Rotterdam managing an urban operational programme on behalf of Utrecht The Hague and Amsterdam the commissioner said they still hope to persuade member states to delegate funding

Dorthe Nielsen senior policy advisor dorthenielseneurocitieseu

E

More information bitlyTrhjdo Julie Herveacute policy advisor julieherveeurocitieseu

More information marierantyeurocitieseu

In the current economic crisis new and young businesses represent a key ingredient for job-rich

recovery in Europe


environment

he European Parliament report on the vehicle noise regulation adopted on 6 February 2013 does not aim to reduce noise levels as much as we had asked for but is more positive from a city point of view than the initial draft report After long and controversial discussions over recent months the vote on the key amendment on noise limits was

particularly tight with 307 in favour and 292 against

MEPs also demand mandatory acoustic vehicle alerting systems for electric and hybrid cars in particular to protect visually-impaired pedestrians in urban areas The new report will be the basis for negotiations with the Council

European Parliament vote on vehicle noise

Michael Klinkenberg policy advisor michaelklinkenbergeurocitieseu

In preparation for its proposal on the review of EU air quality policy during the lsquoYear of Air 2013rsquo the European Commission has launched a stakeholder consultation on relevant policy options We are currently working on a response which follows our submission to the Commissionrsquos September 2011 questionnaire (see link below)

Meanwhile new research underlines the need for a comprehensive policy and effective source policies to tackle air pollution A study by the Commissionrsquos Joint Research Centre (JRC) indicates that diesel cars are likely to continue to emit more harmful gases in real driving conditions than during the test procedure The new Euro 6 emission standard to be introduced in 2014 would therefore not reduce emissions as much as foreseen in the legislation A new test procedure that aims at more realistic results is under development

T

Improving air quality through the Year of Air 2013

Air quality review eceuropaeuenvironmentairreview_air_policyhtm EUROCITIES response to 2011 Commission questionnaire bitlyWuwNvW Commission JRC study bitlyVkzUmU Michael Klinkenberg policy advisor michaelklinkenbergeurocitieseu

In addition to new noise limit values the Parliament report also foresees a noise labelling scheme for new cars a measure we had called for

Monday 24 June 2013 has been confirmed for the next Covenant of Mayors Signature Ceremony which takes place in Brussels in parallel with EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW)

High-profile speakers are again expected to attend this fourth edition of the Covenant ceremony including presidents of European institutions European commissioners MEPs city mayors and other high-ranking officials from the EU national regional and local administrations

As the initiative enters its fifth year the ceremony represents an opportunity to take stock of previous achievements and anticipate future developments in the context of the economic crisis and the quest for growth and jobs

The venue is still to be confirmed More information will be communicated shortly by the Covenant of Mayors Office

Covenant of Mayors 2013 Ceremony

EUSEW wwweuseweu Covenant of Mayors wwweumayorseu Sandra Ramos project coordinator sandraramoseurocitieseu

Brussels | 24 June 2013

Through our involvement with the Covenant of Mayors Office we will be organising a webinar with Berlin and the Berlin Energy Agency as part of the Energy Performance Contracting (EPC) campaign The webinar will be in German and targets German cities wishing to find out more about this alternative financing scheme More information on the EPC and the webinar can be found using the links below

Energy Performance Contracting webinar

EPC campaign bitlyQLGvKr Webinar bitly14qWaSE Sandra Ramos project coordinator sandraramoseurocitieseu

Member states endorse EU water strategy

European environment ministers endorsed the European Commissionrsquos lsquoBlueprint to safeguard Europersquos water resourcesrsquo at their final European Council meeting of 2012 They underlined that significant efforts and actions are still needed to preserve and improve the quality of water in Europe including better implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive The Commission will work on proposals to achieve these goals These are likely to affect local authoritiesrsquo water management

Financing and policy for smart and sustainable cities

Our environment forum meets jointly with our knowledge society forum in Nuremberg on 13-15 March 2013 in conjunction with a NiCE (Networking intelligent Cities for Energy Efficiency) roadshow See page 8 for more details

More information (membersrsquo area) bitly11pHfGX

More information bitlyXHx2Qp Michael Klinkenberg policy advisor michaelklinkenbergeurocitieseu

Webinar | 14 February 2013Nuremberg | 13-15 March 2013


The knowledge society forum hosted its first 2013 meeting on 29 January in Brussels this was also the first meeting under the chairmanship of Danieumll Termont mayor of Ghent

It was split into two sessions the morning session looked at the future strategy for the KSF particularly for 2013 Participants then heard from the European Commissionrsquos Peter Fatelnig about the Commissionrsquos work on future internet public-private partnerships EUROCITIES project manager Nathalie Guri on current funding calls and MEP Maria da Graccedila Carvalho rapporteur for one of the EP Horizon 2020 reports on the state of play and the EP perspective on Horizon 2020

The European Commission set out its new digital priorities for 2013-2014 in an 18 December 2012 communication This is its new strategy for increasing broadband investment and maximising the digital sectorrsquos contribution to Europersquos recovery

The strategy outlines a number of actions designed to deliver a net gain of 38 million new European jobs in the long-term and an annual boost of euro1500 per person to EU GDP (around 5) over the next eight years

Seven priorities make up the new Digital Agenda create a new and stable broadband regulatory environment new public digital service infrastructures through the Connecting Europe Facility launch a Grand Coalition on Digital Skills and Jobs propose EU cybersecurity strategy

and directive update EU copyright framework accelerate cloud computing through public sector buying power launch new electronics industrial strategy

These new priorities could have an impact on city and local authorities ranging from the regulatory environment for broadband (relating to broadband infrastructure) cybersecurity (KSF now has a cybersecurity working group) cloud computing and public digital services through the Connecting Europe Facility This facility has a proposed budget of euro92 billion for high speed broadband investment

knowledge society

New chair Ghent hosts first forum meeting

iCE (Networking intelligent Cities for Energy Efficiency) launched its Green Digital Charter (GDC) Toolkit to cities at its second training session on 28 January 2013

It is an online platform designed to support cities in realising their GDC commitments It enables them to browse other citiesrsquo activities information and tools and to share their own exchange ideas monitor the status of their GDC implementation and compare with the Covenant of Mayors (CoM) reporting procedures

While it was originally developed only for GDC signatories the Green Digital Toolkit is now accessible to everyone potential signatory cities stakeholders and individuals It is separated into public areas accessible to everyone and private areas dedicated to signatories Anyone can browse the list of shared tools and activities and access the reporting and action tools but signatory cities benefit from additional features such as

sharing their own green and digital tools and activities

rating commenting on and collecting the tools uploaded by other cities

reviewing and monitoring their activities in relation to the GDC and the CoM

posting questions and requests and exchanging with other signatories

The Green Digital Toolkit is available through the GDC and NiCE project portal below


Toolkit wwwgreendigitalchartereutoolkit Giulia Campodonico project coordinator giuliacampodonicoeurocitieseu

N

Commission sets out digital priorities 2013-2014

George Niland policy advisor georgenilandeurocitieseu

Joint KSF and EEF with NiCE roadshow

Green Digital Charter ndash interested in signing bitlyWWjFMd George Niland policy advisor georgenilandeurocitieseu Giulia Campodonico project coordinator giuliacampodonicoeurocitieseu

On 13-15 March 2013 the joint knowledge society forum (KSF) and environment forum (EEF) takes place along with the second NiCE roadshow in Nuremberg

The agenda will include a political discussion on policy for smart cities with city examples Participants will also learn about innovative financing schemes being implemented by cities

Study visits will take place around Nuremberg linked to the implementation of the Green Digital Charter as part of the NiCE roadshow

The event will also be an opportunity for cities to sign up to the Green Digital Charter in front of EU representatives and other colleagues

The full agenda and invitation will follow shortly


Nuremberg | 13-15 March 2013


SEGMENT hosts its final seminar on 16 April 2013 from 1530-1730 as part of the next mobility forum in Gothenburg

Two partner cities will explain how they have developed and implemented a segmented approach to marketing sustainable transport Group discussions will allow members to discuss segmentation as a means of promoting behavioural change

Over the past three years SEGMENT has worked on campaigns targeted at people going through lsquolife change momentsrsquo such as moving house Working with specific groups of consumers allows cities to have a greater impact than a more general campaign would

20 years of the single market 20 achievements in transport

mobility

reland took over the six-month rotating presidency of the EU on 1 Janaury 2013 Leo Varadkar Irelandrsquos minister for transport tourism and sport presented the following transport priorities to MEPs at the European Parliamentrsquos transport

committee meeting on 21 Janaury 2013

Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) regulation

revised Trans-European Networks for Transport (TEN-T) guidelines

fourth rail package

airports package

Varadkar used the opportunity to point out that while in the current economic context many member states are not ideally placed to invest in the transport sector investments nevertheless must be made

Given the clear need to promote develop and implement new multimodal and sustainable transport strategies within the EU

MEPs stressed that the European Commissionrsquos proposals on TEN-T and CEF should not be subjected to changes that would affect for example the funding available

Reporting on the achievements of the preceding Cypriot presidency Efthemios Flourentzou Cypriot minister for communications and works focused on outcomes such as the new tachograph regulation and high-level conferences for example on ICT and road safety

Over recent months we have contributed to shaping the TEN-T and CEF dossiers and will continue to follow developments closely during the Irish presidency

More information bitlyW0gBlD Vanessa Holve policy advisor vanessaholveeurocitieseu

IIrish EU presidency transport priorities

The European Commission recently published a report presenting 20 successes that Europe has achieved for transport after 20 years of the single market The list includes

raising awareness about passenger rights and making jobs in transport safer

reducing both pollutants in cities and the impact of transport on the environment

making it cheaper and more convenient to travel across Europe

breaking down barriers and making Europersquos roads safer

The publication emphasises the EUrsquos efforts to reduce pollution in cities for example through the fuel quality directive and projects such as CIVITAS which use an integrated and participatory approach to change the way we travel around cities

More information bitly10MuSpX Vanessa Holve policy advisor vanessaholveeurocitieseu

SEGMENT seminar at next mobility forum

More information wwwsegmentprojecteu Melanie Leroy project coordinator melanieleroyeurocitieseu

They will therefore need to make the best use of Connecting Europe Facility funding opportunities

Reminder TIDE call for champion cities

The TIDE call for champion cities will remain open until 28 February 2013 Ten cities will join the project and receive a subcontract for euro21000 to develop an implementation scenario for an innovative transport measure

More information and to apply bitlyR4EVSH

EPOMM awards apply for the best practice transferAs part of the European Platform on Mobility Managementrsquos (EPOMM) policy

exchange activities EPOMM is launching an annual award for the most effective policy or best practice transfer in the field of mobility management

Many European projects develop their own ways of transferring best practice policies and practices between partners using best practice databases toolkits training sessions working groups and exchange mechanisms EPOMM has decided to assess the different approaches and reward the most innovative and successful ones This is an opportunity for winners to disseminate transferred policy to give visibility to their projects and to promote the methodology used

Likely candidates will come from ongoing or completed projects under Interreg IVC and Intelligent Energy Europe or others which have achieved a shift in policy as a result of the approaches they have used

Two representatives from each winning organisation will be invited to collect their award at the European Conference on Mobility Management (ECOMM) in Gavle Sweden on 29-31 May 2013 Travel accommodation and ECOMM delegate fee will be paid for up to a maximum of euro1000 per person

The deadline to apply is 25 February 2013 Use the link below to enter

EPOMM bitlyXBM8HY Melanie Leroy project coordinator melanieleroyeurocitieseu

Gothenburg | 16 April 2013


social affairs

The European Parliamentrsquos urban intergroup together with CECODHAS (the federation of public cooperative and social housing) and the European Public Health Alliance hosted a conference on lsquoTackling health inequalities through investing in housingrsquo

The event held at the European Parliament on 22 January 2013 presented state-of-the-art research on the link between housing and health The debate centred on what the EU could do to better address the interconnection between these fields

WHO-Europe presented the findings from research carried out on environmental health inequalities in Europe The report reviewed inequalities related to housing injuries and the environment with some recommendations to address these The OECDrsquos lsquoBetter Lifersquo initiative indicated how housing can be an important determinant of health inequality and thus must be considered as part of a holistic approach to health

Examples from the local level highlighted the health benefits of investing in housing and the need for an integrated approach to address issues such as fuel poverty homelessness and child safety Representatives from the European Commission pointed to a move towards closer EU cross-sector collaboration in policy and financing in these areas However as MEP Karima Delli pointed out at the European level we donrsquot make the link between health and housing

Recommendations on how to break these pre-conceptions were put forward These included gathering reliable and desegregated data initiating a coordinated approach between levels of government and across administrations making the case for public and private expenditure in quality housing and targeting those most in need through dedicated funding and programmes

ine of our members contributed to our new report on what cities are doing to prevent and alleviate homelessness

These services should work together to intervene at an early stage to prevent homelessness or to help homeless people find somewhere to live as soon as possible While the causes of homelessness are manifold and local conditions will always have to be considered there are common aspects of homelessness that are best tackled by a strategic coordinated approach which includes

professional support and advice for people who are at risk of becoming homeless

temporary accommodation for homeless people that is geared towards supporting them into independent living and their (re-)integration into the mainstream housing market

transitory accommodation with support that helps prepare people for independence

specialised long-term accommodation for people who cannot live independently

professional social support to prevent and end homelessness which is crucial to help people back into independent living

identifying the powers and resources available to the city to support change

City strategies include both the integrated chain and the housing first approaches The integrated chain approach supports homeless people in the transition to independent housing Housing first focuses on providing stable housing to homeless people before treating their underlying problems

A challenge for each of the participating cities is the situation of homeless people from other EU countries Cities are confronted with the fact that many EU citizens become homeless but are not entitled to social services or support This is an issue that hopefully will be addressed at a higher level in Europe


Caroline Greene communications executive carolinegreeneeurocitieseu

Europe is facing high unemployment rates declining household incomes and growing risks of poverty and exclusion The latest edition of the lsquoEmployment and Social Developments in Europe Reviewrsquo published by DG employment in January 2013 confirms these and other alarming tendencies Last year the average EU national unemployment rate climbed to nearly 11 a peak not seen in almost 20 years

The analysis reveals a growing divide within the eurozone particularly between northern and southern member states The latter are worse off in terms of their employment and social situation Among the most vulnerable population groups are young people

children unemployed women single mothers and migrants

According to the report people are more likely to find a job in a country where the labour market has been reformed to make it more flexible It also highlights the positive impact of tailoring inclusion policies to specific country situations and population groups most at risk The report supports the case for appropriate minimum wages

It also proposes solutions for reducing skills mismatches such as investing efficiently in education and training better spending on active labour market policies and creating high-skilled jobs in growth sectors

New publication reveals latest employment and social trends

Report bitlyW0emzF Mirte Kortbeek social policy researcher mirtekortbeekeurocitieseu

European seminar explores links between housing and health

Ana Feder policy advisor anafedereurocitieseu

NOur report concludes that the most successful tool in

preventing homelessness is a well-developed system of integrated services


ulursquos eCopper project was the winner of our innovation award at EUROCITIES 2012 Nantes last November The project aims to build bridges between young people and the police force using an online chat service hosted by a web platform that is popular

with young people

It allows young people to anonymously converse with the police over issues of common concern such as moped laws traffic rules personal safety and drug and alcohol use The conversations are monitored by a social worker who is in constant contact with the on-duty police officer using a private microphone

Chat sessions take place once a week over a two-hour period and form part of a police and social workers normal workload thus costs are kept to a minimum The majority of participants are between 12 and 18 and some 2000 visits are recorded every month For security reasons the workers use verified profiles to ensure that the young people know they are speaking to the right person While the service is designed for young people living in Oulu the nature of the internet means that many participants are based further afield

The project which was partially funded by the European Social Fund has proved successful and the city is making the most of participantsrsquo enthusiasm by organising real-life meetings such as at youth centres or summer camps When consultations took place ahead of the projectrsquos launch in 2009 some 70 of young people welcomed

the prospect of chatting informally with the police It has helped to ease the sometimes strained relationships between young people and the police to clarify misunderstandings and to build trust between to the two parties

One participant explains

city news

EUROCITIES member Berlin has been recognised for its initiatives aimed at improving accessibility within the urban environment for disabled citizens

The city was awarded the Access City Award 2013 a European Commission initiative which rewards cities with more than 50000 inhabitants that are taking exemplary efforts to improve accessibility

This means making urban living more comfortable for less able citizens addressing areas such as the built environment and public spaces transport and related infrastructure information and communication and public facilities and conveniences Initiatives should be carried

out in a sustainable manner and the winning city acts as a role model for other cities seeking good practice examples

A total of 99 cities from 20 EU member states applied for the 2013 award Berlin was selected as the winner by a jury comprised of experts from the European Commission and the European Disability Forum Two runners up Nantes and Stockholm both EUROCITIES members were also named by the jury

The jury also picked out four lsquospecial mentionsrsquo addressing specific areas of urban accessibility This list includes EUROCITIES member Bilbao for its efforts relating to information and communication and new technologies

The award was presented in front of Viviane Reding European Commission vice president and Erzsebet Foumlldesion vice president of the European Disability Forum on 3 December 2012 during the European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference

Urban accessibility initiatives win Berlin European award

More information bitlyTwF2ZJ

If you have some news about your city yoursquod like to share contact Rose Montgomery (rosemontgomeryeurocitieseu)


O

Full case study bitlyYx4PyI Rose Montgomery communications executive rosemontgomeryeurocitieseu

EUROCITIES offers meeting rooms in an ideal location a stonersquos throw from the European institutions with special

prices for EUROCITIES members

capacity for 75 people

catering services

interpretation booths

projection facilities

complimentary WiFi

special conditions on request

half day rentals accepted

Meeting in Brussels

Contact and reservation - Olivier Baeselen finance HR and office manager +32 (0) 2 552 08 8 2 meetingroomseurocitieseu wwwmeetingroomsinbrusselseu

ldquoIt is important to have the opportunity to chat with police Online it is much easier to ask questions

and air our concerns compared to face-to-face communication or by phonerdquo

The City to City Barcelona FAD (Fostering art and design) award 2013 is open for applications until 28 February 2013 The award recognises urban transformation processes that have brought about the transformation of a particular city for the benefit of its citizens Visit the website below for more information and to apply

More information wwwcitytocityfadcat

City to City Barcelona FAD award 2013


events

MIPIM Mayorrsquos Think Tank Cannes France 13 March 2013

Addressing 21st century city challenges wwwmipimcom

Smart cities smart grids forum 2013 Nice France 20-22 March 2013

Smart cities in 2013 and beyond energyflemingeuropecomsmart-grids-smart-cities

Sustainable urban transport Gothenburg Sweden 10-12 April 2013

From demonstration to everyday practice lindholmenseennode28149

Nextbuilding Milan Italy 8-10 May 2013

Energy efficiency amp sustainable architecture nextbuildinginnovationcloud-expocom

Cities for Children Stuttgart Germany 13-14 May 2013

Healthy nutrition amp physical activity wwwcitiesforchildreneu

EUROCITIES

1 Square de Meeucircs 1000 Brussels

Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889

e-mail infoeurocitieseu

wwweurocitieseu

EUROCITIES Flash is published by EUROCITIES Brussels office copy EUROCITIES 2013 Please send any contributions and comments to newsletterseurocitieseu

Publisher Paul Bevan Secretary General Editor Rose Montgomery Layout Rob Harris Productions

More events at wwweurocitieseu


Name Ioanna Tsalakanidou


Working languages GR EN

Ioanna joined our projects team on 4 February 2013 and is responsible for coordinating CASCADE and developing new projects in the area of environment and energy She joins us from the Regional Energy Agency of Central MacedoniaDevelopment Agency of Eastern Thessalonikirsquos local authorities in Greece She holds a degree in environmental engineering and an MSc in built environment She is Greek and speaks fluent English

Staff news

Name Yannick Bousse


Working languages EN NL

Yannick Bousse who previously completed a work experience placement in our environment forum and worked as project support officer ndash mobility will remain with us until 30 September 2013 to work on our mobility projects EPOMM CIVITAS VANGUARD and TIDE Amongst other responsibilities Yannick will be lobbying for increased mobility management at EU level for EPOMM ensuring the quality and standard of publications for CIVITAS VANGUARD and communication and dissemination activities for TIDE

Yannick Bousse project coordinator yannickbousseeurocitieseu

highlights

n 18 December 2012 the European Parliamentrsquos internal market committee (IMCO) voted on MEP Marc Tarabellarsquos report on the draft public

procurement directive We had discussed the report with the rapporteur and shadow rapporteur and believe the final report is quite balanced Our members welcome the fact that instead of simply accepting the lowest bid public authorities will have more scope to include environmental considerations as well as social objectives such as buying from firms with a particular social profile They also appreciate the fact that MEPs expanded the concept of lsquoinnovation partnershipsrsquo to encourage innovation under this procedure the public authority states the minimum requirements but leaves it up to the tenderer how best to achieve these goals

On 24 January 2013 IMCO adopted MEP Philippe Juvinrsquos report on the proposed

directive on concessions MEPS backed the European Commission position that this directive is necessary Our position was that the proposed directive was over-prescriptive and we argued for a lighter approach with the sole obligation to publish concession notices and concession award notices Unlike public procurement where there is already a common approach services concessions legislation is very diverse across EU member states according to different historic and cultural models Fortunately the text adopted is far less prescriptive than the text proposed by the European Commission

On both dossiers the political group coordinators are discussing whether to open negotiations with the Council for an early first-reading agreement or to submit the IMCO reports to a Parliament plenary vote


O

Ioanna Tsalakanidou project coordinator ioannatsalakanidoueurocitieseu

Marie Ranty policy advisor marierantyeurocitieseu

The fifth edition of the Mayorsrsquo Think Tank will take place on 13 March 2013 in Cannes France within the context of MIPIM the worldrsquos property market This closed-door event for mayors and top political leaders will focus this year on lsquoLocal authoritiesrsquo perspectives and opportunities for the next decadersquo and lsquoWhat are the measures of attractiveness and competitivenessrsquo Secretary general Paul Bevan will moderate one of the roundtables

Following the Mayors Think Tank an invitation-only lunch will gather a selection of corporate end-users and political leaders providing another unique opportunity to network explore valuable ventures and initiate new business

For more information contact MIPIM conferences manager Maud Chevalier or visit the MIPIM website below

Maud Chevalier MIPIM conferences manager maudchevalierreedmidemcom MIPIM wwwmipimcom

MIPIM Mayorsrsquo Think TankOur annual report 2012 and work programme 2013 is

now available Paper copies have been sent to cities and an online version is available at the link below

Annual report 2012 and work programme 2013 bitlyYx0lIx

EUROCITIES in 2012 and 2013

Cannes | 13 March 2013

Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz EUROCITIES president amp Frank Jensen EUROCITIES president 2010-2012 courtesy of Christiane Blanchard Nantes Metropole



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Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu






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Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu





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U











development














culture








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access to finance






















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recovery in Europe


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knowledge society












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fourth rail package

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social affairs































with young people






city news












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catering services



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events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu















culture








T















access to finance






















E




recovery in Europe


environment








T





























knowledge society












N

















mobility





fourth rail package

airports package






























social affairs































with young people






city news












O





catering services



complimentary WiFi



Meeting in Brussels








events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu









access to finance






















E




recovery in Europe


environment








T





























knowledge society












N

















mobility





fourth rail package

airports package






























social affairs































with young people






city news












O





catering services



complimentary WiFi



Meeting in Brussels








events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu





environment








T





























knowledge society












N

















mobility





fourth rail package

airports package






























social affairs































with young people






city news












O





catering services



complimentary WiFi



Meeting in Brussels








events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu












knowledge society












N

















mobility





fourth rail package

airports package






























social affairs































with young people






city news












O





catering services



complimentary WiFi



Meeting in Brussels








events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu









mobility





fourth rail package

airports package






























social affairs































with young people






city news












O





catering services



complimentary WiFi



Meeting in Brussels








events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu





social affairs































with young people






city news












O





catering services



complimentary WiFi



Meeting in Brussels








events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu






with young people






city news












O





catering services



complimentary WiFi



Meeting in Brussels








events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu





events











EUROCITIES


Tel +32 2 552 0888 Fax +32 2 552 0889


wwweurocitieseu




Eurocities flash 123 feb13

Documents

Transcript of Eurocities flash 123 feb13