What began just one year ago as a call for stronger urban representation in the EU has rapidly grown into a visible force in European politics: the Eurocities Shadow Commission. Conceived to mirror the European Commission’s College of Commissioners, while reflecting the realities and ambitions of Europe’s cities, it has become a platform where mayors act as direct political counterparts to EU leaders.
Today, the Eurocities Shadow Commission is both a symbol and a tool ensuring that the voices of the 75% of Europeans living in cities are heard in Brussels and Strasbourg.
A year of milestones
The launch of the Eurocities Shadow Commission in July 2024 was more than an organisational step; it was a political statement. “As the new leaders of the EU take office, the Eurocities Shadow Commission will ensure our voices are heard. Together, we will build a more inclusive, sustainable and dynamic Europe,” declared Burkhard Jung, Mayor of Leipzig and then President of the Shadow Commission.
With each portfolio co-led by one man and one woman, the Commission embodies gender balance while bringing together city leaders on the urgent issues of our time, from climate neutrality to housing, democracy, migration, and digital rights.
The Shadow Commissioners’ first major event was the European Mayors Summit in Strasbourg, where over 90 mayors and deputy mayors met Members of the European Parliament and its President Roberta Metsola.
The moment was historic: city leaders presented their 10 priorities for European citizens and cities, a roadmap for the 2024-2029 EU mandate. Rooted in democracy, inclusion, and sustainability, these priorities set out cities’ expectations for Europe’s future.
As Jung put it: “Cities must play a central part in formulating EU policy. The issues we are confronted with, be it through the rise of populism, the effects of climate change, refugee integration, or health threats, all require EU-level solutions that are implemented locally.”
In June 2025, Eurocities Shadow Commissioners gathered again at the Eurocities Annual Conference in Braga to reflect on their first months of work and chart their way forward. The meeting was not only an occasion to celebrate early successes, but also to reinforce joint advocacy on the most pressing European policy files.
Messages carried to Brussels
Nine months into the new European Commission’s mandate, the Eurocities Shadow Commissioners had already sat down with almost every relevant European Commissioner; most in bilateral meetings. Each encounter became a chance to carry the core message of cities: Europe needs a genuine partnership with local governments if it is to deliver for its citizens.
This direct advocacy was reinforced through carefully coordinated letters to Commissioners and MEPs, ensuring that the same priorities echoed across both personal encounters and written interventions.
When Eurocities Shadow Commissioners met EU Executive Vice-President Raffaele Fitto, Eurocities President Mathias De Clercq stressed that cities must have a real seat at the table in shaping EU laws and managing EU funds.
Meeting Euroepean Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera and European Commissioner Jessika Roswall, mayors including Margot Roose, Sharon Dijksma and (former mayor) Minna Arve, highlighted the need to keep climate neutrality, social cohesion, and competitiveness high on the EU agenda, calling for reforms that do not water down ambition, but empower local delivery.
The cultural and social dimensions of Europe’s future were also front and centre. When Shadow Commissioners Dejan Crnek, Nicole Yardeni, and Eileen O’Sullivan met Commissioner Glenn Micallef, they emphasised that youth and culture are not peripheral, but central, to Europe’s democracy and resilience.
At the European Parliament’s REGI Committee, Sharon Dijksma, Mayor of Utrecht and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Cohesion Policy, was unequivocal: “Cities are at the core of economic and social development in the EU. Cities cannot be side-lined when it comes to critical EU investment tools.” Her call for direct access to funding echoed the broader demand of mayors across Europe for a new financial framework that matches local ambition.
Standing firm in our values
If there was ever a test of solidarity, it came in spring 2025. When Istanbul’s Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was arrested, Europe’s mayors spoke with one voice. Burkhard Jung declared: “European mayors stand side by side with the Mayor of Istanbul. His detention is the latest in a series of actions aimed at undermining his role as mayor. Turkey must uphold democratic principles.” The Eurocities Shadow Commission thus proved itself not only as an advocacy body, but as a rallying cry for others, and guardian of democratic values.
The Cities Social Summit at the European Parliament provided another moment of clarity. With over €15 billion already invested by cities to strengthen social rights, mayors demanded that the EU keep housing, childcare, and poverty reduction at the top of its agenda. Florence’s Mayor Sara Funaro, Shadow Commissioner for Social Inclusion, summed it up: “Investing in people is not just the right thing to do, it’s the smartest investment Europe can make. But we can’t do it alone, we need streamlined and direct access to EU funding.”
The summit also celebrated the 100th pledge under the Inclusive Cities for All campaign, showing the depth of local commitment to the European Pillar of Social Rights. It was a milestone that underlined how the Shadow Commission is helping to connect political advocacy with tangible local action.
A strong public voice
The influence of the Eurocities Shadow Commission has not been confined to closed meeting rooms. Over the past year, Shadow Commissioners have also shaped Europe’s public debates, using their voices in leading media outlets to ensure the urban perspective resonates across the continent.
On migration, Simona Bieliūnė, Vice-Mayor of Vilnius, and Rutger Groot Wassink, Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam, serving as Eurocities Shadow Commissioners for Welcoming Cities, raised the alarm in Euronews and Lithuanian media that new EU migration rules risk neglecting cities’ role and failing to uphold human rights. Their message was clear: fair and effective migration policy requires drawing on the daily experience of local governments.
Digital inclusion, another cornerstone of Europe’s future, was highlighted by Faouzi Achbar, Vice-Mayor of Rotterdam and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Digital Inclusion, in The Parliament Magazine, underlining how cities are closing the digital divide and championing rights in the digital transition.
Food systems, too, were placed in the spotlight. Anna Scavuzzo, Vice-Mayor of Milan, and David Dessers, then Deputy Mayor of Leuven, and Eurocities Shadow Commissioners for Sustainable Food Systems, authored a series of pieces in EU Reporter and ARC2020 calling for Europe to embrace cities’ pioneering role in building sustainable, fair, and resilient food chains.
Eurocities Shadow Commissioners for Housing, Kathrin Gaál, Deputy Mayor of Vienna, and Renaud Payre, Vice-President of Lyon Metropole, made the case in Euronews that Europe’s housing crisis cannot be solved without cities at the heart of the solution.
Culture was also given prominence: Annette Christie, Deputy Mayor of Glasgow and Shadow Commissioner for Gender Equality, argued in EU Reporter that culture is a catalyst for sustainable urban futures, reminding Europe that cultural life is integral to both democracy and resilience.
And on climate, Minna Arve, Mayor of Turku and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Climate Resilience, and Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdansk and Shadow Commissioner for Climate Finance, contributed to Financial Times Sustainable Views with a bold argument that Europe must adopt a 2040 climate target and that cities are ready to deliver on it.
Finally, the leadership of the Eurocities Shadow Commission itself spoke out. In The Parliament Magazine, Burkhard Jung, Mathias De Clercq, Ricardo Rio, and Jeanne Barseghian called for Europe’s cities to be fully brought into the debate on the EU budget. Their article reinforced the central demand of the year: that the next Multiannual Financial Framework must empower cities, not overlook them.
Taken together, these interventions amount to more than commentary. They are a demonstration of how mayors, through the Eurocities Shadow Commission, have become a recognised political voice in Europe’s biggest policy debates amplifying their local experience into European solutions.
Looking ahead
As negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034) loom, the role of the Eurocities Shadow Commission has never been more vital. Cities face risks of being side-lined in budget discussions even as major climate policies risk dilution. The Shadow Commissioners’ task is clear: ensure that Europe’s urban leaders are not only heard, but that they shape the decisions that affect every citizen.
One year on, the Eurocities Shadow Commission stands as proof that when cities unite, they can amplify their impact in Europe’s corridors of power. It is a celebration of achievements, but also a pledge for the future: to keep democracy strong, to keep social justice alive, and to keep climate ambition at the centre of Europe’s path forward.
Because Europe’s future will be decided in its cities. And through the Shadow Commission, those cities now have a stronger voice than ever before.
