City leaders have reacted positively to today’s announcement of the first-ever EU Policy Agenda for Cities, stating that it is strong recognition of cities’ role in delivering Europe’s priorities.
At the same time, they warn that without stronger guarantees for cities on EU funding, governance and regulatory coordination, the new framework risks falling short of its potential.
Eurocities and its members have long called for a consolidated EU Cities Agenda that brings together the many initiatives touching on cities into a clearer, more strategic framework.
The new Cities Agenda, announced by Raffaele Fitto, EU Executive Vice-President for Cohesion and Reforms, responds to that call by setting out a unified vision for Europe’s cities and introducing new tools, including EU–city dialogues and an EU Cities Platform. These are expected to strengthen cities’ role in EU policymaking and bring coherence to the fragmented landscape of EU city initiatives.
However, city leaders remain concerned that the agenda does not yet give city governments sufficient certainty on how EU funds will reach them in the next seven-year EU budget.
What cities wanted – and what the agenda gets right
Ahead of today’s announcement, Eurocities and its member cities set out a common position on what they needed from the EU Cities Agenda.
They called for cities to be recognised as full partners in EU policymaking, for stronger multi-level governance, for clearer and more direct access to funding, and for a robust capacity-building and city–science framework to help local governments deliver on EU priorities.
From an initial reading of the new Agenda, cities see several important steps that mark a clear advance in EU support.
The text acknowledges the central role of cities in achieving the European Green Deal, strengthening competitiveness, driving digital transformation and promoting social cohesion, and that EU support must reflect this reality.
“Europe has finally put in writing what reality has long made clear: without its cities, Europe has no competitiveness strategy and no credible path to sustainable growth,” states Daniel Sazonov, Mayor of Helsinki and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Industry and Competitiveness.
The idea of bringing together city-related programmes, funds and initiatives in a single Cities Platform is also a step towards a more coherent and accessible approach. For this ambitious initiative to become a reality, it must be supported by strong political leadership and internal coordination from all of the European Commission’s services.
In addition, the agenda signals a more strategic way for EU leaders to work with cities, including one political dialogue a year, stronger coordination across European Commission services, better regulatory cooperation with local governments and closer links between EU missions, expert groups and city networks.
“EU laws are not shaped only in Brussels meeting rooms, they take life in our streets, our schools, and our neighbourhoods,” says Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg and Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Local Europe. “That’s why cities should be recognised as genuine partners in developing European legislation, not merely consulted at the final stage.
“Regular, structured dialogues with EU institutions are an encouraging step forward, and my city will be following them closely to ensure that our on-the-ground experience truly informs EU decision-making.”
These elements confirm that the European Commission has listened to cities’ concerns and is willing to move towards a more partnership-based model. City leaders stand ready to make the most of this new framework.
The gaps: funding, capacity and regulatory coordination
Eurocities’ initial assessment also points to several gaps that need to be addressed if the new framework is to have real impact on the ground.
Funding remains the critical missing piece. The draft has done little to ease local leaders’ worries over the Commission’s plan to let national governments manage the distribution of funds to cities in the bloc’s next seven-year EU budget. Cities welcome references to the better use of existing EU programmes, but stress that encouragement alone is not enough.
Local governments have spent months sounding the alarm, as such a measure would give national governments increased control over the EU budget’s proposed national and regional partnership plans and does not earmark minimum amounts for urban development expenditures.
Based on previous experience of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), city leaders know that without clear earmarking, urban chapters in national and regional plans, and predictable access to resources, city governments risk once again being left dependent on decisions taken at national level.
“For the cities agenda to have real impact at local level, we need more than good intentions,” says André Sobczak, Secretary General of Eurocities. “This includes safeguards for cities in the next MFF, and a direct funding stream to show how this promise will become a reality.”
On governance, cities see progress but want the structure to be improved. One EU dialogue per year with cities is a positive step, but on its own it may not be sufficient to deal with the complexity of EU legislation and programmes affecting cities. Eurocities has proposed long-standing thematic boards linked to an overall Urban Sounding Board that can escalate cross-cutting issues and ensure consistent follow-up across Commission services.
A clearer explanation of how the new Agenda interacts with the existing Urban Agenda for the EU would also help. In the past, some Urban Agenda partnerships struggled to influence sectoral policies because of uneven engagement from different European Commission services. Cities want the new Agenda to ensure that lessons from these partnerships turn into strong regulatory changes and support for local implementation.
The internal capacity of the Commission is another concern. City leaders will be watching closely to see how the European Commission organises the agenda’s implementation, including inter-service coordination and dedicated teams working on cities.
For Eurocities, creating a strong internal ‘home’ for urban matters in the Commission is essential if the agenda is to drive change rather than remain a political statement.
What cities need next
As negotiations turn to how the Cities Agenda will be implemented and linked to the next EU budget for 2028-2034, city leaders now call on the European Parliament and the Council to reinforce its delivery.
They stress that the agenda must be backed by concrete follow-up: targeted funding, streamlined programmes, better access to data and evidence, and capacity-building offers that respond to real municipal needs rather than generic training.
“Now EU member states must match their rhetoric with action, giving cities the tools, mandate, and investment we need to drive a greener, more inclusive and more innovative Europe,” states Daniel Sazonov.
For Eurocities, the test will be simple: whether the new EU Policy Agenda for Cities helps local governments do more, faster, to improve the quality of life of their residents.
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Read in full the new EU Policy Agenda for Cities, titled Driving Growth and Prosperity.
