The Local Alliance – eight leading networks of European cities and regions, including Eurocities – has published three new position papers showing why local and regional governments must be recognised as key partners in the implementation of the next EU budget (Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034).
The three papers have been published as the European Commission prepares to unveil its proposal for the next EU budget. The papers, which the local Alliance has which has submitted the papers to the Commission’s budget consultation, present several recommendations to make the next EU budget a powerful tool of change that benefits everyone in Europe. Read them here:
- Reinforcing European industry’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy through a place-based approach
- Better Reforms: Reinventing public support for a grounded Europe
- Shared governance of strategies, priorities and policies for an efficient use of EU Budget and implementation of EU priorities
The papers state that cities and regions are not just policy implementers of EU policy, they are the backbone of Europe’s prosperity, responsible for 70% of Green Deal legislation and 69% of climate-related public investment.
They make it clear that Europe faces monumental challenges, from climate change to economic resilience. The path to a competitive, cohesive, and climate-neutral Europe runs through its cities and regions.
The papers also underline the need for closer collaboration across all levels of government, explaining that this is essential to achieve a prosperous Europe, where people want to live, work and thrive.
In the submissions, the Local Alliance calls for three critical reforms to ensure the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) delivers real results:
- Make multilevel governance a core principle by going beyond the current shared management and partnership principle.
- Reinforce Europe’s industrial competitiveness and strategic autonomy through a place-based approach, rooted in all our cities and regions no matter where in Europe.
- Root the EU project in our cities and regions by designing a better reform agenda across levels of government – together.
The members of the Local Alliance are: Association of Cities and Regions for sustainable Resource management (ACR+); The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR); Climate Alliance; Energy Cities; Eurocities; FEDARENE; ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability; and POLIS.
