Informal Meeting of EU Ministers Responsible for Urban Matters: 14 June

EU Ministers Responsible for Urban Matters will be in Bucharest at the Palace of Parliament on 14 June, for an informal meeting. Event – hosted and chaired by Romanian Deputy Prime-Minister, Minister of Regional Development and Public Administration, Vasile-Daniel Suciu – takes place under Romania’s EU Council Presidency and will be attended by European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu.

Informal meeting aims to adopt a set of ministerial conclusions in the form of the Bucharest Declaration „Towards a common framework for urban development in the European Union“. Document seeks to reach political agreement in order to initiate activities conducive to a strategic framework for the European Union, through implementing and following up on the Urban Agenda for the European Union, aligning it with review of Leipzig Charter, as well as through ensuring coordination among the different initiatives included in the Urban Agenda.

First session is dedicated to main achievements of Urban Agenda for the European Union, an innovative mechanism to enhance multilevel governance. Cities and urban areas play important role in delivering on EU priorities and the urban development has strong potential to contribute to the territorial cohesion of the European Union, by creating positive externalities beyond urban areas. Urban Agenda for the European Union has brought about vertical and horizontal cooperation among EU Member States, European institutions and all relevant stakeholders, by bringing cities and their representative organisations at European level to the same table and giving them a voice during discussions.

Second session will be dedicated to Bucharest Declaration – „Towards a common framework for urban development in the European Union“ and will also include a presentation of the Report on the „Future of Cities“, drawn up by the Joint Research Centre, the Commission’s science and knowledge service.

Informal ministerial meetings are a regular practice during each Presidency of Council of the EU, in order to provide the appropriate framework for a common reflection and informal exchange of views on topics of interest at European and international level.

Source:Romania2019.eu