This working group coordinates our lobbying towards the EU institutions and member states on EU cohesion policy and structural funds, working to ensure a sufficient urban focus in regulatory frameworks and programmes for the period 2014-2020

Background:

The working group aims to ensure that the urban dimension is visible in debates surrounding the future of cohesion policy, budget and structural funds.

The community strategic guidelines and the national strategic reference frameworks provide a good basis for cities to contribute to European competitiveness and cohesion with support from the structural funds.

Objectives:

• lobbying for a strong and coherent focus on the urban dimension in the European cohesion policies and in the framework of the EU structural funds

• contributing to achieving a balance between efforts focusing on deprived areas with specific needs and areas of great potential in the spending of the structural funds

• focusing structural funding on sustainable urban development measures

• coordinating and supporting actions vis-à-vis national governments to promote a significant urban dimension in the management of the structural funds

• promoting the full involvement of cities in preparing the national strategic frameworks and the sub-delegation of urban measures to urban authorities

• promoting balance and flexibility in the structural funds regulations and supporting the introduction of simplified management procedures