'Brussels Declaration' signed by 40 major European cities: 'Mayors deserve a seat at the table'

At the initiative of Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels Region, and Ans Persoons, Secretary of State for Urban Planning and International Relations, the Brussels Region brought together 40 mayors and elected representatives from European cities and metropolises at the Egmont Palace on Wednesday, as well as European Commissioner Elisa Ferreira in charge of Cohesion and Reforms, the President of the Committee of the Regions, the President of the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development, representatives of European and international institutions, 5 city networks and associations to discuss the future of urban policy in Europe. This event is part of the official programme of the Belgian Presidency of the EU, in its urban policy dimension chaired and coordinated by the Brussels Region. The high-level meeting was crowned by the signing of a joint declaration by the mayors addressing the European institutions with concrete priorities and recommendations for a strong and ambitious EU urban policy during their next European mandate, following the elections in June.

“Cities are at the heart of the European project. With almost 3 out of 4 Europeans living in urban areas, cities are on the front line when it comes to meeting the challenges of the future, such as climate change, resilient public spaces, quality affordable housing, education and infrastructure, prosperity, social and health protection and access to culture. Thanks to the Brussels dimension of the Belgian Presidency of the EU, the voice of cities is now being heard. Together, with the 40 mayors who have signed this Declaration, we are putting the future of cities back at the heart of the debate. Over the next 6 months, Brussels will be the spokesperson for cities in defending their interests and priorities with the European institutions, particularly on the challenge of affordable, quality & sustainable housing. “explains Ans Persoons, Brussels Secretary of State for Urban Planning and European & International Relations.

© Kabinet Ans Persoons© Kabinet Ans Persoons

© Kabinet Ans Persoons© Kabinet Ans Persoons

© Kabinet Ans Persoons

© Kabinet Ans Persoons

Context:

More than half of the world's population now lives in urban areas, and the trend towards urbanisation continues to grow. It is estimated that by 2050, almost 83% of the world's population will live in cities. What's more, a large number of European policies have a direct impact on cities in their application. It is therefore imperative that the urban dimension is more fully integrated at European level.

Throughout the Belgian Presidency of the EU, the Brussels Region will be defending a policy in which major cities play a role as partners and driving forces in achieving the objectives they share with the EU.

"Brussels Declaration", a joint declaration by cities on the future of the EU:

The "Brussels Declaration" signed by European mayors on Wednesday is a key element of the urban policy component of the Belgian Presidency of the EU.

Written following a co-construction process bringing together the main European cities and all the major city networks, this Declaration is the result of intense discussions and exchanges initiated in June 2023 at the Brussels Urban Summit organised in Brussels.

Conceived as a synopsis of the major issues facing European cities and the tools they need to act as the driving force behind European construction and policies, the Brussels Declaration sets out the political issues facing cities and formulates priorities and recommendations for the attention of the European institutions for their future mandate (2024-2029). The mayors are calling for an EU commissioner for urban policy in the next legislature.

To date, the declaration has been signed by 40 major cities from 19 Member States across Europe. A number of city mayors came to the official signing ceremony, which took place in the prestigious and symbolic setting of the Egmont Palace, usually reserved for ministerial meetings during the Belgian Presidency.

Among them were the mayor of Helsinki, Juhana Vartiainen, the mayor of Budapest, Gergely Szilveszteer Karàcsony, the mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svoboda, the mayor of Rotterdam, Ahmed Aboutaleb, the mayor of Strasbourg, Jeanne Barseghian, the mayor of Tallinn, Mihhail Kõlvart, the mayor of Zaragoza, Natalia Chueca and the mayor of Braga, represented by Ricardo Rio. A large number of mayors from other cities across the EU, as well as city associations, have already expressed their will to join the list of signatories.

“The Brussels Region is playing an active role in this 13th Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU, particularly through this high-level meeting devoted to the future of the Union's urban policy. This presidency is an opportunity for us to recall the importance of cities and metropolises in the construction of Europe. With this declaration, Brussels will act as the spokesperson for European cities to the European institutions over the coming months. I am convinced that a strengthened dialogue and partnership between the EU and its cities will help us to meet our common challenges and objectives in terms of economic, social and territorial cohesion, climate, innovation and housing. During this Presidency, the people of Brussels and the many visitors to our capital will also be able to take advantage of a very rich offer of public and cultural events putting Europe in the spotlight, in the heart of its capital." declares Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Brussels Region.

What the cities are asking the EU:

With this declaration, the European mayors and urban networks call for an ambitious European urban policy and present 4 fundamental priorities for cities and 6 recommendations to the European institutions for the EU's 2024-2029 mandate.

The 4 priorities:

The 6 recommendations:

This event provided an opportunity to launch an initial constructive dialogue with the European institutions on these six recommendations. This dialogue should continue throughout the Belgian Presidency of the EU.

And after that?

It was important to begin the Presidency in urban affairs with this event and the signing of the Brussels Declaration. The Brussels Region now has a roadmap common to many European cities, which it will be able to promote and defend throughout the Belgian Presidency.

More specifically, in the coming weeks and months, Brussels will continue this momentum by encouraging more and more European cities to sign the Declaration. The priorities and recommendations will also be taken to other events organised by cities during the Presidency, such as the Summit of Cities and Regions organised by the Committee of the Regions in Mons in March, or the next conference of the European Forum for Urban Safety (EFUS) in Brussels.

Brussels will also ensure that it supports the Declaration's priorities at the many other meetings organised under the Presidency, at a more technical level, such as meetings of planning agencies, the "urban agenda laboratory", etc.

Lastly, the signing and follow-up of this declaration is also a clear signal for the forthcoming elections: the cities and networks will be closely monitoring what the Commission and Parliament do with their recommendations, particularly with regard to priority no. 1 on the issue of affordable, quality and sustainable housing, a real challenge for European cities.

"European cities count! They play a major role in making European policies a reality on the ground, from the digital transition to the green economy. This is why European Cohesion Policy is devoting a historically high €24 billion to sustainable urban development strategies throughout the European Union during the 2021-2027 financial programming period. Local leaders have a key role to play in shaping policy, and we must ensure that the voice of cities and mayors is heard to enable cities of all sizes to develop their full potential." says Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms.

More information on the Belgian Presidency of the EU on urban policy: www.perspective.brussels

For a complete overview of the Brussels Region's official programme during the Belgian Presidency, see https://international.brussels/belgian-eu-presidency-2024.