EIB’s emerging response to the Urban Agenda – meeting in Strasbourg on September 15th
ing in Strasbourg on september 15th
Last meeting of the URBAN Intergroup at the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday September 15th, was devoted to the presentation of the European Investment Bank’s emerging response to the Urban Agenda.
At the beginning of the meeting, Gerry Muscat, Head of Urban Development Division, stressed that the European Investment Bank (EIB) actively participated in the consultations of the Pact of Amsterdam. He explained that the Urban Agenda constitutes “a set of principles” which guides the EIB lending for cities, “a framework” to help the EIB providing better urban financing and advice and “a stimulus” to focus the EIB attention on urban issues.
Moreover, it has been recalled that in the Pact of Amsterdam, Ministers invite the EIB to help develop better funding approaches in the urban context, contribute to the partnerships (especially better funding and better knowledge), and to reflect – where relevant – the outcomes of the Urban Agenda for the EU in its urban lending, grant-loan blending and advisory services.
Presentation of the State of European Cities Report – meeting in Brussels on September 6th
Members and partners of the URBAN Intergroup had an opportunity to learn more about the State of European Cities Report during the last extraordinary meeting in Brussels on September 6th.
In introduction, Paulius Kulikauskas, Chief of the UN-HABITAT Office for Europe and European institutions, briefly presented the cooperation between UN-HABITAT and DG REGIO in drafting this joint report. As he mentioned, the report marks an important milestone in demonstrating how the experience of the EU could be shared with the spirit of the New Urban Agenda with other parts of the world.
