How can local communities take part in shaping cities? The EU Urban Agenda is an opportunity, we discuss about it in Brussels on 14th December!

In order to better engage civil society organisations in the elaboration and implementation of the EU Urban Agenda process, the upcoming Dutch Presidency invited theEuropean Economic and Social Committee to express its opinion on this issue.

Within this framework, an opportunity is opened to discuss about the involvement of Community-Led Local Development 

If you want to join, register here.

PROGRAM

14.30 WELCOME ADDRESS AND INTRODUCTION

 Joost van Iersel, President of the ECO Section, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

Keynote speaker:

 Nicolaas Beets, Dutch Urban Envoy, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Netherlands

14.45 THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS IN THE EU URBAN AGENDA

Kick-off statement: Ivan Tosics, Principal, Metropolitan Research Institute

 Lambert van Nistelrooij, Vice-president of URBAN Intergroup, European Parliament

 Olivier Baudelet, Team leader in charge of urban policy, DG REGIO – European Commission

 Hella Dunger-Loper, Rapporteur of the opinion “Concrete steps for implementing the EU Urban Agenda”, Committee of the Regions (tbc)

 Barbara Steenbergen, Head of office, International Union of Tenants, member of EESC Liaison Group

Debate

16.00 THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A PARTNERSHIP-BASED EU URBAN AGENDA

Kick-off statement: Peter Ramsden, Pole Manager, URBACT

 Alberto Marchiori, Delegate for EU Policies, Confcommercio, Italy

 Claude Denagtergal, Advisor, European Trade Union Confederation

 Jan Olsson, Co-President, Reves – European Network of Cities and Regions for the Social Economy, delegate to the EESC’s Consultative Commission on Industrial Change

 Levente Polyak, Managing Director, Eutropian

Debate

17.30 CONCLUSIONS

Roman Haken, Rapporteur of the opinion “Future of the EU Urban Agenda”, EESC

18.00 SMALL RECEPTION