At the eve of the end of the European Parliament mandate, the members of the Urban-Logement Intergroup present their final assessment report.
With more than 90 partners and 70 MEP, the Urban-Logement Intergroup has become a true power of persuasion within the European Parliament in the field of urban policy.
Due to the promotion of better Governance, an integrated approach and the exchange of good practices, it has given a lift to urban policy in Europe.
Since 2005, the Intergroup has developed an efficient and integrated European sustainable urban policy to resolve issues of European cities like air pollution, urban mobility, social exclusion and access to Housing.
The final assessment report of the Urban-Logement Intergroup
Presentation of the Book "Bâtir des villes durables"
April, 15th 2009.
Jean-Marie Beaupuy, MEP and President of the Urban-Logement Intergroup, presented his book "Bâtir des villes durables" at Protocole Room of the European Parliament. Many partners were there.
His colleagues Gérard Onesta and Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, Vice- Presidents of the European Parliament, congratulated him on his book and also on his excellent work within Regional Policy during this legislature.
The Urban-Logement Intergroup enjoys adoption of an Action Plan on Urban Mobility by the European Parliament.
More than 80% European citizens live in urban areas. In this way, the European Parliament has repeated its request of an Action Plan on Urban Transport on 23rd April in Strasbourg.
Jean-Marie BEAUPUY, MEP and President of the European Parliament, regrets that no Action Plan has been proposed by the European Commission. The European Commission has promised to propose an Action Plan for the end of 2008.
This initiative report was prepared by Gilles SAVARY, MEP. It promotes development of Clean Transport in urban area. To achieve this objective, this report stresses the importance to :
- carry out Research and Development, Innovation and Exchange of Good Practices
- promote an Integrated Approach in the field of Urban Transport
- establish a European financial specific tool
- improve Systems Interoperability, Standardization and quality of public Transport.
The opening of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for energy efficient renovation in low-income households - just a drop in the bucket ?
April 17th 2009
Two weeks after the European Parliament adopted a new regulation which makes energy efficient renovations for low-income households eligible, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung and the International Union of Tenants (IUT) organized an expert roundtable entitled "Decent Housing for a Social Europe - Could European Structural funds be the answer for the Eastern European Housing Sector ?".
Eligibility of ERDF for energy efficiency and renewable operations in affordable housing
Members of the Intergroup Urban-Logement enjoy the adoption by the European Parliament of the ERDF regulation related to the energy efficiency and use of renewable energy in Housing for low-income households.
True power of persuasion within the European Parliament, our Intergroup is committed to make sure that this new rule will be efficiently implemented by Member States of the European Union. In this way, members of the Intergroup Urban-Logement have sent a letter to all Ministers for Housing, territorial cohesion and Energy from the 27 Member States.
In this letter, the Urban Housing Intergroup asks Ministers to develop the necessary frame in the coming weeks for a swift and efficient implementation of this new opportunity. They believe that it cannot be done without an improved governance of the funds and reinforced partnership with intermediary and community-based organisations, as well as key local stakeholders such as social housing providers.
Dinner Debate on Sustainable Architecture and the Built Environment
On the 1st April 2009 the Architects’ Council of Europe (ACE) co-organised with the Intergroup Urban.Logement of the European Parliament a Dinner Debate that was held in Brussels. The Event was attended by 27 persons including four Members of the European Parliament and many highly placed Officials within the European Commission and other European Institutions and Professional Organisations.
At the meeting three presentations was made. The first by the President of the ACE, Juhani Katainen, the second by Rob Docter, President of the European Forum for Architectural Policies (EFAP) and the third by Jean-Marie Beaupuy, President of the European Parliament Intergroup Urban-Logement. Following the presentations there was a debate animated by the Secretary General of the ACE, Alain Sagne.
Jean-Marie Beaupuy, MEP (France), President of the Intergroup Urban-Logement of the European Parliament, referred to the structure of the Intergroup and its work over the past five years. He expressed the hope that the Intergroup will be re-established in the new Parliament and that the relationships it has developed, particularly with architects and urbanists, will strengthen so as to be able to address all aspects of city living together
About 500 regional authorities and more than 250 regions participated to the European Summit of Regions and cities, organized by the Committee of the Regions and the city of Prague.
On the eve of the Spring European Summit and the G20 Meeting in London, all local and regional elected people send a message of unity, solidarity, competitiveness and accountability to the European Commission and Member States. They demanded implementation of a coordinated approach in a context of economic crisis.
During this Summit, they promoted unity of all European territories to return to the path of balanced growth. In this way, the Committee of the Regions asserted necessity to integrate all cities and European regions and not only the most disadvantaged cities.
Moreover, they are in favour of the Treaty of Lisbon’s application, an ambitious reform of the budget, a renewed Lisbon strategy for after 2010 and a solid European Regional Policy., which would take into account effects of the current crisis for the implementation of European Structural Funds after 2013. To face the challenge of economic crisis and its social consequences at local level, all local and regional elected people are ready to take their responsibilities in partnership with the institutional actors.
This Summit allowed Regions and Local communities to mobilize in favour of following European elections.
Finally, at the end of this Summit, Luc Van den Brande, the President of the Committee of the Regions, presented his conclusions. He declared that Europe should be developed within the framework of an integrated approach and a partenarial and multi-level governance.
