WELCOME SPEECH FOR COR PRESIDENT MARKKU MARKKULA COR FORUM ON THE EU URBAN AGENDA WESTERGASFABRIEK AMSTERDAM 30 MAY 2016

Dear Mayor van der Laan, esteemed guests, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, It gives me great pleasure to open today's Forum on the EU Urban Agenda. I'd like to firstly take this opportunity to thank our partners - the Association of Netherlands Municipalities, the Association of the Provinces of the Netherlands, as well as the City of Amsterdam and the Province of Noord-Holland - for their cooperation in preparing this important event. Cities are the world's driving force Our towns, cities and urban are the driving force not only in the European Union but across the world. Today nearly three-quarters of citizens live in our cities and the numbers grow each day. And with good reason. Our urban areas are renowned for sparking innovation.

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For being hubs of creativity offering a space for leading cultural and social transformation. The pull of people is of course more often than not linked to new jobs, new careers, new prospects and new lives. Amsterdam is a shining example of just this: a city recognised across the globe for its economic strengthen, rich cultural heritage and innovative thinking. Only last month I had the pleasure to join the EU Commissioner for Innovation to award Amsterdam as the European Capital of Innovation 2016. A city that inspires, creates and leads. Westergasfabriek – example of changes If we take a second to look around at this magnificent setting - the Westergasfabriek – which is an old Gas factory built in XIXth century and closed in 1967. This reflects precisely what cities represent: places that are able to revitalise and develop. Yet the rapid growth of urbanisation brings with it difficult and complex challenges: social deprivation, over stretched public services, pollution and pressure on housing. Facing challenges in partnership But as with this building, success lies in the ability to change and transform. To effectively respond to new challenges. Despite the national and local differences that we see across Europe, most of these challenges facing cities are shared. For me, the answer lies in one word: partnership. Sharing knowledge, co-creating policy and working together is the only way forward if we are to find answers to some of these major societal facing not only our urban areas, but our world. From climate change to community integration, we need to have a shift in mind-set that takes an innovative approach to policy making. The

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urban dimension is part of this change and must be incorporated into every level of policy making and governance. We need to stretch the limit of our thoughts, expertise and skills. That also means looking past city boundary walls. We need to work with other cities and towns whether they are nearby or in a different country. We need to look at the broader picture taking into account the surrounding peri-urban and rural areas, which cities are so closely intertwined economic, socially and environmentally. The urban dimension cannot be thought of alone This is why our Committee has always championed the establishment of an Urban Agenda for the EU. In practise this means taking an integrated approach to EU policy and legislation that affects our towns, cities and urban areas. It is clear that there is growing disillusionment in the EU with many claiming that regulation restricts rather drives businesses and local governments. The Urban Agenda sets the EU down a new road: towards better, not more, regulation. This has been very much a priority of the Dutch Presidency which we must applauded for having placed this at the very heart of its political agenda. We need to build on this momentum to reignite faith in the European project. Urban Agenda – a new model for policy making The urban agenda has offered a new model for EU policy making. As regional and local leaders, we know what works and what doesn't. That is why the urban agenda also offers a model of policy-making that

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involves towns and cities, local and regional authorities, at every stage of policy and law creation. In parallel to our Forum, EU Ministers are currently adopting the Pact of Amsterdam which will formally establish the Urban Agenda for the EU. Today is therefore an important landmark for towns and cities all over Europe. It is hoped that it will provide an operational framework for cooperation to improve the urban dimension in EU policy making. It is the start of fostering a far more coordinated approach towards better regulation, better funding and better knowledge exchange. Pact of Amsterdam is only the beginning However, let us be very clear: the Pact of Amsterdam does not mean we have reached the finish line. On the contrary, it is only the beginning. It cannot become simply political rhetoric but needs common commitment and continuous endeavour by all actors concerned: EU institutions, Member States, cities and regions, civil society and other stakeholders alike. It therefore gives me great pleasure to see such a large attendance here today: more than 400 representatives from local and regional authorities, EU institutions, Member States and stakeholders ready to discuss the next steps needed to implement the Urban Agenda and to improve the urban dimension in policy making. The first next stop in this process will happen in our CoR Bratislava Summit of 8-9 July where we’ll debate the way investments should be boosted in regions and cities.

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The implementation of the Urban Agenda will be addressed since several of our confirmed speakers are coming from capital cities of EU member states (such as Vienna, Prague, Bratislava, Sofia, The Hague) but also from smaller and medium cities (for instance Santander and Nitra). We also want to see more concretely how regional and local ecosystems contribute to the creation of jobs and sustainable growth. You will see distributed during this Forum a preview of our future Guide on Regional Innovation Ecosystems. I was happy to see so many CoR members contributing alongside several EU Commissioners and other operators on the ground. What we will discuss today Today's workshops will provide a platform to discuss fundamental questions of how cities can stimulate innovation and economic growth; how to create more jobs; how to make our cities sustainable; and how to overcome issues such as demographic change, the integration of migrants and deliver more affordable housing. It will be an opportunity to explore how our cities and surrounding rural areas can better cooperate and what the Urban Agenda can and must do to help. This afternoon the Dutch Minister for the Interior and Kingdom Relations, Ronald Plasterk, and the EU Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Creţu, will join us to report back on the outcome of today's Ministerial Meeting and discuss what must be done to bring the Urban Agenda to

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life – something that has been be the focus of the our report skilfully led by our colleague Hella Dunger-Löper. Today's discussion and the Pact of Amsterdam is only the start. We at the Committee have had some concerns about the level of ambition shown in the final Pact. Nevertheless, the approach that has been taken in launching the Urban Agenda is right: unravelling and integrating EU regulation to make it more effective to benefit our communities and actively involving everyone responsible for delivery – including local and regional leaders – in the process. What is now needed is a clear roadmap to move ahead. We need political commitment based on the principle of partnership to ensure the Urban Agenda has longevity. To build inclusive, innovative, sustainable and competitive cites of the future together. I look forward to the discussions today. Thank you very much for your attention!

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