Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona

The European Metropolitan Authorities EMA co-organizes a session with the METREX network on "Promoting the Urban and Metropolitan Dimension of European Policies."

This session takes place in Brussels on January 24 as part of the high-level conference "An Appropriate European Urban Policy for the Future" organized under the auspices of the Belgian Presidency of the European Union. More than 40 mayors, presidents, and representatives from metropolises across Europe, as well as representatives from European institutions and city networks, are participating.

The EMA, represented by Mrs. Schuurmans-Wijdeven, the mayor of Haarlemmermeer in the Metropolitan Area of Amsterdam MRA will also participate in an international press conference with other European networks. The MRA will host the EMA forum, the ninth edition taking place on November 21 this year.

Urban and metropolitan challenges

This event in Brussels provides a unique opportunity for the EMA to amplify the metropolitan voice with the support of the Belgian EU Presidency. During the event, several mayors, presidents, and European political representatives will sign a political declaration emphasizing the importance of urban and metropolitan policies for the future of Europe.

The political declaration outlines the urban and metropolitan challenges that European policies should incorporate and establishes priorities for achieving fairer, more sustainable, and productive metropolises.

The highlighted actions to address these priorities include the promotion of sustainable, affordable, and quality housing; the fight against gender inequality and the promotion of social inclusion; the battle against climate change, re-naturalization, and biodiversity recovery; and the development of a safe, sustainable, and inclusive mobility policy.

The document concludes with a set of recommendations for the European political mandate 2024-2029, aiming to integrate metropolitan challenges into European policies.