The BMA brings together european large cities and metropolitan areas to call for a greater role in the european union and the states
| Subject: AMB
The European Metropolitan Authorities Conference brought to Barcelona the mayors and presidents of some of the major cities and metropolitan areas of Europe. The day concluded with the reading of the Barcelona Declaration, which calls on the European Union and the states to give a greater role and more funding to metropolitan governments
Today, March 13, representatives of European cities and metropolitan areas met in Barcelona for the first European Metropolitan Authorities Conference organized by the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (BMA), which discussed different models of governance, cooperation between cities, and regional competitiveness. This grouping of local governments aims to establish itself as a pressure group to promote political initiatives of excellence in local public sector management in national and European institutions and organizations.
The meeting brought together political representatives of 16 cities belonging to 10 countries, in addition to the OECD and the global and European networks of cities UCLG, Metropolis, Eurocities, METREX, the FMDV and Medcities. This presence will increase the dissemination and impact of the event in other metropolises in Europe and the rest of the world.
Two roundtable discussions were held. The first, entitled "Towards a Europe of metropolises / cooperation between the metropolises", featured the head of urban policy of the OECD and the political representatives of Vienna, Liverpool, Toulouse Métropole, Brussels Capital Region and Paris.
The second, entitled "Competitiveness and social inclusion in metropolitan areas", featured Xavier Trias mayor of Barcelona and chair of the BMA. Other participants were the mayor of Turin, the mayor of Warsaw, the mayor of Oslo-Akhersus Region, the president of Rennes Métropole and the first vice-president of Paris Métropole.
The 2015 Barcelona Declaration was thus approved. It is a manifesto with 10 points calling for cooperation between cities, transfer of knowledge and experiences and a request to the European Union for differential treatment in the management of funding in the European budget for 2014-2020 and after 2020. The next conference of European Metropolitan Authorities will be held in Turin in 2016.
This conference is motivated by the importance of urban development for local governance at a socio-economic, geographical and environmental level. It is also motivated by the forecast made by UN Habitat: In 2025 the world population will be around 8,000 million and two-thirds will live in the cities, especially large cities and metropolitan areas. In the European context, around 359 million people (72% of the total EU population) live in large cities and metropolitan areas and in 2050 the figure is expected to exceed 80%.
It is in contemporary metropolises that all the needs and interests of citizens are expressed. Therefore, institutions such as the European Union, the United Nations and the OECD increasingly incorporate the metropolitan dimension. Currently there are around 120 large cities and metropolitan areas in Europe. Countries such as France and Italy have started to create new metropolitan areas that will affect their territorial governance.
Large cities and metropolitan areas also show the highest national rates of economic growth, innovation and job creation in a generalized situation of crisis and austerity in public finances. According to Eurostat, 85% of European GDP is concentrated in cities.
The meeting brought together political representatives of 16 cities belonging to 10 countries, in addition to the OECD and the global and European networks of cities UCLG, Metropolis, Eurocities, METREX, the FMDV and Medcities. This presence will increase the dissemination and impact of the event in other metropolises in Europe and the rest of the world.
Two roundtable discussions were held. The first, entitled "Towards a Europe of metropolises / cooperation between the metropolises", featured the head of urban policy of the OECD and the political representatives of Vienna, Liverpool, Toulouse Métropole, Brussels Capital Region and Paris.
The second, entitled "Competitiveness and social inclusion in metropolitan areas", featured Xavier Trias mayor of Barcelona and chair of the BMA. Other participants were the mayor of Turin, the mayor of Warsaw, the mayor of Oslo-Akhersus Region, the president of Rennes Métropole and the first vice-president of Paris Métropole.
The 2015 Barcelona Declaration was thus approved. It is a manifesto with 10 points calling for cooperation between cities, transfer of knowledge and experiences and a request to the European Union for differential treatment in the management of funding in the European budget for 2014-2020 and after 2020. The next conference of European Metropolitan Authorities will be held in Turin in 2016.
This conference is motivated by the importance of urban development for local governance at a socio-economic, geographical and environmental level. It is also motivated by the forecast made by UN Habitat: In 2025 the world population will be around 8,000 million and two-thirds will live in the cities, especially large cities and metropolitan areas. In the European context, around 359 million people (72% of the total EU population) live in large cities and metropolitan areas and in 2050 the figure is expected to exceed 80%.
It is in contemporary metropolises that all the needs and interests of citizens are expressed. Therefore, institutions such as the European Union, the United Nations and the OECD increasingly incorporate the metropolitan dimension. Currently there are around 120 large cities and metropolitan areas in Europe. Countries such as France and Italy have started to create new metropolitan areas that will affect their territorial governance.
Large cities and metropolitan areas also show the highest national rates of economic growth, innovation and job creation in a generalized situation of crisis and austerity in public finances. According to Eurostat, 85% of European GDP is concentrated in cities.
