EMA 2025
Descripción
This global gathering will bring together mayors, presidents, and political representatives from metropolitan areas around the world to explore key topics related to metropolitan governance and shared challenges, such as the housing crises in our metropolises. The summit will also serve as a platform to foster partnerships and engage in dialogue with European and international institutions and networks.
Provisional programme
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Tuesday 14 October 2025
18:00 – 19:15
EMA Political Meeting (upon invitation only)
Venue: Saló de Cent, Barcelona City Council (pl. de Sant Jaume, 1)20:00 – 22:00
EMA 10th anniversary oficial dinner (upon invitation only) -
Wednesday 15 October 2025
Joint plenary session
Venue: Saló de Cent, Barcelona City Council (pl. de Sant Jaume, 1)9:00 – 9:45 Registration
Welcome coffee
9:45 – 10:00 Moderator Welcome
10:00 – 10:20 Official welcome
Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona and President of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area10:20 – 10:40 UN-Habitat intervention
Anacláudia Rossbach, Executive Director of UN-Habitat (TBC)10:40 – 11:00 European Commission intervention
Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition (TBC)11:00 – 11:15 Political declaration signature
11:15 – 11:30 Group picture
11:30 – 12:45 Opening roundtable on metropolitan housing
12:45 – 12:55 EMA 10th anniversary: Momentum, Achievements and Future
Antonio Balmón, AMB Executive Vice-President and Mayor of Cornellà de Llobregat12:55 – 13:00 Closing of the joint plenary session
Jordi Castellana, Vice-President of International Relations and Digital Metropolis of the Barcelona Metropolitan Area13:00 – 14:00 Lunch
14:00 – 16:00 Parallel sessions and site visits
EMA discussions Roundtable 1
Metropolitan Dimension of European Policies and Programmes
Roundtable 2
Metropolitan Areas as Drivers of Innovation and Digital Transformation Site visits Site visit 1:El Prat de Llobregat Water Reclamation Plant (EDAR) This is the largest wastewater treatment plant in Europe, which includes a pioneering water reclamation facility that has been operating since 2005. It treats wastewater using advanced technologies to reuse it for irrigation, urban cleaning, aquifer recharge, and maintaining the river’s ecological flow. 20:00 – 22:00 WMS dinner
Venue: Palau Reial de Pedralbes (av. Diagonal, 686) -
Thursday 16 October 2025
Parallel sessions and site visits
9:00 – 13:00 Site visits
Site visits Site visit 2: Housing The AMB and the Barcelona City Council promote housing policies that support high-quality, affordable, sustainable, and innovative public housing, taking into account social, environmental, and gender criteria. Three developments will be visited in the municipalities of Barcelona, Sant Just Desvern and Molins de Rei. Site visit 3: Digital Metropolis - ALBA Synchrotron and Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC) This visit will showcase two of the most advanced research infrastructures in Europe, highlighting the digital and technological capabilities of the metropolitan area of Barcelona. The ALBA Synchrotron is an electron accelerator that produces synchrotron light to investigate the atomic and molecular structure of matter. With 14 beamlines and over 2,500 users annually, ALBA drives innovation in biology, materials science, sustainability, and healthcare. The Barcelona Supercomputing Centre (BSC) hosts one of Europe’s most powerful supercomputers. The BSC supports advanced research in climate science, life sciences, AI, and engineering, offering vital infrastructure to address global challenges through high-performance computing and data analysis. Metropolitan governance dialogues 9:00 Opening
Jordi Castellana, AMB Vice-President of International Relations and Digital Metropolis
9:10 Metropolitan Areas: Regional Context and Challenges towards a Global Perspective 11:00 Coffee break 11:30 Worldwide Metropolitan Solutions: Practice and Reflections 13:00 Lunch 14:00 Working session (upon invitation only) - From Regional Agendas to an International Shared Agenda of Metropolitan Areas 16:00 Preliminary conclusions Mediterranean conference Towards a Water-Resilient Mediterranean: Solutions from Local Authorities 9:00 Opening 9:30 Towards a Water-Resilient Mediterranean: a political debate between Mediterranean local authorities 10:30 Coffee break 11:00 Interactive sessions - Practice to Policy Interface: Showcasing Mediterranean Local Solutions
- The Nexus Between Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems in Urban Water Management
- Resilience in Water Management in Mediterranean Urban Areas: Crisis Response and Precautionary Planning of Resources and the Territory
- Building a Shared Risk Culture: Strategies and Alliances for Reduced Demand
13:00 Lunch 14:30 Working session - Towards the Mediterranean Water Forum: Crafting a Joint Position and an Enhanced Role for Mediterranean Local Authorities 16:30 From Barcelona to Rome: Conclusions and Next Steps -
Friday 17 October 2025
Parallel sessions and site visits
Metropolitan governance dialogues 9:00 Plenary session, agreements and road map (upon invitation only) 11:30 Closing session 12:00 Lunch Site visits 13:00 – 15:00 Site visit 4: Gavà waste separation plant, interventions in public spaces and cycling structures
Practical information
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Registration
Delegates must register by filling in this form by 1st of October.
For any changes, please contact ambmetropole@amb.cat.
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Event information and accommodation suggestions
You may download the Event information document, where you will find all the relevant details regarding the event, including suggestions for accommodation, to make your stay as easy and enjoyable as possible.
