The Meeting of EU Ministers Responsible for Urban Matters, hosted by the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the EU on 13-14 June 2019 in Bucharest, was a milestone for the Urban Agenda for the EU.

The European Commission presented an online publication on “the state of play of the Urban Agenda for the EU – multi-level governance in action”. This brochure highlights the diversity and variety of actions and achievements so far, and is a must-read for everyone interested in sustainable urban development.

But this is not the only important document presented at the Informal Ministerial Meeting: in the Bucharest Declaration, EU Ministers Responsible for Urban Matters highlight the role and growing importance of urban areas of all sizes in the EU, and that of local and regional authorities. The Declaration also calls for continued support for the implementation and continuation of the Urban Agenda for the EU in line with the guiding principles of the new Leipzig Charter, to be endorsed during the German Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2020. In addition, the Future of Cities report  was presented by the Commission, identifying challenges influencing the future of cities in Europe and beyond. The main aim is to raise questions and steer discussions on what the future of cities can, and should be, both within the scientific and policymaker communities.

Stay tuned via twitter and our website to stay up-to-date on the Urban Agenda for the EU’s development.