Unlocking urban potential through European cooperation: the Urban Agenda for the EU

What to expect?

The session will bring together representatives from several Urban Agenda Thematic Partnerships, offering insights on diverse topics such as greening cities, food systems, sustainable tourism, public procurement, and the inclusion of migrants and refugees. Featuring voices from national ministries, local authorities, and the European Commission, the discussion will showcase practical examples of multilevel governance and cross-partnership synergies. 

By highlighting the added value of the Urban Agenda in translating EU priorities into concrete actions, the session aims to inspire urban stakeholders to harness European collaboration for transformative change in their cities. 

Find more information about this and other sessions on the Cities Forum platform: Cities Forum 2025

Panelists

Keynote speakers, representing six thematic partnerships across different generations, will include: 

• Ms. Ingrid Gojević – Ministry of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets, Greening cities partnership, Croatia 
• Ms. Elisa Porreca – City of Milan, Food partnership, Italy 
• Ms. Daniela Melandri – President and Executive Director of UniverCities (USE Efficiency Association) Cities of Equality partnership, Italy / Belgium   
• Mr. Ioannis Pappas, Municipality of Heraklion, Sustainable Tourism partnership, Greece 
• Ms. Valentina Schippers-Opejko – City of Haarlem, Innovative and Responsible Public Procurement partnership, Netherlands 
• Ms. Angelique Petrits – DG Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission, Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees partnership