New Urban Agenda for the EU Partnerships
It is a pleasure to announce the launch of two new Thematic Partnerships within the framework of the Urban Agenda for the EU. The partnerships are set to kick-off at the beginning of 2024. After the call, which was launched on 20 July 2023 and closed on 29 September 2023, two teams of diverse urban authorities and stakeholders have been selected to draft and implement actions plans on the two important topics of Food and Cities of Equality.
The two partnerships of Food and Cities of Equality were validated during the Directors General Meeting on Urban Matters (DGUM) organised by the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union as well as through a subsequent written procedure in the month of November. The DGUM, which this time around took place in beautiful Granada in Spain, gathered representatives from the Spanish Presidency, from Member States and from the European Commission.
After an evaluation of applications by experts the composition of the two partnerships was carefully made and took into consideration the diversity of stakeholders, different sizes of urban authorities from small cities to large metropolitan regions as well as their geographical location was an important factor to ensure the Partnership covers the entire European territory in the best way.
Two coordinators were selected for both Food and Cities of Equality, and these will be leading the work of the partnerships in the upcoming years.
For the thematic partnership on Food, it is the Lisbon Metropolitan Area and the Municipality of Milan who will lead the team of 21 selected members. The French National Agency for the Territorial Cohesion (ANCT) and the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital will take on this task for the Cities of Equality partnership and coordinate team of 11 members.
The main objective of the partnership is to foster coordination and collaboration, leveraging combined efforts to drive transformative changes in food systems and position cities as catalysts for this change. The partnership recognises the importance of flexibility and a systemic focus, enabling it to adapt and align with ongoing processes.
The primary focus of the new Thematic Partnership will be on addressing specific issues related to equality within cities. Cities that successfully and proactively foster environments of equality are those that take into account the diverse needs of all individuals and social groups. They plan and provide equal opportunities for everyone, irrespective of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation (LGBTIQ), religion and belief, race and ethnic origin (including country of origin), or socio-economic status, ensuring that no one is left behind.