Please see below the draft agenda of the Eurocities Cooperation Platform 2023. If you'd like to consult the PDF version of the draft agenda, it's available here.
This year, the Eurocities Cooperation Platform 2023 will take place in two venues. On 29 November, sessions will be organised in Tour La Marseillaise (2bis Bd Euromediterranée Quai d'Arenc, 13002 Marseille, France). On 30 November and 1 December, sessions will be held in Le Pharo Jardin Siège institutionnel Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence (58 Bd Charles Livon, 13007 Marseille, France).
- Mastering EU Funding Opportunities for Urban Development
This training session will provide a comprehensive overview of key EU funding programmes and financial tools accessible to cities. Various EU funding initiatives will be introduced, aligning with Eurocities’ thematic domains, along with essential aspects of the Cohesion Policy and Structural Funds.
Participants will become skilled at finding EU funding programs and proposals that match their specific needs. They will also discover how to understand the goals of these calls and build strong consortia to make their applications successful.
- Training on Horizon Europe proposal development
This training session will provide a comprehensive understanding of proposal writing under Horizon Europe Programme (MFF 2021-2027), focusing on its key elementsf and requirements.
We will cover proposal types (CSA, RIA, IA, FPA), templates, administrative guidelines, consortium development, calls content, and eligible activities. This knowledge will enable you to create competitive proposals within this funding framework.
This session will provide an overview of how we as Eurocities have engaged with the main legislative proposals throughout the legislative process, the challenges along the way as well as the successful outcomes secured in collaboration with members. It will highlight our main takeaways and the impact for our future advocacy work.
Welcome interventions
• 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission
The 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission has been running for just over a year, and the first 10 mission cities have recently been awarded the Mission Label. This session is an opportunity to learn more about the Mission, what support is available through NetZeroCities, and hear about new developments for Mission and non-Mission cities. We will also provide space for Mission cities to share their experiences and future plans.
• Green Deal and Just Transition
In 2019, the European Commission launched its flagship initiative – the European Green Deal - to make the EU the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and provide a toxic-free environment for all EU citizens. The session will allow participants to get an overview of the main outcome of the Green Deal initiatives four years after its adoption, and eight months before the next EU elections. It will assess the impact of the Green Deal against the objective of achieving a sustainable and just transition in European cities. In addition, the session will also emphasise the role of cities and Eurocities in pushing for an ambitious climate and environment agenda.
• Fostering local democracy in cities
Cross-border cooperation between cities can help strengthen their approaches to local democracy within their communities. European-level cooperation can also empower local politicians to collectively address transnational challenges, such as migration and climate change, which require coordinated, democratic responses on both local and global scales. The session will allow participants to get an overview of Eurocities’ burgeoning work on supporting local democracy in cities and where they can become involved. This includes a highlevel political conference in Leipzig in 2025 to exchange insights, strategies, and success stories on bolstering democratic principles at the local level. The session will also introduce opportunities to become involved in two new projects: CitiObs, which works to enhance new and existing Citizen Observatories and builds on social transformation related to citizen involvement and engagement with science and policy; and Nets4Dem, which aims at reinforcing networks of democratic innovations practitioners, researchers and policymakers based on participatory democratic processes.
• Innovation
Cities are reinventing themselves to adapt and respond to evolving demographic, economic, environmental, social and technological changes. In such a challenging climate, innovation increasingly represents a key dimension of responsive policy making, efficient city government, and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems. Given the high goals set by the New European Innovation Agenda and based on the work of the Eurocities WG Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the session will highlight the role of local administrations within local innovation ecosystems, as both drivers and enablers of innovation. During the session, participants will also have the chance to further reflect on the role that innovation plays within their local administrations, paving the way for the discussions that will be held at the 2024 Annual Conference in Cluj-Napoca.
• 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission
The 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities Mission has been running for just over a year, and the first 10 mission cities have recently been awarded the Mission Label. This session is an opportunity to learn more about the Mission, what support is available through NetZeroCities, and hear about new developments for Mission and non-Mission cities. We will also provide space for Mission cities to share their experiences and future plans.
• Green Deal and Just Transition
In 2019, the European Commission launched its flagship initiative – the European Green Deal - to make the EU the first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and provide a toxic-free environment for all EU citizens. The session will allow participants to get an overview of the main outcome of the Green Deal initiatives four years after its adoption, and eight months before the next EU elections. It will assess the impact of the Green Deal against the objective of achieving a sustainable and just transition in European cities. In addition, the session will also emphasise the role of cities and Eurocities in pushing for an ambitious climate and environment agenda.
• Fostering local democracy in cities
Cross-border cooperation between cities can help strengthen their approaches to local democracy within their communities. European-level cooperation can also empower local politicians to collectively address transnational challenges, such as migration and climate change, which require coordinated, democratic responses on both local and global scales. The session will allow participants to get an overview of Eurocities’ burgeoning work on supporting local democracy in cities and where they can become involved. This includes a highlevel political conference in Leipzig in 2025 to exchange insights, strategies, and success stories on bolstering democratic principles at the local level. The session will also introduce opportunities to become involved in two new projects: CitiObs, which works to enhance new and existing Citizen Observatories and builds on social transformation related to citizen involvement and engagement with science and policy; and Nets4Dem, which aims at reinforcing networks of democratic innovations practitioners, researchers and policymakers based on participatory democratic processes.
• Innovation
Cities are reinventing themselves to adapt and respond to evolving demographic, economic, environmental, social and technological changes. In such a challenging climate, innovation increasingly represents a key dimension of responsive policy making, efficient city government, and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystems. Given the high goals set by the New European Innovation Agenda and based on the work of the Eurocities WG Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the session will highlight the role of local administrations within local innovation ecosystems, as both drivers and enablers of innovation. During the session, participants will also have the chance to further reflect on the role that innovation plays within their local administrations, paving the way for the discussions that will be held at the 2024 Annual Conference in Cluj-Napoca.
New to Eurocities or a new contact officer? Learn about how Eurocities works and get an an overview of Eurocities funding services as well as an introduction to the collaboration space.
1. The Thassalia marine geothermal power station
Using marine energy to produce heat and cool in priority areas
Implemented in the ‘Euroméditerranée’ area, Europe’s largest urban renewal project (480 hectares), the Thassalia seawater loop is an innovative energy supply system.
With 40% of the population living less than 100 km from the coast, the sea offers tremendous potential as a source of energy in France and worldwide. This project highlights the potential of opening up to the sea for all coastal cities in France and the world as an example of the energy transition to benefit people and their environment.
The whole cooling and heating system is provided by the Massileo system (https://www.massileo.fr/). This geothermic system is the first in Europe to use seawater to provide warm and cool water. A pumping station will draw water to a depth of 5 meters, where the water is at a constant temperature. Heat pumps can recover calories from the sea and transfer them to the heat and cold distribution network.
2. The Aygalades park district
FULLY BOOKED
A testbed for innovative nature-based solutions
The renovation of the Aygalades park district is a part of the Euromediterranean National Interest Operation. The park is located in the historic 15th district of Marseille, also considered a Quartier Prioritaire under the City Policy (QPV).
The primary residents of this neighbourhood are young people and children affected by poverty and lack of public services, shops and vibrant public spaces. The Aygalades park district is close to the Grand Port Maritime de Fos Marseille and surrounded by highways, urban boulevards and the SNCF station du Canet. Because of its location, this neighbourhood remains underdeveloped and isolated from nearby areas of Cabucelle and Canet.
The holistic renewal approach developed in this perspective implies implementing innovative nature-based solutions tested in the Fabriques Experimental Garden. This 2,200m² space was created to experience different types of draining materials (concrete, coated and paved with draining joints) and regeneration of urban soil techniques and new plant associations or methods of watering Mediterranean plantations.
3. The Citadelle of Marseille - Fort Saint-Nicolas (walking tour)
FULLY BOOKED
Centre for experimentation in all forms of creation: business creation, artistic creation and scientific creation
Located in the heart of Marseille, the Fort Saint-Nicolas is a 17th century fort overlooking the Old Port of Marseille that has been classified as a historical monument since 1969.
Run by the Army for centuries, the area will gradually open its doors to the public from spring 2024 to full access to the site in 2030. Restored over 20 years thanks to work camps and professional training, it has become a place to live and create with and for everyone, respecting the values of inclusion and transmission, as well as the ambition in terms of culture, art and sustainable development.
Important! During this study visit, participants are asked to wear comfortable shoes and have a bottle of water.
4. The Cité de l’innovation et des Savoirs Aix-Marseille (CISAM)
Innovation facilitator : from the idea, the concept to its realisation
The CISAM is born out of the skills and ambitions of the largest French-speaking university, the largest metropolis in France and two multinationals: CMA CGM Group and L’OCCITANE Group. With a shared desire to develop scientific culture and innovation to benefit economic growth, these partners have come together around a new concept: bringing together all the resources needed to stimulate innovative approaches and streamline the process in a single location.
A place for meetings, creation, project incubation and acceleration, located in an iconic building, CISAM is establishing itself as an essential space for innovators in the Aix-Marseille area.
• A new Eurocities five-year strategy 2024-2029: overview of the main building blocks and next steps
We are shaping a new long-term strategy for the network that will set the direction of travel for the coming five years. It includes reviewing our strategic objectives, securing a sustainable financial future for the network and reinforcing our collaborations with stakeholders and partners. This session will share the main areas of work in progress and discuss the relevant building blocks based on feedback from participants in terms of urgent and future needs of cities as well as expectations towards the members.
• Eurocities ways of working: forums, working groups, taskforces - opportunities, challenges and next steps
Our ways of working are designed to advance learning and sharing between members in the main areas of work, as well as developing shared positions to underpin policy advocacy at EU level. When shaping a new five-year strategy, we want to ensure that the working structures can fully contribute to delivering our mission, vision and strategic objectives. In this session, we will discuss what might need rethinking or 7 renewal to provide the best possible conditions for members to deal with current and future challenges through collaboration with other cities and with the EU.
• Eurocities membership strategy: opportunities, challenges and next steps
In this session, we’ll explore how best to meet members’ evolving needs and shape a future-forward network. We’ll look at how to increase engagement and impact as well as membership structures and fees.
• Engaging in Eurocities project activities
Eurocities currently runs 35 projects, including EC initiatives such as Livingin.EU, CIVITAS, the European Mobility Week or the Covenant of Mayors. We also run peerlearning programmes focusing on in-depth exchange of knowledge and transfer of good practices. A few of our projects give the possibilities to pilot innovative solutions. How can we work better with you, as contact officers, to make the most of those opportunities for our members? What would you need from us? What works and what doesn’t? Come and exchange with us, so that your city can maximise the benefits that projects and initiatives offer.
• A new Eurocities five-year strategy 2024-2029: overview of the main building blocks and next steps
We are shaping a new long-term strategy for the network that will set the direction of travel for the coming five years. It includes reviewing our strategic objectives, securing a sustainable financial future for the network and reinforcing our collaborations with stakeholders and partners. This session will share the main areas of work in progress and discuss the relevant building blocks based on feedback from participants in terms of urgent and future needs of cities as well as expectations towards the members.
• Eurocities ways of working: forums, working groups, taskforces - opportunities, challenges and next steps
Our ways of working are designed to advance learning and sharing between members in the main areas of work, as well as developing shared positions to underpin policy advocacy at EU level. When shaping a new five-year strategy, we want to ensure that the working structures can fully contribute to delivering our mission, vision and strategic objectives. In this session, we will discuss what might need rethinking or 7 renewal to provide the best possible conditions for members to deal with current and future challenges through collaboration with other cities and with the EU.
• Eurocities membership strategy: opportunities, challenges and next steps
In this session, we’ll explore how best to meet members’ evolving needs and shape a future-forward network. We’ll look at how to increase engagement and impact as well as membership structures and fees.
• Engaging in Eurocities project activities
Eurocities currently runs 35 projects, including EC initiatives such as Livingin.EU, CIVITAS, the European Mobility Week or the Covenant of Mayors. We also run peerlearning programmes focusing on in-depth exchange of knowledge and transfer of good practices. A few of our projects give the possibilities to pilot innovative solutions. How can we work better with you, as contact officers, to make the most of those opportunities for our members? What would you need from us? What works and what doesn’t? Come and exchange with us, so that your city can maximise the benefits that projects and initiatives offer.
Venue
Restaurant MX
Les Docks Village, Entrée K
10 place de la Joliette
13002 Marseille
- Climate & Environment – update on recent activities and how to get involved
Climate and environment have never been higher up the agenda of European cities. Find out more about Eurocities’ work on climate and environment, including policy and projects, as well as an update on the Environment Forum from our chair, Ghent
- Culture, heritage and architecture: what’s new and what’s next?
Do you want to make the most of our future activities on culture? Join the session to hear about: - The Eurocities Lille call to action on sustainable culture: 41 cities have already signed it, is your city next? - How to host and attend thematic learning visits on architecture and the built environment though Living Spaces, our new peer-learning programme on high quality architecture for everyone - Forthcoming peer-learning activities on heritage, as part of the European Heritage Hub
- Current and Future Project Development at Eurocities
Would you like to learn more about current project development portfolio at Eurocities? Are you eager to connect with fellow Eurocities members and explore new project opportunities? Join this session to share ideas, explore new collaborations, and learn about successful proposal and partnership development.
- Digital Transformation and the Living-in.EU project
The Eurocities Digital Forum strives for a sustainable and inclusive approach to new technologies, through the following priorities:
- Improving access to business data, use data for decision-making and policy evaluation.
- Defending human rights in the digital world, bridging the digital gap, designing services for people, adopting ethical standards for AI.
- Build capacity at city level and facilitate the adoption of new technologies and common standards. The Living-in.EU project is dedicated to this goal.
- Economic Development and Innovation
Interested in better understanding how cities fuel their engines to keep up with the economic challenges? Then join the discussion on the Eurocities Economic Development Forum’s upcoming activities.
It will be an opportunity to discover how the forum provides a platform for cities to exchange on economic development policies in relation to, among others, local innovation ecosystems, entrepreneurship, long-term investment, innovative public procurement (via the Big Buyers Working Together project), city branding, local retail, and sustainable tourism, with a focus on new skillsets and talent needed in the labour market.
- Eurocities Academy
Do you want to learn more about the Eurocities Academy and the opportunity it offers for politicians, city leaders and civil servants from your city? Join our session to understand why we think it is important to develop this initiative now, and to discover our upcoming programmes. Of course, you are also invited to share your expectations regarding the Eurocities Academy in terms of content and format.
- Eurocities Awards 2024
Three categories, three winners – do you want to be one of them? The call for awards 2024 was just published early November. If you are thinking of applying and have any questions, this speednetworking session may provide the answers.
- Eurocities communications activities
How does the Eurocities communications team decide on what to communicate, and what are the opportunities for you? This session will focus on the types of communications content Eurocities produces, particularly the upcoming European elections campaign, and how you can input to them. This includes:
- Communication types on Eurocities own channels: website, social media
- Tactics: Outside/in approach, Eurocities digital strategy, how we are using AI, and our use of partnerships
- Visibility opportunities for cities/members.
- Eurocities funding services
Discover how Eurocities can support your city to navigate through EU funding programmes. We assist with identifying the most suitable EU programme to transform your ideas and objectives into successful projects. We support members in forming strong consortia by connecting you with the right project partners. 10 You can also refresh your knowledge of the key EU funding programmes that are pertinent to cities by exploring our latest digital overview.
- Gender equality and women’s rights
Join our session and discover more about Eurocities’ Task Force on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and our activities, including:
- Promoting a gender mainstreaming approach within Eurocities’ work
- Providing support to cities as they develop gender mainstreaming strategies
- Exploring upcoming activities and opportunities for engagement
- Mainstreaming citizen participation
Is your city looking for meaningful ways of engaging citizens in policy design and decisionmaking? Our new project, Nets4Dem, opens a range of opportunities to help you mainstream citizen participation through:
- Receiving the tailored mentorship to help you solve the citizen engagement challenge.
- Joining the Democracy Lab to design and test democracy innovations collectively with peers and experts.
- Taking part in the comprehensive training programme Democracy Accelerator.
- Migration & integration
Are you interested in becoming more connected with other cities that work on migrant integration? Join our session to learn more about possibilities to become involved in:
- Policy and avocacy on migration and integration, including on the situation of (Ukrainian) refugees
- Mutual learning opportunities and networking within our Working Group Migration & Integration
- Our projects, including UNITES – a project on co-designing integration strategies together with migrant communities, and our upcoming Integrating Cities Conference in Bologna in November 2024.
- Mobility: find out about the new priorities of the Mobility Forum
It’s an exciting time for the Mobility Forum as we gear up to refresh our key priorities for 2023- 2025! With mobility rocketing to the top of cities’ agendas, now’s the perfect moment for you to dive into the topics we’ll be unravelling over the next two years. We’ve lined up many opportunities for you to get involved and shape the future of mobility. Mark your calendars and gear up for the Mobility Forum 2024 in the vibrant city of Utrecht.
- Multi-level governance
Are you passionate about shaping the future of cities in Europe? Do you believe in the power of collaborative governance to deliver on EU and local priorities? If so, we invite you to join us for a dynamic session where we’ll delve into the crucial topic of working across government levels to jointly deliver on European and local objectives.
- Discover how Eurocities is actively working to improve the way cities participate in EU governance.
- Learn about our efforts to strengthen our influence at the national level by collaborating with national associations.
- Explore how we are committed to empowering cities with well-equipped EU affairs teams and departments.
- Social affairs and skills
Keen on fully engaging and getting the most out of our activities in the Social Affairs Forum?
Discover how we support cities across Europe in building capacities and facilitating their joint efforts to address major current and emerging social challenges - i.e. lack of skills, housing crisis and energy poverty.
Join us to learn more about how to attend our future mutual learning activities and contribute to compiling data on the social trends observed across European cities!
- Sustainable reconstruction of Ukrainian cities
Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, planning for reconstruction of the country is already well under way. Partnerships between EU and Ukrainian cities can be crucial in promoting a sustainable urban recovery guided by EU standards and policies. Join this session to hear more about:
- The results of the Eurocities pilot project on the ‘sustainable rebuilding of Ukrainian cities’
- The EU Ukraine Facility and its significance for the local level
- Reconstruction outlook and opportunities for engagement.
- Some highlights from the Thursday discussion sessions
- Eurocities 2024 Cluj Napoca
- Membership & engagement activities
The new political mandate at EU level will come with both challenges and opportunities for cities. As Eurocities, we want to ensure that we maintain the current momentum for cities, while reinforcing the recognition and role of mayors and city experts in tackling Europe’s major challenges. This session will provide an overview of Eurocities campaign plans, discuss the main messages and tactical aspects, including how to directly involve mayors directly in the activities.