New to Eurocities or a new contact officer? Learn about how Eurocities works and get an overview of Eurocities services as well as an introduction to the collaboration space.

• Welcome from Zaragoza, Elena Navarro, General Director for EU Funds, Zaragoza
• Welcome from Eurocities Vice President, Morgane Lambrechts, Ghent
• Getting to know your Eurocities Executive Committee, Heidi Hesske, Leipzig
• Eurocities – highlights from 2024 and looking forward to 2026, André Sobczak, Eurocities Secretary General
• Setting the scene for 2025 – the new EU landscape, Louise Coffineau, Head of advocacy
• Introduction to co-creation and information sessions, André Sobczak, Eurocities Secretary General

• Driving Success with KPIs: shaping Eurocities impact

Join us for an engaging session to explore how Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) can help Eurocities drive measurable success! We will walk through the guidelines we are using to define a new set of meaningful Eurocities’ indicators, enabling us to track impact and progress in the implementation of our 2030 Strategy. We want to hear from your expectations and ideas for shaping indicators that demonstrate the added value of Eurocities to its members, and how to set up interactive tools allowing members to engage directly with the data we are collecting.

• Unlocking the power of knowledge within Eurocities

In this session, we will discuss how to manage the wealth of knowledge we gather at Eurocities. Knowledge sharing and knowledge management are two very important benefits our network brings to its members. Given the size and the breadth of our network, it is often difficult to manage the knowledge we gather at Eurocities, be it good practices, findings from study visits, successful transfers of practice, data from our members on a specific topic, reports, videos, or podcasts. We will work together in this session to co-create solutions to unlock the power of knowledge within our network to a) facilitate the work of contact officers when you look for data and information, b) increase the visibility of our network and our members’ practices and, c) position ourselves as a leading organisation when it comes to evidence-based policy-making and data about cities. 

• Eurocities Academy: building skills for cities

The Eurocities Academy delivers on the network’s mandate for training and capacity-building, by providing city officers and politicians with skills and knowledge to enhance local policies and governance, through training programmes. In 2024, the Academy is piloting 6 different programmes for Eurocities members, testing different formats, learning methodologies, and topics. This pilot phase will last until the end of 2025. It will be essential for the Academy to respond effectively to Eurocities members’ evolving training needs after this period to ensure the initiative’s added value. Linked to that, the economic sustainability of the Academy will also be key to ensuring that Eurocities can build its training agenda (which responds to members’ needs, rather than to potential partners’ funding availability). This co-creation session will brainstorm and design work methodologies and organisational solutions aimed at guaranteeing the Academy as a financially sustainable membership service. 

• Eurocities groups: working better together

​​​​​​​In this session, we’ll delve into our collaboration and networking tools, focusing on matching objectives with the right formats for action and ensuring transparent, effective support processes. We aim to create with members a clear framework that enhances members' ability to engage in focused, impactful activities aligned with our shared mission and at the same provide structured input to advocacy activities.

• Empowering Cities through the Next EU Budget

Every seven years, a new EU budget, known as the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), is prepared. The European Commission is expected to propose the next draft budget by 2025, covering the financial period 2028 –2034. The previous EU budget (2021-2027) has benefited cities, especially through cohesion policy funds – with a strong focus on infrastructure and sustainable urban development, and innovation-driven funds via competitive calls (Horizon Europe, European Urban Initiative, LIFE). The adoption of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) to boost Europe’s economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has injected significant funds into the EU economy. However, it has raised some concerns related to centralised management, delays, low absorption rates, etc. While the temporary facility was developed under urgent circumstances, building a greener, more digital, and resilient future will require some adjustments. A few months ahead of the publication of the MFF proposal, we have formulated a set of policy recommendations for the EU policy-makers. Join us in the MFF session to discuss the main elements of our recommendations and to join efforts to ensure that the cities’ interests are well represented in the next EU budget. 

• A new EU framework for climate adaptation

Climate change is intensifying and without swift, coordinated action the consequences will be devastating. 2023 was so far the hottest on record globally, with Europe experiencing unprecedented warming rates as well as extreme flooding events in cities across the continent. The first ever EU Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA)1 published in March 2024 presented a bleak picture of Europe under accelerating climate change, highlighting an ever-pressing urgency to work on resilience and preparedness. To address this, the European Commission has announced it will publish a new EU Climate Adaptation Plan to support member states with preparedness covering impacts on infrastructure, energy, water, food and land in cities and rural areas. Ahead of the publication of this Plan, we have prepared a detailed policy paper with sectoral recommendations. Join us in this session to learn what members highlighted as key requests and how we plan to promote this in the future. 

• Leading the way towards more and better housing

In cities across Europe, housing affordability and the risk of housing exclusion are growing challenges as costs rise faster than incomes, impacting low-income households, frontline workers, and young people alike. Many in need face barriers to social housing, like long waitlists or eligibility restrictions, and struggle with high market rents. With her new mandate, EC President Ursula von der Leyen has made housing a top priority, appointing the first EU Commissioner for Housing and launching the European Affordable Housing Plan to boost investment across Europe. These initiatives, alongside the European Green Deal, Renovation Wave, and new short-term rental regulations, can provide cities with opportunities to address the housing crisis. Additional EU funding and revised State-aid rules could help bridge investment gaps in social housing. This session will highlight our EU policy and advocacy efforts to support cities address the shortage of social housing and expand access to affordable homes.

• A path to more sustainable urban mobility

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In 2024, Eurocities’ mobility working area focused on creating safe, climate-resilient, and inclusive urban spaces that prioritise accessibility and sustainability in urban mobility. This year, we are working on several key policy areas, including improving rail connectivity by pushing for faster and more efficient high-speed rail links to reduce air travel. We also stress the need for more electric vehicle charging points, especially in urban areas, to support the shift to sustainable transport. Eurocities believes that cohesion policies should make cities a priority in meeting EU climate goals, and we are calling for more funding and local authority involvement to enhance sustainable mobility across urban regions. Our position on urban nodes in the TEN-T highlights the important role cities have as hubs in the EU transport network, connecting local and trans-European systems. We urge the EU to invest more in these nodes to support green mobility and improve connectivity, resilience, and overall contributions to EU climate and mobility goals. Join us in our upcoming mobility sessions to discuss our recommendations for improving urban mobility and delve into our policy and advocacy work.

• Zaragoza: towards a sustainable mobility 

During the study visit, the participants will get the chance to learn about the Zaragoza Mobility project to develop a sustainable plan for the city’s mobility. We will visit the Mobility City Museum located at the former EXPO 2008 site. 

Zaragoza Mobility Project (electric bus, autonomous vehicle, cycle paths etc). Zaragoza is committed to sustainable mobility in the city. The main objective is to have 100% of the buses electric by 2030. Moreover, Zaragoza is part of the EU's 100 climate-neutral cities mission and has as one of its priorities its clean urban mobility. 

The Zaha Hadid Bridge is the first Technological Museum of Mobility in the 21st century. More information is available here. 

• Urban regeneration and sustainable retrofitting SOLD OUT

Zaragoza Housing is a public municipal company that develops a wide array of sustainable projects linked to social housing and urban regeneration. The visit will describe the main goals and projects and will guide the participants around the old town to show some of their main projects linking urban regeneration, social inclusion and sustainable retrofitting in public housing. More information is available here. 

• The Citizen’s Forest of Zaragoza 

The Citizen’s Forest is a participatory project with support from a wide range of actors in the city, public and private. By 2030, the project aims to have planted a total of 1,200 hectares of Mediterranean, urban and peri-urban forests and river woodlands in Zaragoza. Over 200 parcels of land have been identified to become the home of the Citizen Forest. During the visit, we will get to know the managing model project and get to visit one of the plantation sites. 

• Culture and Accessibility 

How to Make Museums More Accessible for People with Disabilities? The Pablo Gargallo Museum (a municipal museum dedicated exclusively to the work of the Aragonese sculptor Pablo Gargallo) has developed a very relevant project to make the museum more accessible. 

The Entre Luces project is a cultural, educational and social project that values cultural accessibility through the figure of Pablo Gargallo and his works. The objective of this accessible room is the enjoyment of art and culture through the senses for all people, regardless of their condition or abilities. 

The visit will take place in the Pablo Gargallo Museum. The museum is located in the Argillo palace, named after the owners in the 19th century. We will visit the museum and experience the accessible room and how the project was developed. 

• Zaragoza City of Cinema and future 7th District 

Zaragoza has set up the Zaragoza Film Office as a municipal service to attract film shoots in the city a provide services to the producers and movie sector. Moreover, the city has launched a series of walking tours around the films that have been shot in the city as a new tourist product joining cinema and tourism. 

As a result of that, the city has launched a new project: Zaragoza, 7th district, a whole new audiovisual ecosystem that will be located in a former elevator factory and will boost the neighbourhood and the sector. During the visit, the participants will have the opportunity to get to know the future project and visit the site. 

We will enjoy a breathtaking view of the Basilica of El Pilar and the Ebro river from Aura restaurant. The restaurant is within a 10 to 15-minute walk from the selected hotels in the city center. 

For ExCom members only

For ExCom members only

• Eurocities 2025 Braga

Nuno Gouveia, Political advisor, Braga 

• Policy, Projects, Communication, Membership

Alex Godson, Communications director

Nathalie Guri, Projects & knowledge sharing director

Thomas Lymes, Head of advocacy

Sinéad Mullins, Director of outreach & member engagement

Join us to explore the findings from the latest report on Benchmarking European Offices. This report is based on a survey of 89 Eurocities members, with further analysis of selected European capitals and Ukrainian cities provided by Helsinki and Vinnytsia. This session will highlight key insights and offer a comprehensive overview of trends and practices across Eurocities member cities, providing space for exchange and discussion.