The Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), in cooperation with the German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development (DV) and the European Urban Knowledge Network (EUKN), held an event on fostering integrated urban development in the future EU Cohesion Policy.

The conference provided an opportunity to reflect on lessons learned in EU Member States and discussed the future direction of EU Cohesion Policy, bringing together around 100 key stakeholders from national governments, cities, local authorities, academia, city networks, the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Committee of the Regions, and regional organisations in Brussels.

The event facilitated fruitful and timely discussions on the significance of urban development for Europe’s competitiveness and resilience, the current successes and shortcomings of Cohesion Policy in cities all across the EU, and priorities and potential reforms for the post-2027 Cohesion Policy.

The event, held on 19 February 2025 in Brussels, explored experiences of EU Cohesion Policy in promoting sustainable urban development throughout the European Union.

The event was organised on the occasion of publishing the report on “The Urban Dimension in EU Cohesion Policy in Germany” by one of the co-organisers, DV, which provides an overview of the EU funding programmes implemented during the current funding period in Germany to support integrated urban development. It brings forward seven recommendations for the EU funding period 2028-2034, which served as a strong basis for further discussions.

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