News & Events

On 22 April in Copenhagen, the European Commission will host its first Technical Dialogue on balanced tourism management, bringing together city representatives, experts and EU services to work through how tourism is governed in practice across European destinations.

The first session of the Cities of Equality Exchange Series on Participatory Governance took place on 23 March 2026, bringing together local governments, civil society organisations and practitioners to explore how inclusive participatory processes can improve urban accessibility. The online event was co-organised by ICLEI Europe and EUI external expert Ian Graham as part of the Urban Agenda for the EU Cities of Equality Partnership.

On 19–20 March 2026, the Urban Agenda for the EU Building Decarbonisation Partnership held its second in-person meeting in Vaasa, Finland, bringing together 15 participants from 15 organisations to advance its actions to decarbonise Europe’s building stock.

The nine ongoing Thematic Partnerships of the Urban Agenda for the EU convened in Brussels on 24 March for a Synergy Meeting. 72 participants from across partnerships, European Commission Directorates-General, and the European Urban Initiative (EUI) Secretariat came together to reinforce existing synergies, identify new areas of cooperation, and explore how different initiatives can better align across partnerships, EU institutions, and broader policy frameworks.

How can cities become sustainable, inclusive and beautiful at the same time? Across Europe, the Urban Agenda for the EU Partnerships are helping translate the New European Bauhaus (NEB) vision into concrete urban action through integrated, place-based approaches.

Three partnerships, Building Decarbonisation, Greening Cities and Water Sensitive City, provide a closer look at how NEB values are being applied on the ground.

The Urban Agenda Partnership for the Inclusion of Migrants and Refugees gathered in Paris from 10 to 12 March 2026 for its sixth Plenary Meeting, hosted by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and attended by 25 participants from 17 member organisations.

What makes a tourism destination truly sustainable?
Is it the number of visitors it attracts or the quality of experience it creates for both residents and travellers?

The Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership on Building Decarbonisation recently organised a series of three webinars presenting the results of external expertise supporting the Partnership’s desk research work on relevant topics. The webinars focused on key enabling conditions for accelerating building decarbonisation in European cities, covering governance models, funding and financing mechanisms, and the alignment between Local Heating and Cooling Plans (LHCPs) and National Building Renovation Plans (NBRPs).

Across Europe, cities are rethinking what tourism should look like in the decades ahead. The question is no longer simply how to attract visitors, but how tourism can support thriving neighbourhoods, resilient local economies and a better quality of life for residents.

In 2026, the Urban Agenda for the EU celebrates 10 years since its launch under the Pact of Amsterdam, a milestone that marks a decade of closer cooperation between cities, Member States and EU institutions. As part of this anniversary year, a two-day event entitled “Cities at the Core: 10 Years of the Urban Agenda for the EU and the Way Ahead” will take place, highlighting the achievements of the past decade and exploring the future of EU urban policy.

The Urban Agenda for the EU Partnership on Greening Cities has released two new tools to help towns and cities deliver nature-positive action: a policy readiness self-assessment guide to strengthen Urban Nature Strategies, and a monitoring and evaluation framework supporting implementation of Article 8 of the EU Nature Restoration Regulation.

Cities are powerful drivers of food system transformation, yet their role is often underestimated. Urban authorities have the capacity to make food healthier, more sustainable, and fairer. Through actions ranging from local markets to public food services such as school meals, cities can lead the development of resilient food systems that benefit both urban and rural areas.

To strengthen this role at the European level, the Food Partnership has just released a Food Policy Statement calling for a stronger and more structured involvement of cities in EU food policymaking. Read the article to discover the key priorities for action.