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European Mayors, Commission lay
groundwork for urban sustainability policies
Urban sustainability became a key political priority in Europe as European local leaders and the European Commission launched a major declaration and new Europe-wide initiatives. Over 160 mayors of cities and towns throughout Europe released the Hannover Call on Feb. 11, calling on the international community, the European Commission and Parliament, national governments and other European local leaders to provide stronger support to urban sustainability in Europe. The message was released following negotiations at the Third European Conference on Sustainable Towns and Cities which took place in Hannover, Germany, Feb. 9-12. The event, which attracted some 1400 participants from over 60 nations, was coordinated by the EC-sponsored European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign. The Campaign was launched in 1994 with the signing of the Aalborg Charter to promote sustainable development and the implementation of appropriate actions and policies at the local level. 650 local and regional authorities from 32 countries across Europe have now signed the Charter, representing more than 130 million European citizens. During the conference, City of Hannover Mayor, Herbert Schmalstieg, called on all European cities and towns to increase their influence in EU policy-making. Local leaders and experts further referred to the "extraordinary process [in cities] of wasting the future's resources" and numerous unsustainable activities such as the use of tropical forests for charcoal in processing pig iron imported to Europe. The Hannover Call emphasizes the need to strengthen local government and the EU principle of subsidiarity. Through the call, local leaders asked the international community to incorporate environmental standards into international agreements on trade and all internal EU market policies and legislation. They called on local leaders to support green purchasing and to pursue local policies that reduce the "ecological footprint" of a community, recognising that the wealth of European cities was partly achieved through the exploitation of humans and nature elsewhere. "We're not telling the truth about the dependence of cities on rural areas," said Herbert Giradet, chair of the UK-based Schumacher Society. Mayors asked that funds should be granted to local authorities only on the condition that sustainability criteria are met. They further called, despite some opposition, for the introduction of a Europe-wide energy tax as an incentive for energy efficient action. Recognising globalisation's threat to the power of citizens to influence their own living conditions, they supported local micro-economies, the internalisation of environmental and social costs and democratic control over global financial markets. Of particular concern was the recent EC requirement that all government tenders over EUR 250,000 be tendered across Europe. "This is an unsustainable practice going against local green purchasing," said Chris Church of ANPED. "That's a good example of the paradox of the system," responded Wallstrom. "We're now looking at it and it may need review." Regarding enlargement of the EU, it was recognised that Central and Eastern European (CEE) cities and towns will have a major role in implementing and enforcing EU legislation. DG environment official Silke Will warned of the continuing need for adequate resources and information during the accession process. Eurocities coordinator Anthony Van de Ven added that, if CEE cities and towns are forced to fulfill all EU directives before accession, "we may find them soon very far behind in their economic development and that's not sustainable either." Reactions to the call were generally positive. "It will put us on the map of the European family of sustainable cities and help us find international funding," said Venelin Todorov, Deputy Mayor of Bourgas, Bulgaria. Mayor Gabriele Bagnasco of Vercelli, Italy, believed the call would help introduce issues related to urban sustainability to his town's citizens. "We're just starting to discuss and I hope this call will help them better understand what's happening in Europe and the route other cities have chosen to solve things," he said. During the event, Commissioner Wallstrom launched a new monitoring initiative entitled Toward a Local Sustainability Profile: European Common Indicators. The Europe-wide indicators are intended to help local communities in monitoring their progress toward sustainability and comparing it with that of other communities. "A sustainable city is more than just a city with a clean environment," said Wallstrom, adding that the new "integrated" indicators reflect the interactions between environmental, social and economic issues. Commissioner Wallstrom also announced a four-year 20 million Euro fund for urban sustainability projects, plans for a draft community framework on urban sustainability, a new Working Group for policy advice on urban land-use, a European car-free initiative day in nine member states and new legislation on noise to be drafted later this year. For more info contact the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign Office. |
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