EMRA appointed as Contact Point for the European Urban Initiative (EUI)

On the 26th September, EMRA was appointed as the European Urban Initiative 's (EUI) Urban Contact Point (UCP). EMRA was only last year reappointed as URBACT Contact Point for the new programming period, with both Contact Point functions reaffirming the growing expertise of the Assembly around sustainable urban development. This will equip the Assembly in best supporting towns and cities of all sizes across Ireland with a menu of options when it comes to project calls for funding in both programmes.

Urban Contact Point role

Among the tasks undertaken, the UCP:

• helps facilitate a bridging and open communication between the EUI and its stakeholders throughout the EU;
• increases the awareness, interest and communication around the EUI and its opportunities, outputs and results;
• disseminates and shares information on existing urban knowledge and facilitates the future production of same;
• supports specific EUI activities such as capacity building, innovative actions and knowledge and capitalisation;
• acts as a key interlocutor to cities and to Managing Authorities and their intermediate bodies;
• strengthens national networking; and
• facilitates linkages between national activities and the Urban Agenda for the EU.

The European Urban Initiative (EUI)

The EUI sets out to help realise the Urban Agenda for the EU, working closely with the new URBACT IV programme, and by consolidating the Urban Innovative Actions (UIA) and Urban Development Network (UDN) into one initiative, giving concrete support to cities, fostering city-led innovation, the sharing of urban knowledge, practice, and to further build capacity. It is funded by the European Union, with a total ERDF budget of €450m for 2021-27. All this in line with objective 5 of the European Cohesion Policy (for the 2021-2027 period) bringing "Europe closer to citizen" seeks to enhance Member States' commitment to integrated territorial development and to foster sustainable urban development.

The EUI aims to support urban areas of all size with innovative actions, capacity and knowledge building, policy development, and communication on sustainable urban development of EU relevance. The projects help test new solutions, techniques, and planning models. In doing this, the EU seeks to ensure cities are actively involved in designing and implementing policy responses to their local challenges.

There are three main strands of assistance:

1. Innovative Actions
2. Capacity Building
3. Knowledge environment

Learn more by visiting the EUI programme page: www.urban-initiative.eu

For any queries and/or to learn more, reach out to Karl Murphy, EMRA, at [email protected]