EUKN

Making cities smarter

www.eukn.org

EUKN mission & vision

Mission Statement

EUKN is the prime network for urban policy makers, practitioners and researchers
throughout Europe offering high quality knowledge and services which inspire them
to make cities a better place to live, work and play.

Vision Statement

EUKN is a self-sustainable, intergovernmental knowledge network with national focal

points in all EU Member States, acting as a knowledge hub for existing networks of urban
practitioners, researchers and policy-makers at all governmental levels.

History and outlook EUKN

2004

2007

2010

Political support
continuation
EUKN Spanish
EU Presidency

Establishment
under Dutch
EU Presidency
Political support
continuation
EUKN German
EU Presidency

2011

2014

Intensified
cooperation EU
programmes
Establishment
EUKN EGTC

Why is EUKN important for cities?

EUKN shares knowledge and experience by connecting
urban networks and all layers of government to make
cities smarter, more sustainable and more socially
inclusive

Structure EUKN

Intergovernmental network strongly anchored at

national - local level
National Focal Points in each EUKN member state
Small European Secretariat in The Hague
Close liaisons with European urban programmes and
networks

Products & services

European portal website with 13 national websites
Urban eLibrary with good practices, research
reports, policy documents and network information
News and event calendar
Bi-weekly thematic newsletters
Annual key publications
Thematic knowledge dossiers
Yearly international conference
Support to EU Presidencies (studies, conferences)

In the spotlight

EUKN key
publications:

EUKN
thematic
dossiers:

Urban views
Urban development in
Europe
Urban dimension of
Cohesion Policy
(forthcoming)

Sustainable Urban
Mobility
Integration of ethnic
minorities and migrants
Demographic Change

What about the end user?

External evaluation (2009)
45% public sector
organisations: both local
authorities (34%) and central
government (23%), mainly
practitioners (27%)
23% researchers
70% of the policymakers stated
that EUKN adds value to their
daily work

Examples of knowledge exchange

Integrated neighbourhood development
Economic Opportunity Zones (US, UK, France, Ireland,
Netherlands)
Participatory budgets in urban development (Germany,
France, Netherlands)
Social cohesion: exchange on
district mother projects,
SMS Alert services,
ASBO policies
Effects of demographic change
(migration and shrinking regions)

European urban challenges

An urban strategy to achieve the Europe 2020 goals: smart,

productive, eco-efficient and social cohesive cities
Improve integrated urban development by using evidence
based knowledge
Integrate learning in policy making
Improvement of multilevel governance in order to achieve
urban goals
Especially in times of financial crisis, the exchange of
knowledge and capacity building are more needed
than ever

Ambitions EUKN
Establishment EUKN EGTC (autumn 2011): innovative and unique project
To transform EUKN into a learning platform with new products and
services, e.g.

Interactive website with web 2.0 tools, use of multimedia

Creation of knowledge dossiers on grand urban challenges

Round Table meetings with national networks and international experts

To participate in EU programmes and projects: adding value and providing

direct benefits for EUKNs national networks /focal points
To intensify the collaboration with URBACT, URBAN-NET, the European
Commission and urban networks (follow-up Portuguese paper on
networks)
To launch a common search engine with URBACT

Enlargement of EUKN network

Basic principles EGTC

Objective EGTC
The EGTC is the first European cooperation structure with a legal personality
defined by European Law designed to facilitate and promote territorial
cooperation (cross-border, transnational and interregional cooperation), in
view of strengthening the economic and social cohesion of the European
territory. An EGTC may carry out actions of territorial cooperation, with or
without a financial contribution from the EU
Legislation
1)
Regulation (EC) 1082/2006 of the European Parliament and of the
Council
2)
Complemented by national provisions adopted by each Member State of
the EU
3)
EGTC is governed by the Law of the Member State where the EGTC has
its registered office

Basic principles EGTC

Basis of each EGTC is formed by convention and statutes, which specify:
the name of the EGTC and its registered office (located in a Member
State), territory of the EGTC, objective and tasks of the EGTC, operating
provision of the EGTC's organs and their competencies, decision-making
procedure of the EGTC, working language(s), arrangements for its
functioning (personnel management, recruitment procedures and the
members' financial contributions

Members of an EGTC: Member States, regional or local authorities, any

other bodies governed by public Law. An EGTC is located on the territory
of at least two EU Member States.
Required basic governance structure: Assembly & Director

Main characteristics EUKN EGTC

Unique EGTC in Europe, members EUKN EGTC are EU

Member States: Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Luxembourg, the
Netherlands, Romania and Spain.
Main objective EUKN EGTC:
to facilitate and promote territorial, mainly transnational cooperation
aimed at strengthening the economic, social, territorial and
environmental cohesion of cities. To realise this objective the EUKN
EGTC stimulates the European exchange of relevant and validated
urban knowledge and experiences, thereby supporting sustainable
urban development.

Main characteristics EUKN EGTC

In particular, the EUKN EGTC aims to:

Enhance the sustainability of the network;

Improve the quality and added value of the EUKN EGTCs products
and services;

Position the EUKN EGTC as central urban knowledge dissemination

hub in Europe;

Support urban professionals through the development and

implementation of specific projects which are aimed at meeting
their knowledge needs. This support may make use of funding and
subsidies from the European Union and other public or private
sources.
Official seat EUKN EGTC located in the Netherlands

EUKN EGTC
Assembly

Organs of the EUKN EGTC

The Assembly;
The Director;
The Secretariat.

The National Focal Points are key

element of EUKN, but fall under
responsibility of individual EUKN
member states

Decision-making
body

NFP

Director

NFP
NFP

Secretariat
Implementation
body

Main characteristics EUKN EGTC

The EUKN EGTC will exist for an unlimited period unless the
Assembly decides otherwise. Provision is made for an
evaluation every three years.
The EUKN EGTC has limited liability, which means that all
member states participating in the EUKN EGTC have limited
liability to the extent that they are financially responsible for
their financial contribution to EUKN based on their annual
contribution.
In the initial phase of the EUKN EGTC, the financial
commitment is based on a contribution for a period of three
years (from January 2011 to December 2013).

Added value EUKN EGTC

Strengthens long-term sustainability of network

Supporting intergovernmental nature EUKN
Aim of EGTC closely aligned to aim EUKN
Greater transparency & accountability
Enables closer cooperation with EU programmes and
projects
Allows generation of additional funding (EU or non-EU)
Increases value EUKN membership

Establishment process

EUKN EGTC convention and statutes finalised

Approval process in individual EUKN member states (number of countries
already formally approved participation in EUKN EGTC, some countries
still awaiting formal procedure)
Convention & statutes send to Dutch Parliament (Netherlands is official
seat EUKN EGTC)
Formal establishment expected this autumn (official publication by the
Netherlands, whereby EUKN EGTC acquires legal personality)
Notification to Committee of the Regions
Currently internal organisation being set up of EUKN EGTC
International launching event EUKN EGTC end 2011/beginning 2012

Lessons learned

Liability

Taxes ( VAT/ Income)

Position national audit office

Real Europeanization?

Questions