Inclusive Cities for Europe News (5th edition)

Inclusive Cities for Europe_NEWS

May 09

1

In this issue

Editorial......................... 2

Recent EU Developments.....2

EUROCITIES Developments… 5

News from Cities............... 7

Benchmarking and peer

reviewing at EUROCITIES..... 9

Events/Conferences..........10

EUROCITIES events...........11


A quarter ly newsletter produced by EUROCITIES: Issue 5,May 2009

From integrating cities to strengthening European diversity -

EUROCITIES calls for local solutions to local challenges

The recent INTEGRATING CITIES III Conference in Berlin on April 2 saw leading pol-

icy-makers, experts and practitioners explore what practical action local govern-

ments can take to create cities of cooperation, tolerance and progressiveness. With

the announcement of a City Charter on Diversity and Equality to be published next

year, the conference concluded by encouraging cities to harness the opportunities

and skills offered by their increasingly diverse populations.

Hosted by the Senate of Berlin in cooperation with EUROCITIES and the European

Commission, DG Justice, Freedom and Security, the conference saw the official

launch of the new EUROCITIES’ project "Diversity and Equality in European Cities"

(DIVE). Co-financed by the European Commission, DG Justice, Freedom and Security

through the European Integration Fund, DIVE will assess the role of cities (namely

Amsterdam, Berlin, Leeds, Rome and London) in promoting diversity and equality.

EUROCITIES’ Secretary General, Paul Bevan, described the “Integrating Cities Proc-

ess” as a successful model of dialogue between cities and European Institutions.

Referring to their unique understanding of local circumstances, cities, he said, are

one step ahead of national governments in finding pragmatic and effective approaches to integration. This capacity stems

from their ability to implement projects at the community level and gain the confidence of their citizens through practi-

cal action. Integration and immigration policies are no exception; city governments and practitioners should be directly

involved in their design given that they are often responsible for their delivery.

Heidi Knake-Werner, Berlin Senator for Integration, Employment and Social Affairs, reinforced this message, stressing the

capacity of local governments to initiate integration policies and facilitate the accommodation of migrants. Ahmed Abou-

taleb, Mayor of Rotterdam, underlined the importance of dialogue between the host society and newcomers, based on

respect for and commitment to common values. Taking the notion of integration one step further, London Deputy Mayor

Richard Barnes announced that his city is currently exploring the potential socio-economic benefits of an amnesty for ir-

regular migrants. Jussi Pajunen, Mayor of Helsinki, echoed this pragmatic approach, highlighting the need for all levels of

government to coordinate their work effectively.

These interventions set the tone for the second part of the conference where integration experts explored how cities

could deliver on these goals. A central topic of debate was how cities, in their roles as service providers, employers and

buyers of goods and services, can best promote a diversified workforce and equal opportunities through their own prac-

tices. The conference ended with the handover of an Integrating Cities ‘baton’ from Berlin Commissioner for Integration,

Günter Piening, to Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor of London, where the next INTEGRATING CITIES IV Conference will be

held.


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Dear Reader,

The first months of this year saw various changes at EUROCITIES: we finished the INTI-Cities project and started the DIVE

project, the EUROCITIES Network of Local Authority Observatories on Active Inclusion kicked off, the first steps towards a

EUROCITIES strategy for the European Year on Combating Poverty and Exclusion in 2010 were taken, and the Social Affairs

Forum elected a new Chair and Vice-Chair. In this edition, you will find further information about all of this, as well as

news on the latest EU developments, and learn about how Edinburgh and Paris are striving to become inclusive cities. The

feature article is dedicated to methods of knowledge transfer, specifically the benchmarking and peer reviewing that we

use to support the exchange between cities in our projects. The first year of the Inclusive Cities for Europe programme

finished on a high note, with the publication of reports on demographic change, economic migration and homelessness.

You can find them on our website at: www.eurocities.eu.

The images featured in this edition were produced by Vincen Beeckman ([email protected]) a Brussels based

photographer, as part of a permanent exposition in the Brussels subway station Anneessens. Through photographing resi-

dents in their homes, Beeckman produced a collection of portraits that now adorn the eleven columns of the central plat-

form of the subway station. Communicating between intimate and public realms of the city, the images appealed to us as

an interesting take on the social issues we deal with in this edition. He is a member of the “BlowUp collectif” and “Recy-

clart”, a non-profit association that was founded in 1997 as part of an Urban Pilot Project to redevelop the Chapelle train

station in Brussels. If you are involved in art projects related to similar issues, and you would like to see your work fea-

tured in forthcoming editions, please do contact us.

Finally, we would like to introduce you to a new member of the team, Rory Moody ([email protected]). As Com-

munications Officer, Rory will help us improve the quality of our reports and studies, specifically the design elements of

our work.

For now, we wish you some fresh spring days, and hope to see you at one of the forthcoming communication events.

Your Inclusive Cities team

Recent EU Developments

Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion

On 9 March, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and

Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) of the EU and the Euro-

pean Commission jointly adopted the 2009 Joint Report on

Social Protection and Social Inclusion. The report assesses

the role of social policies during the current recession and

provides information on the latest national strategies on

social protection and social inclusion for the period 2008-

2010. It presents a structured account of predominant

trends in social affairs and social policies across Europe,

tackling issues such as child poverty, financial exclusion

and health inequalities, as well as the severe exclusion

suffered by the most vulnerable groups, including, among

others, homeless people and the Roma community. The

joint report is accompanied by a set of 27 country profiles

assessing the social situation and strategies for each Mem-

ber State and by a comprehensive Commission services

working document which provides a more detailed the-

matic account of challenges and policy responses. Joint

Report:

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/joint_report

s_en.htm

New European Parliament texts on social affairs

At its Plenary Meeting in Brussels on April 2, the European

Parliament adopted various texts related to social affairs.

The Parliament resolution on “educating the children of

migrants”, underlines the need for the European Union and

Member States to increase their efforts to close the gap in

educational achievements between children with a migrant

background and their peers. Programmes should build on

partnerships between schools and local communities, in-

volving parents, avoiding segregation and promoting multi-

lingualism and intercultural exchange.

The Parliament resolution on “the right of citizens of the

Union and their family members to move and reside

freely within the territory of the Member States” criti-

cises several provisions in Member State legislation that

undermine the rights of free movement and Union citizen-

ship. It states that national administrative practices often

constitute significant obstacles preventing citizens from

exercising such rights. The European Parliament has called

on Member States to grant the right of free movement to

different sex spouses, registered partners, members of the

same household, as well as same-sex couples recognised by


May 09

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a Member State. This should be irrespective of nationality

and without prejudice to their non-recognition in civil law

by another Member State.

The Parliament also adopted a position on the eligibility of

housing related investments under ERDF, stating that in

each Member State, expenditure on energy efficiency im-

provements and on the use of renewable energy in existing

housing shall be eligible up to an amount of 4% of the total

ERDF allocation. Member States shall define categories of

eligible housing in national rules, in conformity with Article

56(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, in order to support

social cohesion. In the Parliament report on "Equality of

treatment between people without distinction on the

basis of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orien-

tation", MEPs stress the need to fight multiple discrimina-

tion. The proposed Directive must now obtain unanimity

within the Council after which Member States have three

years to implement it.

As early as February, the Parliament backed a Directive on

sanctions of employers of irregular migrants from out-

side the EU. The Directive’s purpose is to “prohibit the

employment of illegally staying third-country nationals”

and to this end has defined minimum standards - to be im-

plemented by Member States - for sanctions against em-

ployers who infringe on this ruling. The sanctions range

from penalty fees to exclusion from public contracts. Un-

der this Directive, Member States are required to raise the

percentage of employers whose registers are subject to

inspections and force employers to determine whether a

non-EU-citizen has a valid residence permit before recruit-

ing. Civil society organisations are rather sceptical about

the proposed Directive. They fear that putting the burden

on employers to check the residence status of their em-

ployees could result in hidden discrimination against every

‘foreign looking worker’. Pending the European Council's

agreement with the text, Member States - except for the

UK, who has opted out - will have two years to implement

the Directive in their national legislation.

European Parliament: www.europarl.europa.eu

European Commission takes steps to harmonise asylum

practices

The European Commission made its first concrete proposal

on the European Asylum Support Office on February 18.

The role of the new Office is to send support teams to

Member States that see a rapid increase in asylum seekers

and to provide training for government administrations that

are responsible for asylum applications. The Office will also

create a centralised pool of information to determine what

specific factors in a person's country of origin cause them

to seek asylum. The full Commission proposal is available

at:http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=

COM:2009:0066:FIN:EN:PDF

Draft Committee of the Regions opinion on future of

European Asylum system

Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Councillor Doreen Huddart is the

rapporteur for a CoR opinion on the second phase of the

Common European Asylum System. The opinion looks at

how the EU's proposed legislation on the reception and

treatment of asylum seekers in Europe's regions will affect

the services and policies of local authorities and regional

governments. Over the coming months, the report will be

discussed and redrafted, before being adopted in October

2009. Councillor Huddart would like to invite all EUROCI-

TIES members to contribute to the debate on her CoR opin-

ion, particularly any views related to the impact of the

proposed legislation on cities across Europe. The draft

opinion to be discussed at the next meeting of the CONST

commission on 6 May 2009 can be found at:

http://www.cor.europa.eu/COR_cms/ui/ViewDocument.as

px?siteid=default&contentID=df9d284e-a6be-4a6b-ae80-

ccfa904a6f25

For further information, questions and comments, please

contact [email protected]


May 09

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FRA-Report uncovers “severe undercount” of discrimi-

nation in EU’s urban areas

Initial results from the European Fundamental Rights

Agency’s EU-MIDIS survey reveal that both discrimination

and racist crimes are highly underestimated in other Euro-

pean data sources. The survey, by only interviewing people

who identify themselves as belonging to one of the biggest

immigrant, national or ethnic minority groups of one of the

EU member states, sheds new light on the subject. Previ-

ous polls, including Eurobarometer, calculated shares of

the total immigrant population, thereby under-

representing migrant groups in their respondent sets.

The first ‘taster’ report on the EU-MIDIS survey reveals that

the Roma (aggregated over all countries where they form a

main minority group) report the highest number of inci-

dents of discrimination, and that there are twice as many

Turkish migrants living in the

Netherlands who believe that

discrimination is widespread

compared to those living in Aus-

tria.

The FRA-report underlines the

need to strengthen support and

information for victims of dis-

crimination, the majority of

whom do not know where to seek

help . EU-MIDIS is particularly

interesting for EUROCITIES-

members as the survey was con-

ducted primarily in urban loca-

tions (the list of survey areas can

be found in the report). After the

publication of the full report at

the end of 2009, FRA plans to

make the data set accessible to

the public for further analyses.

Both of EU-MIDIS’ reports on the

Roma are available at

http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite

/eu-midis/index_en.htm

Community building: Two new instruments for shaping

European Integration Policy

With the launch of the European Integration Forum and the

European Website on Integration on April 20, the European

Commission presented two new instruments that give fur-

ther shape to a European approach to the integration of

immigrants. The European Website on Integration

www.integration.eu was developed by the Commission with

the ambition to create a “one-stop-shop” on integration in

Europe. Produced by a consortium of partners including

EUROCITIES and the Migration policy Group, the site will

bring together the collective knowledge of European inte-

gration practitioners. To this end, the portal offers infor-

mation on funding, legal and political information, a docu-

mentation library and a database on integration practices

that was set up with the help of many EUROCITIES mem-

bers.

The purpose of the European Integration Forum is to

reach out to civil society in the making of European inte-

gration policy. According to Commission Vice President

Jacques Barrot, the Forum will demonstrate how integra-

tion is applied on the ground, ridding it of any technocratic

influence. During the Forum’s discussions, participants

from migrant organisations stressed their unhappiness with

current notions of integration, and their fears of further

stigmatisation in the present economic situation. A work-

shop moderated by John England, chair of the EUROCITIES

Working Group on Migration and Integration, shed light on

the need to build a bridge be-

tween civil society’s predomi-

nantly practical perspective on

integration and the discourses of

national and European govern-

ments. To this end, the Forum’s

goal is to strengthen the reso-

nance of migrant voices in Euro-

pean policy circles, essential to

which is the empowerment of

migrant associations.

The European Integration Forum

will consist of some 100 repre-

sentatives from European and

national civil society and migrant

platforms and will meet twice a

year. In the coming months a

bureau made of up of two civil

society representatives, one

member of the European Com-

mission and one member of the

European Economic and Social Committee will be set up to

prepare the first topical session of the Forum (scheduled

for November or December). Proposals for the agenda of

this meeting include the objectives of the future EU

agenda on integration, the place of human rights in inte-

gration, the links between integration and social inclusion,

and an evaluation of the European Integration Fund. Even

though many questions concerning the future role and

membership of the European Integration Forum remain

open, EUROCITIES could play a part in the Forum’s devel-

opment, potentially as an external expert. An official re-

port on the Forum meeting will soon be available at:

www.integration.eu


May 09

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EUROCITIES Developments

New EUROCITIES Study on Economic Migration with tool-

kit and policy recommendations

The EUROCITIES Study “Cities and economic migration –

Challenges and local policy responses” has been published.

The work is a co-production of the Brussels Office and 19

EUROCITIES members, the working groups Migration and

Integration (SAF) and Economic Migration (EDF). Given the

current economic recession, the implications and opportu-

nities of migration for cities are increasingly significant. To

paraphrase the words of John England (chair of the Work-

ing Group on Migration and Integration), economic down-

turn should not prevent cities from improving their capac-

ity to accommodate newcomers, not least because the

immigration cycle can, and often does, run counter to a

country's economic strength. The report reconstructs the

political and legal framework for economic migration,

analyses migration trends in European cities, identifies the

main challenges cities face and presents a good practice

toolkit for the management of economic migration in cit-

ies. The main recommendation calls for greater political

support for cities from their national governments and

European Institutions in order to improve the social inclu-

sion of migrants and to better manage economic migration

at the local level. The study is available to download at:

http://www.eurocities.eu/uploads/load.php?file=Economic

_migration_FINAL-RMOO.pdf

Printed copies can be ordered from

[email protected]

EUROCITIES Studies on Demographic Change published

To inform EUROCITIES work on demographic change, a se-

ries of studies was commissioned last year that examine

the impact of demographic change on key areas of urban

development: urban mobility and public space, housing,

and social and health services. Now published, the studies

outline the main demographic trends across Europe with

case studies from various cities and the projects and

strategies they have implemented to deal with the myriad

challenges related to population change. The studies are

available at: www.eurocities.eu

Stockholm and Birmingham: new leaders of EUROCITIES’

Social Affairs Forum

The city of Stockholm, represented by Ulf Kristersson, Vice

Mayor of Stockholm for Employment and Welfare, is the

new Chair of EUROCITIES’ Social Affairs Forum (SAF). A

long-standing member of the SAF, Stockholm is also a

member of EUROCITIES’ Executive Committee, and will

host this year's annual conference.

The city of Birmingham, represented by Paul Tilsley, Dep-

uty Leader of the City Council, is the new Forum Vice-

Chair. At the Forum meeting in Rotterdam on 2-3 March,

the new Chairs paid tribute to the work of Rotterdam and

Newcastle, the outgoing Chair and Vice-Chair. They high-

lighted the importance of social policies and the Forum’s

political work in the context of the current financial crisis.

Among other priorities, they also announced intentions to

strengthen the Forum’s work on employment issues and

poverty.

New boost to Social Affairs Forum’s activities in the field

of employment policies

At its last meeting in March, the Steering Group of the So-

cial Affairs Forum decided to give a new boost to the Fo-

rum’s activities in the field of employment. To that end, a

meeting is scheduled on June 4-5 in Genoa to discuss pri-

orities, activities and a mandate for the relaunch of the

WG Employment. All members of EUROCITIES Social Affairs

Forum and Economic Development Forum are invited to

this event.

More information: Simon Guentner, EUROCITIES Senior Pol-

icy Officer Social Affairs: [email protected]

Combating health inequalities, improving well-being -

EUROCITIES response to the EU’s Consultation on health

policies

Health inequalities both within and between EU Member

States are on the rise. Local governments have a key role

to play in reversing this development, not least because of

their importance in both promoting well-being and deliver-

ing services to improve the health of their citizens. Given

that the root causes of health inequalities range from


May 09

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socio-economic factors to environmental conditions, causa-

tion is often difficult, if not impossible to determine. This

problem is particularly acute for cities as these factors

tend to accumulate in urban areas, creating pockets of

health deprivation.

The EUROCITIES response to the European Commission’s

consultation on EU action to reduce health inequalities

stresses the need to combat these disparities in a targeted

manner and outlines the scope for coordinated action at EU

level. Drawing on a comprehensive understanding of how

these issues affect our members, EUROCITIES believes that

exchange programmes which involve practitioners and ser-

vice users at local level are paramount. They can and

should play a key role in informing policy development and

their implementation is essential in the fight against health

inequality. The European Commission Website on Public

Health:

http://ec.europa.eu/health/index_en.htm

The EUROCITIES response can be downloaded from:

http://www.eurocities.eu/uploads/load.php?file=EUROCITI

ES_Response_Health-SGUE.pdf

A city-to-city mission for intercultural dialogue

At the final conference of the Intercultural Cit-

ies programme in Amsterdam on 5 March,

the publication ‘Intercultural Cities: a journey through 23

European cities’ was presented to the public and the Euro-

pean Commission. Drawing on the city-to-city exchanges

during the EU Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008,

the publication highlights the important role of local level

action in achieving intercultural dialogue. It includes ex-

amples from the 23 visits and two sets of recommenda-

tions, directed at city governments and at the European

Commission. Amongst the recommendations to cities are

the need to recognise that an intercultural policy requires

cross-sectoral cooperation and the importance of promot-

ing workforce diversity and supporting intercultural activi-

ties through collaboration with art institutions and civil

society. EUROCITIES urges the European Commission to:

implement a long-term strategy to promote intercultural

dialogue by building on the momentum gained from the

2008 European Year and mainstream intercultural dialogue

across all relevant EU policies and programmes, and

strengthen its application in the European Capitals of Cul-

ture. The publication, including the full set of recommen-

dations, can be downloaded at:

http://www.eurocities.eu/uploads/load.php?file=Intercult

ural cities light.pdf

Launch of EUROCITIES Network of Local Authority Obser-

vatories on Active Inclusion

In March, EUROCITIES launched a new network which is set

to significantly boost the position and visibility of cities in

EU social policy development. The ‘EUROCITIES Network of

Local Authorities’ Observatories on Active Inclusion’

(NLAO), established with member cities Bologna, Prague,

Rotterdam, Southampton and Stockholm, aims to give cit-

ies a greater role in the social Open Method of Coordina-

tion. With the support of European Commission funding,

the five cities have set up observatories to monitor the

implementation of social policies that aim to improve the

“active inclusion of people excluded from the labour mar-

ket” and identify good practices. Particular emphasis will

be put on governance arrangements, commissioning and

procurement practice, and provisions for quality manage-

ment in a range of social service areas, such as employ-

ment and training, and social and supported housing. Each

observatory will engage with NGOs, the research commu-

nity and public bodies at national level. EUROCITIES will

coordinate this work and produce comparative reports. The

EUROCITIES-NLAO will run as a pilot initiative until mid

2010 after which its potential for roll-out across a wider

range of cities will be explored.

Contact: Anke Thiel, EUROCITIES Project Coordinaor NLAO

[email protected]

Towards EUROCITIES activities in the EU 2010 Year on

Combating Poverty and Exclusion

A core group of cities is currently drawing up a framework

for EUROCITIES activities in 2010, the European Year on

Combating Poverty and Exclusion. The activities will pursue

two objectives: first, raising awareness for the multiple

(often hidden) dimensions of social exclusion, and second,


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promoting innovative solutions to tackle these issues at the

local level. A database with key facts and good practices is

being developed, which will serve as a reference point in

further refining the strategy. All EUROCITIES members are

welcome to participate in the next group meeting on May

20 in Brno.

Contact: Anna Drozd, EUROCITIES Programme Officer Social

Inclusion: [email protected]

Reader Questionnaire on Inclusive Cities for Europe

Newsletter

Given that this is the fifth edition of the Inclusive Cities for

Europe newsletter, we feel it’s time to take stock and get

your feedback on the quality of our work. All of our readers

are invited to complete a questionnaire (it will only take

five minutes of your time) by following this link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WKgbW6h4I3dD

1P8KSdqYqQ_3d_3d

News from Cities

The Road to independence: An integrated approach to

tackling drug addiction in Edinburgh

In Scotland, almost 1 in 50 of the population aged between

15 and 54 are currently struggling with drug dependency.

Life may seem bleak to someone caught in the cycle of

drug dependency, but a variety of agencies across Scotland

offer a ray of hope. In May 2008, the Scottish Government

launched a new national drug strategy. The Road to Recov-

ery takes a new approach to tackling the problem, offering

a framework for prevention, education, enforcement and

the protection of children. The main emphasis, however, is

on recovery. Edinburgh City Council’s Drug Referral Team

(DRT) is one such agency that welcomes the progressive

nature of the new strategy.

The Drug Referral Team

The Drug Referral Team is an adult social care service pro-

vided by six social workers, bringing together a variety of

skills and training, and extensive knowledge of a wide

range of resources in Edinburgh, which can help an individ-

ual to achieve recovery. Fundamental to the work of the

team is their emphasis on and understanding of recovery.

What is recovery?

Recovery is a process which enables a drug-dependent per-

son move towards a drug-free life as an active member of

society. The strategy is based upon a person-centred ap-

proach, offering support that is designed to address the

individual needs of the person rather than just the addic-

tion itself. It puts the emphasis on community-based ser-

vices which can help the service user to develop new skills

and forge new relationships, thus increasing their confi-

dence and helping them achieve personal practical goals.

How does it work?

Referrals to DRT tend to come from Primary Care, espe-

cially methadone prescribing doctors and Community Men-

tal Health Nurses who can identify people willing and able

to begin the process of recovery. The DRT operates with a

short-term framework of 16 weeks involvement with the

client, beginning with a visit to the user’s home for a com-

prehensive assessment. This leads to discussions and deci-

sions about the community resources available which would

best meet the client's needs to help them move on from

drugs.

Inter-agency working

The DRT’s work involves constant communication with

other agencies on behalf of the service user, particularly if

they have children. In these cases, DRT staff liaise with

Children and Families social workers, as well as the Health

department, both to optimise support to the service user

and to ensure the welfare and protection of vulnerable

individuals and children.

Closing the case

Each case the DRT handles is reviewed on a six-weekly ba-

sis and then re-reviewed three months after the case is

closed. The nature of drug dependency inevitably means

that service users can often relapse but for those who

don’t succeed first time, a service user is welcome to then

seek re-referral to the DRT. The resounding success of the

DRT has led to the creation of a similar team to tackle

homelessness in the Scottish capital. The road to recovery

is often a long one. But as the recent strategy clearly

states, there is no right or wrong way to recover – the ulti-

mate goal is recovery itself rather than the means by which

it is achieved.

Contact: [email protected]

Microcredit in Paris: Urban capital with a moral face

On 8 October 2008, the Mayor of Paris, launched ‘Le Micro-

crédit Personnel: le mini-prêt qui vous aide a rebondir’

(the small loan which helps you bounce back) at the 18th

arrondissement’s City Hall. The personal microcredit initia-

tive (based on a successful pilot carried out in Angers) is

intended to help individuals who do not qualify for access

to conventional bank loans because they lack a steady a

job and a verifiable credit history.


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8

With an estimated 1 million residents in such circum-

stances, Le Microcrédit Personnel is their lifeline to what

many people would take for granted.

For example, a loan can help fund a job search or reduce

the cost of doing an apprenticeship. It allows recipients to

pay for basic living essentials such as a heater or even cope

with the financial implications of a family event (divorce,

death). The programme can also help, for instance, small

business managers rejuvenate their enterprise.

Similar to credit unions in the UK, Germany and the

Netherlands, the power of Le Microcrédit Personnel lies in

its capacity to strengthen communities through financial

education. The difference between these two credit

structures is a question of ownership: members of credit

unions both benefit from and own the credit, and therefore

have a say in how the lending process is managed whereas

Le Microcredit Personnel is financed by four banks (la Ban-

que Postale, Caisse d’Epargne, le Credit Cooperatif and

Laser Cofinoga) in partnership with the city of Paris.

How does it work?

Individuals can contact their local council directly or

downloaded a microcredit application at

http://www.microcredit-municipal.fr. There is also a di-

rect line at the Crédit municipal de Paris: 01 446 16555.

Applicants can receive help in completing the dossier from

their social worker or a partner organisation. Once the ap-

plication is submitted, its award is subject to a review by

the council’s credit committee. The loan amount ranges

from €300 to €3,000 (up to €5,000 for exceptional cases)

for a period of 6 months to 2 years. After the loan has been

fully repaid, the recipient pays half of the interest on the

loan (equivalent to 2%) to the City of Paris.

Who is responsible for the programme?

The Mayor’s office oversees the management and implemen-

tation of the programme. The local councils are in charge of

training social workers so that they can identify and inform

potential applicants about the benefits of microcredit.

Consolidating this working structure are four partner asso-

ciations (CRESUS Paris, Habitat and Humanisme, le PLIE

18/19 et l’UDAF 75) that participate in all stages of the

microcredit cycle: from identifying recipients and helping

them complete an application to the administration of the

loans and their follow up, until the final stage when the loan

is reimbursed. Their expertise (e.g. Cresus is an association

made up of retirees from the banking sector) is integral to

the holistic vision of the initiative.

With a mandate from the Mayor, the Crédit municipal de

Paris will soon roll out the programme across the whole city.

Above all, Le Microcrédit Personnel brings Parisians an op-

portunity to be autonomous and improve their lives for the

better.

Contact: Omar Emziane: [email protected]

PROGRESS - Call for Proposals VP/ 2009/010: Restructuring, Well-Being at work and financial participation

The aim of this call is to develop and support the exchange of information and learning with regard to health and well-being at work, particularly during restructuring processes. The deadlines for applications are: 18.05.09 and 01.09.09.

See:http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=630&langId=en

PROGRESS - Call for Proposals VP/ 2009/007: Innovative Projects for Worker Mobility in the EU

Part of the European Job Mobility Action Plan, this call will fund projects to facilitate professional mobility. All proposals should contribute to the implementation of the European employment strategy and corresponding national policies. The dead-

line for applications is 09.06.2009. See: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=630&langId=en&callId=204&furtherCalls=yes

Call for Proposals EACEA/05/09 – Youth in Action Programme – Action 3.2 – Youth in the world

The objectives of this call for proposals are, among others, to improve the mobility of young people and youth workers; to promote youth empowerment and active participation; to foster capacity-building for youth organisations and structures in

order to contribute to civil society development. The deadline for applications is 01.06.09 See: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/calls-for-proposals/call98_en.htm

EU Health Programme Call for Proposals

This call will fund projects to contribute to the objectives of The EU Health Programme 2008-13, namely: improve citizen’s health security and promote health. The deadline for applications is 20.05.09. http://ec.europa.eu/eahc/health/projects.html

Tender VT/2009/008: Study on Social Services of General Interest

The aim of this contract is to do a study on the organisation of SSGI in four sectors: long-term care, employment services, childcare and social housing and describe the services provided as well as the type of relationships between the service pro-

viders and the public authorities that organise and finance SSGI. See: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=625&langId=en

Tender No: VT/2009/013 : Study on the use of age, disability, sex, religion or belief, race or ethnic origin and sexual orientation in financial services, in particular in the insurance and banking sectors

The study will identify current practices of financial services providers with regard to the use of age, disability, sex, race/ethnic origin, religion/belief and sexual orientation in the supply and design of financial products.



May 09

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Benchmarking and peer-reviewing at EUROCITIES – a systematic look at local integration governance

Improving the exchange of knowledge and understanding

between local practitioners and experts is at the heart of

EUROCITIES’ mission. Learning from one another does not,

however, come by itself; it requires careful facilitation and,

above all, reflection about the application of working meth-

ods, specifically their use in measuring and evaluating how

learning develops. To this end, EUROCITIES has developed a

benchmarking and peer reviewing approach, which was first

tested in the project “INTI-CITIES – Benchmarking local inte-

gration governance”.

The project saw teams of six local

integration experts visit six cities

(Düsseldorf, Genova, Helsinki, Lyon,

Malmö, Rotterdam) to gain a close

look at the set-up and delivery of

local integration policy. This raised

some pressing questions about their

policy responses:

- Does your city have an

integration strategy based on a

needs assessment and drafted

in collaboration with migrant

associations?

- Do you gather pertinent data to

understand why some policies

work and others do not?

- Are there opportunities for

migrants to pursue intensive language courses and ac-

quire new skills?

These and many more questions helped the peers to measure

their city’s performance against a set of benchmarks. The

project praised successful approaches, but also pointed to

gaps in the delivery of policy. It stimulated improvement and

mutual learning by setting an ambitious target: no municipal-

ity would meet all of the benchmark’s criteria. These stan-

dards were then applied to the “Peer Review” method that

included several steps. First, the host cities drafted an ex-

tensive self-evaluation in which they compared themselves

to the benchmark criteria. These self-evaluations were then

checked by the peers who, prior to a four-day visit, formu-

lated hypotheses on the city’s performance. Second, the

peers from the other cities – acting as “critical friends” -

identified potential gaps, issues to clarify and good practice.

During their review visit, around 20 interviews were con-

ducted with experts on the local integration policy, including

NGOs and partner organisations, academics and service pro-

viders, officers and politicians. Based on the visit, a city

evaluation report was produced that included recommenda-

tions for the host city. A few months later, the city-reports

were presented to each host city by the leader of each peer

review team, often sparking lively discussion. The main out-

comes of INTI-cities are these city reports and the INTI-cities

synthesis report, which presents general findings (including

the revised benchmark and a guide to benchmarking and

peer-reviewing integration governance). Although the pro-

ject ended only a few months ago, some of the peers’ rec-

ommendations have already been implemented: in Helsinki,

the cross-departmental nature of integration work was

strengthened through a better allocation of resources; in

Malmö, the new plan on integration will be drafted with a

stronger involvement of

stakeholders, and in Genoa, the

role of the consultative committee

on integration was strengthened.

From INTI-Cities to DIVE

At EUROCITIES, the results of the

INTI-Cities project and the

experience of its members trig-

gered a critical review of the

benchmarking and peer review

method, and its applicability for

the new DIVE (Diversity and

Equality in European Cities) pro-

ject. In terms of methodology, key

lessons from the INTI-Cities project

are the need to simplify the scope of the indicators and to

gain a deeper involvement of the peers in the initial devel-

opment of the benchmark. To this end, the new DIVE project

will organise peer reviews to look at how cites can

strengthen diversity and equality through their roles as pol-

icy makers, service providers, employers and buyers of goods

and services. Cities under review are Amsterdam, Berlin,

Leeds and Rome. The Greater London Authority is also in-

volved as a city partner, and MPG and ethics etc. will again

facilitate the evaluation process. The research findings will

form the basis of a Cities Charter on Diversity and Equality.

In addition to the new project, EUROCITIES has started to

develop a toolkit for transnational learning that includes

guidance on peer reviewing and facilitating meaningful ex-

change visits. It will soon be available to all EUROCITIES’

Working Groups and is expected to be ready for use in au-

tumn this year. For info on benchmarking integration govern-

ance at EUROCITIES: [email protected]. For infor-

mation on the project DIVE: [email protected]

The final report of the INTI-Cities report can be downloaded

from http://www.inticities.eu


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Events/Conferences

Social Polis Stakeholder Conference 11 – 12 May 2009 Vienna, Austria

SOCIAL POLIS (the Social Platform on Cities and Social Cohesion) is an EU project funded under the 7th Framework Programme, the aim of which is to draw upon the experience and knowledge of urban practitioners and researchers who work on strengthen-ing cohesion, integration, and inclusion in European cities. This conference will bring together stakeholders from all sectors to discuss research, policy and practice issues related to social cohesion in urban areas. For more information, see: http://www.socialpolis.eu

TIES: The Integration of the European Second Generation 11 – 13 May Amsterdam, Nether-lands

The TIES Stakeholders Conference will bring together representatives and experts from the fifteen cities involved in the project to identify structural differences between countries and cities, and their role in shaping educational careers and prospects of second generation young adults. For more info, see: http://www.tiesproject.eu/content/view/256/67/lang,en/

Trans-Atlantic Conference: “Welfare-to-Work”: Crisis proof?! 14 - 15 May 2009 Rotterdam,Netherlands

This conference, an initiative of the City of Rotterdam, will look at how welfare-to-work solutions in Europe, the USA and New Zealand are helping to combat the financial crisis. Key-note speakers include Mr. Robert Doar, Commissioner of Human Re-source Administration of the City of New York and Dr. Herwig Immervoll, Head of Employment oriented Social Policies of the OECD. For more info, see: http://www.welfare-to-work.nl/

The impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level

28 May 2009 Brussels, Belgium

Organised by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), the theme of the semi-nar will be about bridging the gap between EU ambitions on homelessness and local realities, with a focus on the impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level. For more information, see: http://www.feantsa.org/code/en/hp.asp

The European Anti-Poverty Network: Getting Progress on an EU without poverty and social exclusion?

29 May 2009 Brussels

There will be five thematic workshops (integrated poverty instruments; adequate minimum income and quality services; labour market inclusion; better governance and participation and fairer distribution of wealth) that will assess the effectiveness of national strategies and instruments and present examples from different Member States. Speakers include Mr. Aurelio Rodguez, president of the Social Protection Committee. For more info, see: http://www.eapn.eu

Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 11 – 12 June 2009 Budapest, Hungary

Organised by the by the European Commission together with the Ministry of Social Affairs of Hungary, this conference aims to highlight the need for enhanced cooperation with the different actors in the field of social policies, agricultural development, regional policy and statistics to fight poverty and social exclusion in rural areas. For more information, see: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=88&langId=en&eventsId=158&furtherEvents=yes

Integrating Policies against Child Poverty 15- 16 June 2009 Amsterdam, Nether-lands

Hosted by the European Cities Against Child Poverty Network, this event falls within the framework of a two-year project de-signed to address the root causes of child poverty in our cities through the sharing of practical experience. For more informa-tion, see: http://www.againstchildpoverty.com/newsandevents.php

The European Social Services Conference: Quality and Perform-ance in social services in Europe – better outcomes for people

22 – 24 June 2009 Prague, Czech Republic

Organised by the European Social Network (ESN), this conference will offer networking opportunities to all those responsible for planning and implementing social services across Europe, including planners, politicians, managers and professionals. For more information, see: http://www.esn-eu.org/prague/eng/index.html


May 09

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Employment Week: Europe’s Labour Market - ensuring growth through human capital

24 – 25 June Brussels

This conference will focus on skills development and evaluate how the European labour market is responding to the current economic situation. Among other topics, workshop sessions will examine lifelong learning and the green economy. Speakers include Barbro Colqvist, Senior Economic Adviser, Swedish Ministry of Employment and John Monks, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation. For more info, see: http://www.employmentweek.com/cms.php

EUROCITIES events

Joint EUROCITIES Working Group Social Inclusion and EUROCI-TIES Working Group Housing meeting

18-19 May 2009 Brno, Czech Republic

At the meeting in Brno, both Working Groups will spend one day on their respective ongoing business. For WG Social Inclusion this is mainly about developing a database on local inclusion strategies, the WG Housing will finalise its report on affordable housing. On the second day, both groups will visit projects in Brno that aim at supporting the social inclusion of the local Roma community.

EUROCITIES preparation meeting for the 2010 European Year on Combating Poverty and Exclusion

20 May 2009 Brno, Czech Republic

Members of EUROCITIES are invited to participate in this event, which aims at further developing EUROCITIES activities to be carried out in the framework of the 2010 thematic year. For information, please contact Anna Drozd, [email protected]

EUROCITIES Working Group on Urban Security 4-5 June 2009 The Hague, Nether-lands

The focus of this workshop will be youth crime.

EUROCITIES Working Group on Employment 4-5 June 2009 Genoa, Italy

The meeting aims at giving a new boost to EUROCITIES activities in the area of employment policies. Points for discussion are current developments at EU level, possibilities for EUROCITIES to act, and the mandate for a relaunched WG Employment.

EUROCITIES Working Group on Homelessness 30 Sep – 2 Oct 2009 Barcelona, Spain

The group will discuss the updated report on city strategies against homelessness and visit projects in Barcelona.

EUROCITIES 1 Square de Meeûs B-1000 Brussels Tel: +32 2 552 0888 Fax: +32 2 552 0889 e-mail: [email protected] www.eurocities.eu

Editors Simon Guentner Anna Drozd Dirk Gebhard Rory Moody

Inclusive Cities for Europe_NEWS is published by EUROCITIES’ Brussels Office. © EUROCITIES 2008 Please send any contributions or comments to: [email protected]


May 09

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May 09

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In this issue

Editorial......................... 2

Recent EU Developments.....2

EUROCITIES Developments… 5

News from Cities............... 7

Benchmarking and peer

reviewing at EUROCITIES..... 8

Events/Conferences..........10

EUROCITIES events...........11


A quarter ly newsletter produced by EUROCITIES: Issue 5,May 2009

From integrating cities to strengthening European diversity -

EUROCITIES calls for local solutions to local challenges

The recent INTEGRATING CITIES III Conference in Berlin on April 2 saw leading pol-

icy-makers, experts and practitioners explore what practical action local govern-

ments can take to create cities of cooperation, tolerance and progressiveness. With

the announcement of a City Charter on Diversity and Equality to be published next

year, the conference concluded by encouraging cities to harness the opportunities

and skills offered by their increasingly diverse populations.

Hosted by the Senate of Berlin in cooperation with EUROCITIES and the European

Commission, DG Justice, Freedom and Security, the conference saw the official

launch of the new EUROCITIES’ project "Diversity and Equality in European Cities"

(DIVE). Co-financed by the European Commission, DG Justice, Freedom and Security

through the European Integration Fund, DIVE will assess the role of cities (namely

Amsterdam, Berlin, Leeds, Rome and London) in promoting diversity and equality.

EUROCITIES’ Secretary General, Paul Bevan, described the “Integrating Cities Proc-

ess” as a successful model of dialogue between cities and European Institutions.

Referring to their unique understanding of local circumstances, cities, he said, are

one step ahead of national governments in finding pragmatic and effective approaches to integration. This capacity stems

from their ability to implement projects at the community level and gain the confidence of their citizens through practi-

cal action. Integration and immigration policies are no exception; city governments and practitioners should be directly

involved in their design given that they are often responsible for their delivery.

Heidi Knake-Werner, Berlin Senator for Integration, Employment and Social Affairs, reinforced this message, stressing the

capacity of local governments to initiate integration policies and facilitate the accommodation of migrants. Ahmed Abou-

taleb, Mayor of Rotterdam, underlined the importance of dialogue between the host society and newcomers, based on

respect for and commitment to common values. Taking the notion of integration one step further, London Deputy Mayor

Richard Barnes announced that his city is currently exploring the potential socio-economic benefits of an amnesty for ir-

regular migrants. Jussi Pajunen, Mayor of Helsinki, echoed this pragmatic approach, highlighting the need for all levels of

government to coordinate their work effectively.

These interventions set the tone for the second part of the conference where integration experts explored how cities

could deliver on these goals. A central topic of debate was how cities, in their roles as service providers, employers and

buyers of goods and services, can best promote a diversified workforce and equal opportunities through their own prac-

tices. The conference ended with the handover of an Integrating Cities ‘baton’ from Berlin Commissioner for Integration,

Günter Piening, to Richard Barnes, Deputy Mayor of London, where the next INTEGRATING CITIES IV Conference will be

held.


May 09

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Dear Reader,

The first months of this year saw various changes at EUROCITIES: we finished the INTI-Cities project and started the DIVE

project, the EUROCITIES Network of Local Authority Observatories on Active Inclusion kicked off, the first steps towards a

EUROCITIES strategy for the European Year on Combating Poverty and Exclusion in 2010 were taken, and the Social Affairs

Forum elected a new Chair and Vice-Chair. In this edition, you will find further information about all of this, as well as

news on the latest EU developments, and learn about how Edinburgh and Paris are striving to become inclusive cities. The

feature article is dedicated to methods of knowledge transfer, specifically the benchmarking and peer reviewing that we

use to support the exchange between cities in our projects. The first year of the Inclusive Cities for Europe programme

finished on a high note, with the publication of reports on demographic change, economic migration and homelessness.

You can find them on our website at: www.eurocities.eu.

The images featured in this edition were produced by Vincen Beeckman ([email protected]) a Brussels based

photographer, as part of a permanent exposition in the Brussels subway station Anneessens. Through photographing resi-

dents in their homes, Beeckman produced a collection of portraits that now adorn the eleven columns of the central plat-

form of the subway station. Communicating between intimate and public realms of the city, the images appealed to us as

an interesting take on the social issues we deal with in this edition. He is a member of the “BlowUp collectif” and “Recy-

clart”, a non-profit association that was founded in 1997 as part of an Urban Pilot Project to redevelop the Chapelle train

station in Brussels. If you are involved in art projects related to similar issues, and you would like to see your work fea-

tured in forthcoming editions, please do contact us.

Finally, we would like to introduce you to a new member of the team, Rory Moody ([email protected]). As Com-

munications Officer, Rory will help us improve the quality of our reports and studies, specifically the design elements of

our work.

For now, we wish you some fresh spring days, and hope to see you at one of the forthcoming communication events.

Your Inclusive Cities team

Recent EU Developments

Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion

On 9 March, the Employment, Social Policy, Health and

Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) of the EU and the Euro-

pean Commission jointly adopted the 2009 Joint Report on

Social Protection and Social Inclusion. The report assesses

the role of social policies during the current recession and

provides information on the latest national strategies on

social protection and social inclusion for the period 2008-

2010. It presents a structured account of predominant

trends in social affairs and social policies across Europe,

tackling issues such as child poverty, financial exclusion

and health inequalities, as well as the severe exclusion

suffered by the most vulnerable groups, including, among

others, homeless people and the Roma community. The

joint report is accompanied by a set of 27 country profiles

assessing the social situation and strategies for each Mem-

ber State and by a comprehensive Commission services

working document which provides a more detailed the-

matic account of challenges and policy responses. Joint

Report:

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/joint_report

s_en.htm

New European Parliament texts on social affairs

At its Plenary Meeting in Brussels on April 2, the European

Parliament adopted various texts related to social affairs.

The Parliament resolution on “educating the children of

migrants”, underlines the need for the European Union and

Member States to increase their efforts to close the gap in

educational achievements between children with a migrant

background and their peers. Programmes should build on

partnerships between schools and local communities, in-

volving parents, avoiding segregation and promoting multi-

lingualism and intercultural exchange.

The Parliament resolution on “the right of citizens of the

Union and their family members to move and reside

freely within the territory of the Member States” criti-

cises several provisions in Member State legislation that

undermine the rights of free movement and Union citizen-

ship. It states that national administrative practices often

constitute significant obstacles preventing citizens from

exercising such rights. The European Parliament has called

on Member States to grant the right of free movement to

different sex spouses, registered partners, members of the

same household, as well as same-sex couples recognised by

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/spsi/joint_reports_en.htm


May 09

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a Member State. This should be irrespective of nationality

and without prejudice to their non-recognition in civil law

by another Member State.

The Parliament also adopted a position on the eligibility of

housing related investments under ERDF, stating that in

each Member State, expenditure on energy efficiency im-

provements and on the use of renewable energy in existing

housing shall be eligible up to an amount of 4% of the total

ERDF allocation. Member States shall define categories of

eligible housing in national rules, in conformity with Article

56(4) of Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006, in order to support

social cohesion. In the Parliament report on "Equality of

treatment between people without distinction on the

basis of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orien-

tation", MEPs stress the need to fight multiple discrimina-

tion. The proposed Directive must now obtain unanimity

within the Council after which Member States have three

years to implement it.

As early as February, the Parliament backed a Directive on

sanctions of employers of irregular migrants from out-

side the EU. The Directive’s purpose is to “prohibit the

employment of illegally staying third-country nationals”

and to this end has defined minimum standards - to be im-

plemented by Member States - for sanctions against em-

ployers who infringe on this ruling. The sanctions range

from penalty fees to exclusion from public contracts. Un-

der this Directive, Member States are required to raise the

percentage of employers whose registers are subject to

inspections and force employers to determine whether a

non-EU-citizen has a valid residence permit before recruit-

ing. Civil society organisations are rather sceptical about

the proposed Directive. They fear that putting the burden

on employers to check the residence status of their em-

ployees could result in hidden discrimination against every

‘foreign looking worker’. Pending the European Council's

agreement with the text, Member States - except for the

UK, who has opted out - will have two years to implement

the Directive in their national legislation.

European Parliament: www.europarl.europa.eu

European Commission takes steps to harmonise asylum

practices

The European Commission made its first concrete proposal

on the European Asylum Support Office on February 18.

The role of the new Office is to send support teams to

Member States that see a rapid increase in asylum seekers

and to provide training for government administrations that

are responsible for asylum applications. The Office will also

create a centralised pool of information to determine what

specific factors in a person's country of origin cause them

to seek asylum. The full Commission proposal is available

at:http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=

COM:2009:0066:FIN:EN:PDF

Draft Committee of the Regions opinion on future of

European Asylum system

Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Councillor Doreen Huddart is the

rapporteur for a CoR opinion on the second phase of the

Common European Asylum System. The opinion looks at

how the EU's proposed legislation on the reception and

treatment of asylum seekers in Europe's regions will affect

the services and policies of local authorities and regional

governments. Over the coming months, the report will be

discussed and redrafted, before being adopted in October

2009. Councillor Huddart would like to invite all EUROCI-

TIES members to contribute to the debate on her CoR opin-

ion, particularly any views related to the impact of the

proposed legislation on cities across Europe. The draft

opinion to be discussed at the next meeting of the CONST

commission on 6 May 2009 can be found at:

http://www.cor.europa.eu/COR_cms/ui/ViewDocument.as

px?siteid=default&contentID=df9d284e-a6be-4a6b-ae80-

ccfa904a6f25

For further information, questions and comments, please

contact [email protected]

http://www.cor.europa.eu/COR_cms/ui/ViewDocument.aspx?siteid=default&contentID=df9d284e-a6be-4a6b-ae80-ccfa904a6f25

http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2009:0066:FIN:EN:PDF


May 09

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FRA-Report uncovers “severe undercount” of discrimi-

nation in EU’s urban areas

Initial results from the European Fundamental Rights

Agency’s EU-MIDIS survey reveal that both discrimination

and racist crimes are highly underestimated in other Euro-

pean data sources. The survey, by only interviewing people

who identify themselves as belonging to one of the biggest

immigrant, national or ethnic minority groups of one of the

EU member states, sheds new light on the subject. Previ-

ous polls, including Eurobarometer, calculated shares of

the total immigrant population, thereby under-

representing migrant groups in their respondent sets.

The first ‘taster’ report on the EU-MIDIS survey reveals that

the Roma (aggregated over all countries where they form a

main minority group) report the highest number of inci-

dents of discrimination, and that there are twice as many

Turkish migrants living in the

Netherlands who believe that

discrimination is widespread

compared to those living in Aus-

tria.

The FRA-report underlines the

need to strengthen support and

information for victims of dis-

crimination, the majority of

whom do not know where to seek

help . EU-MIDIS is particularly

interesting for EUROCITIES-

members as the survey was con-

ducted primarily in urban loca-

tions (the list of survey areas can

be found in the report). After the

publication of the full report at

the end of 2009, FRA plans to

make the data set accessible to

the public for further analyses.

Both of EU-MIDIS’ reports on the

Roma are available at

http://fra.europa.eu/fraWebsite

/eu-midis/index_en.htm

Community building: Two new instruments for shaping

European Integration Policy

With the launch of the European Integration Forum and the

European Website on Integration on April 20, the European

Commission presented two new instruments that give fur-

ther shape to a European approach to the integration of

immigrants. The European Website on Integration

www.integration.eu was developed by the Commission with

the ambition to create a “one-stop-shop” on integration in

Europe. Produced by a consortium of partners including

EUROCITIES and the Migration policy Group, the site will

bring together the collective knowledge of European inte-

gration practitioners. To this end, the portal offers infor-

mation on funding, legal and political information, a docu-

mentation library and a database on integration practices

that was set up with the help of many EUROCITIES mem-

bers.

The purpose of the European Integration Forum is to

reach out to civil society in the making of European inte-

gration policy. According to Commission Vice President

Jacques Barrot, the Forum will demonstrate how integra-

tion is applied on the ground, ridding it of any technocratic

influence. During the Forum’s discussions, participants

from migrant organisations stressed their unhappiness with

current notions of integration, and their fears of further

stigmatisation in the present economic situation. A work-

shop moderated by John England, chair of the EUROCITIES

Working Group on Migration and Integration, shed light on

the need to build a bridge be-

tween civil society’s predomi-

nantly practical perspective on

integration and the discourses of

national and European govern-

ments. To this end, the Forum’s

goal is to strengthen the reso-

nance of migrant voices in Euro-

pean policy circles, essential to

which is the empowerment of

migrant associations.

The European Integration Forum

will consist of some 100 repre-

sentatives from European and

national civil society and migrant

platforms and will meet twice a

year. In the coming months a

bureau made of up of two civil

society representatives, one

member of the European Com-

mission and one member of the

European Economic and Social Committee will be set up to

prepare the first topical session of the Forum (scheduled

for November or December). Proposals for the agenda of

this meeting include the objectives of the future EU

agenda on integration, the place of human rights in inte-

gration, the links between integration and social inclusion,

and an evaluation of the European Integration Fund. Even

though many questions concerning the future role and

membership of the European Integration Forum remain

open, EUROCITIES could play a part in the Forum’s devel-

opment, potentially as an external expert. An official re-

port on the Forum meeting will soon be available at:

www.integration.eu


May 09

5

EUROCITIES Developments

New EUROCITIES Study on Economic Migration with tool-

kit and policy recommendations

The EUROCITIES Study “Cities and economic migration –

Challenges and local policy responses” has been published.

The work is a co-production of the Brussels Office and 19

EUROCITIES members, the working groups Migration and

Integration (SAF) and Economic Migration (EDF). Given the

current economic recession, the implications and opportu-

nities of migration for cities are increasingly significant. To

paraphrase the words of John England (chair of the Work-

ing Group on Migration and Integration), economic down-

turn should not prevent cities from improving their capac-

ity to accommodate newcomers, not least because the

immigration cycle can, and often does, run counter to a

country's economic strength. The report reconstructs the

political and legal framework for economic migration,

analyses migration trends in European cities, identifies the

main challenges cities face and presents a good practice

toolkit for the management of economic migration in cit-

ies. The main recommendation calls for greater political

support for cities from their national governments and

European Institutions in order to improve the social inclu-

sion of migrants and to better manage economic migration

at the local level. The study is available to download at:

http://www.eurocities.eu/uploads/load.php?file=Economic

_migration_FINAL-RMOO.pdf

Printed copies can be ordered from

[email protected]

EUROCITIES Studies on Demographic Change published

To inform EUROCITIES work on demographic change, a se-

ries of studies was commissioned last year that examine

the impact of demographic change on key areas of urban

development: urban mobility and public space, housing,

and social and health services. Now published, the studies

outline the main demographic trends across Europe with

case studies from various cities and the projects and

strategies they have implemented to deal with the myriad

challenges related to population change. The studies are

available at: www.eurocities.eu

Stockholm and Birmingham: new leaders of EUROCITIES’

Social Affairs Forum

The city of Stockholm, represented by Ulf Kristersson, Vice

Mayor of Stockholm for Employment and Welfare, is the

new Chair of EUROCITIES’ Social Affairs Forum (SAF). A

long-standing member of the SAF, Stockholm is also a

member of EUROCITIES’ Executive Committee, and will

host this year's annual conference.

The city of Birmingham, represented by Paul Tilsley, Dep-

uty Leader of the City Council, is the new Forum Vice-

Chair. At the Forum meeting in Rotterdam on 2-3 March,

the new Chairs paid tribute to the work of Rotterdam and

Newcastle, the outgoing Chair and Vice-Chair. They high-

lighted the importance of social policies and the Forum’s

political work in the context of the current financial crisis.

Among other priorities, they also announced intentions to

strengthen the Forum’s work on employment issues and

poverty.

New boost to Social Affairs Forum’s activities in the field

of employment policies

At its last meeting in March, the Steering Group of the So-

cial Affairs Forum decided to give a new boost to the Fo-

rum’s activities in the field of employment. To that end, a

meeting is scheduled on June 4-5 in Genoa to discuss pri-

orities, activities and a mandate for the relaunch of the

WG Employment. All members of EUROCITIES Social Affairs

Forum and Economic Development Forum are invited to

this event.

More information: Simon Guentner, EUROCITIES Senior Pol-

icy Officer Social Affairs: [email protected]

Combating health inequalities, improving well-being -

EUROCITIES response to the EU’s Consultation on health

policies

Health inequalities both within and between EU Member

States are on the rise. Local governments have a key role

to play in reversing this development, not least because of

their importance in both promoting well-being and deliver-

ing services to improve the health of their citizens. Given

that the root causes of health inequalities range from

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May 09

6

socio-economic factors to environmental conditions, causa-

tion is often difficult, if not impossible to determine. This

problem is particularly acute for cities as these factors

tend to accumulate in urban areas, creating pockets of

health deprivation.

The EUROCITIES response to the European Commission’s

consultation on EU action to reduce health inequalities

stresses the need to combat these disparities in a targeted

manner and outlines the scope for coordinated action at EU

level. Drawing on a comprehensive understanding of how

these issues affect our members, EUROCITIES believes that

exchange programmes which involve practitioners and ser-

vice users at local level are paramount. They can and

should play a key role in informing policy development and

their implementation is essential in the fight against health

inequality. The European Commission Website on Public

Health:

http://ec.europa.eu/health/index_en.htm

The EUROCITIES response can be downloaded from:

http://www.eurocities.eu/uploads/load.php?file=EUROCITI

ES_Response_Health-SGUE.pdf

A city-to-city mission for intercultural dialogue

At the final conference of the Intercultural Cit-

ies programme in Amsterdam on 5 March,

the publication ‘Intercultural Cities: a journey through 23

European cities’ was presented to the public and the Euro-

pean Commission. Drawing on the city-to-city exchanges

during the EU Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008,

the publication highlights the important role of local level

action in achieving intercultural dialogue. It includes ex-

amples from the 23 visits and two sets of recommenda-

tions, directed at city governments and at the European

Commission. Amongst the recommendations to cities are

the need to recognise that an intercultural policy requires

cross-sectoral cooperation and the importance of promot-

ing workforce diversity and supporting intercultural activi-

ties through collaboration with art institutions and civil

society. EUROCITIES urges the European Commission to:

implement a long-term strategy to promote intercultural

dialogue by building on the momentum gained from the

2008 European Year and mainstream intercultural dialogue

across all relevant EU policies and programmes, and

strengthen its application in the European Capitals of Cul-

ture. The publication, including the full set of recommen-

dations, can be downloaded at:

http://www.eurocities.eu/uploads/load.php?file=Intercult

ural cities light.pdf

Launch of EUROCITIES Network of Local Authority Obser-

vatories on Active Inclusion

In March, EUROCITIES launched a new network which is set

to significantly boost the position and visibility of cities in

EU social policy development. The ‘EUROCITIES Network of

Local Authorities’ Observatories on Active Inclusion’

(NLAO), established with member cities Bologna, Prague,

Rotterdam, Southampton and Stockholm, aims to give cit-

ies a greater role in the social Open Method of Coordina-

tion. With the support of European Commission funding,

the five cities have set up observatories to monitor the

implementation of social policies that aim to improve the

“active inclusion of people excluded from the labour mar-

ket” and identify good practices. Particular emphasis will

be put on governance arrangements, commissioning and

procurement practice, and provisions for quality manage-

ment in a range of social service areas, such as employ-

ment and training, and social and supported housing. Each

observatory will engage with NGOs, the research commu-

nity and public bodies at national level. EUROCITIES will

coordinate this work and produce comparative reports. The

EUROCITIES-NLAO will run as a pilot initiative until mid

2010 after which its potential for roll-out across a wider

range of cities will be explored.

Contact: Anke Thiel, EUROCITIES Project Coordinaor NLAO

[email protected]

Towards EUROCITIES activities in the EU 2010 Year on

Combating Poverty and Exclusion

A core group of cities is currently drawing up a framework

for EUROCITIES activities in 2010, the European Year on

Combating Poverty and Exclusion. The activities will pursue

two objectives: first, raising awareness for the multiple

(often hidden) dimensions of social exclusion, and second,

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May 09

7

promoting innovative solutions to tackle these issues at the

local level. A database with key facts and good practices is

being developed, which will serve as a reference point in

further refining the strategy. All EUROCITIES members are

welcome to participate in the next group meeting on May

20 in Brno.

Contact: Anna Drozd, EUROCITIES Programme Officer Social

Inclusion: [email protected]

Reader Questionnaire on Inclusive Cities for Europe

Newsletter

Given that this is the fifth edition of the Inclusive Cities for

Europe newsletter, we feel it’s time to take stock and get

your feedback on the quality of our work. All of our readers

are invited to complete a questionnaire (it will only take

five minutes of your time) by following this link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=WKgbW6h4I3dD

1P8KSdqYqQ_3d_3d

News from Cities

The Road to independence: An integrated approach to

tackling drug addiction in Edinburgh

In Scotland, almost 1 in 50 of the population aged between

15 and 54 are currently struggling with drug dependency.

Life may seem bleak to someone caught in the cycle of

drug dependency, but a variety of agencies across Scotland

offer a ray of hope. In May 2008, the Scottish Government

launched a new national drug strategy. The Road to Recov-

ery takes a new approach to tackling the problem, offering

a framework for prevention, education, enforcement and

the protection of children. The main emphasis, however, is

on recovery. Edinburgh City Council’s Drug Referral Team

(DRT) is one such agency that welcomes the progressive

nature of the new strategy.

The Drug Referral Team

The Drug Referral Team is an adult social care service pro-

vided by six social workers, bringing together a variety of

skills and training, and extensive knowledge of a wide

range of resources in Edinburgh, which can help an individ-

ual to achieve recovery. Fundamental to the work of the

team is their emphasis on and understanding of recovery.

What is recovery?

Recovery is a process which enables a drug-dependent per-

son move towards a drug-free life as an active member of

society. The strategy is based upon a person-centred ap-

proach, offering support that is designed to address the

individual needs of the person rather than just the addic-

tion itself. It puts the emphasis on community-based ser-

vices which can help the service user to develop new skills

and forge new relationships, thus increasing their confi-

dence and helping them achieve personal practical goals.

How does it work?

Referrals to DRT tend to come from Primary Care, espe-

cially methadone prescribing doctors and Community Men-

tal Health Nurses who can identify people willing and able

to begin the process of recovery. The DRT operates with a

short-term framework of 16 weeks involvement with the

client, beginning with a visit to the user’s home for a com-

prehensive assessment. This leads to discussions and deci-

sions about the community resources available which would

best meet the client's needs to help them move on from

drugs.

Inter-agency working

The DRT’s work involves constant communication with

other agencies on behalf of the service user, particularly if

they have children. In these cases, DRT staff liaise with

Children and Families social workers, as well as the Health

department, both to optimise support to the service user

and to ensure the welfare and protection of vulnerable

individuals and children.

Closing the case

Each case the DRT handles is reviewed on a six-weekly ba-

sis and then re-reviewed three months after the case is

closed. The nature of drug dependency inevitably means

that service users can often relapse but for those who

don’t succeed first time, a service user is welcome to then

seek re-referral to the DRT. The resounding success of the

DRT has led to the creation of a similar team to tackle

homelessness in the Scottish capital. The road to recovery

is often a long one. But as the recent strategy clearly

states, there is no right or wrong way to recover – the ulti-

mate goal is recovery itself rather than the means by which

it is achieved.

Contact: [email protected]

Microcredit in Paris: Urban capital with a moral face

On 8 October 2008, the Mayor of Paris, launched ‘Le Micro-

crédit Personnel: le mini-prêt qui vous aide a rebondir’

(the small loan which helps you bounce back) at the 18th

arrondissement’s City Hall. The personal microcredit initia-

tive (based on a successful pilot carried out in Angers) is

intended to help individuals who do not qualify for access

to conventional bank loans because they lack a steady a

job and a verifiable credit history.

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May 09

8

With an estimated 1 million residents in such circum-

stances, Le Microcrédit Personnel is their lifeline to what

many people would take for granted.

For example, a loan can help fund a job search or reduce

the cost of doing an apprenticeship. It allows recipients to

pay for basic living essentials such as a heater or even cope

with the financial implications of a family event (divorce,

death). The programme can also help, for instance, small

business managers rejuvenate their enterprise.

Similar to credit unions in the UK, Germany and the

Netherlands, the power of Le Microcrédit Personnel lies in

its capacity to strengthen communities through financial

education. The difference between these two credit

structures is a question of ownership: members of credit

unions both benefit from and own the credit, and therefore

have a say in how the lending process is managed whereas

Le Microcredit Personnel is financed by four banks (la Ban-

que Postale, Caisse d’Epargne, le Credit Cooperatif and

Laser Cofinoga) in partnership with the city of Paris.

How does it work?

Individuals can contact their local council directly or

downloaded a microcredit application at

http://www.microcredit-municipal.fr. There is also a di-

rect line at the Crédit municipal de Paris: 01 446 16555.

Applicants can receive help in completing the dossier from

their social worker or a partner organisation. Once the ap-

plication is submitted, its award is subject to a review by

the council’s credit committee. The loan amount ranges

from €300 to €3,000 (up to €5,000 for exceptional cases)

for a period of 6 months to 2 years. After the loan has been

fully repaid, the recipient pays half of the interest on the

loan (equivalent to 2%) to the City of Paris.

Who is responsible for the programme?

The Mayor’s office oversees the management and implemen-

tation of the programme. The local councils are in charge of

training social workers so that they can identify and inform

potential applicants about the benefits of microcredit.

Consolidating this working structure are four partner asso-

ciations (CRESUS Paris, Habitat and Humanisme, le PLIE

18/19 et l’UDAF 75) that participate in all stages of the

microcredit cycle: from identifying recipients and helping

them complete an application to the administration of the

loans and their follow up, until the final stage when the loan

is reimbursed. Their expertise (e.g. Cresus is an association

made up of retirees from the banking sector) is integral to

the holistic vision of the initiative.

With a mandate from the Mayor, the Crédit municipal de

Paris will soon roll out the programme across the whole city.

Above all, Le Microcrédit Personnel brings Parisians an op-

portunity to be autonomous and improve their lives for the

better.

Contact: Omar Emziane: [email protected]

PROGRESS - Call for Proposals VP/ 2009/010: Restructuring, Well-Being at work and financial participation

The aim of this call is to develop and support the exchange of information and learning with regard to health and well-being at work, particularly during restructuring processes. The deadlines for applications are: 18.05.09 and 01.09.09.


PROGRESS - Call for Proposals VP/ 2009/007: Innovative Projects for Worker Mobility in the EU

Part of the European Job Mobility Action Plan, this call will fund projects to facilitate professional mobility. All proposals should contribute to the implementation of the European employment strategy and corresponding national policies. The dead-

line for applications is 09.06.2009. See: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=630&langId=en&callId=204&furtherCalls=yes

Call for Proposals EACEA/05/09 – Youth in Action Programme – Action 3.2 – Youth in the world

The objectives of this call for proposals are, among others, to improve the mobility of young people and youth workers; to promote youth empowerment and active participation; to foster capacity-building for youth organisations and structures in

order to contribute to civil society development. The deadline for applications is 01.06.09 See: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/calls-for-proposals/call98_en.htm

EU Health Programme Call for Proposals

This call will fund projects to contribute to the objectives of The EU Health Programme 2008-13, namely: improve citizen’s health security and promote health. The deadline for applications is 20.05.09. http:/ec.europa.eu/eahc/health/projects.html

Tender VT/2009/008: Study on Social Services of General Interest

The aim of this contract is to do a study on the organisation of SSGI in four sectors: long-term care, employment services, childcare and social housing and describe the services provided as well as the type of relationships between the service pro-

viders and the public authorities that organise and finance SSGI. See: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=625&langId=en

Tender No: VT/2009/013 : Study on the use of age, disability, sex, religion or belief, race or ethnic origin and sexual orientation in financial services, in particular in the insurance and banking sectors

The study will identify current practices of financial services providers with regard to the use of age, disability, sex, race/ethnic origin, religion/belief and sexual orientation in the supply and design of financial products.


http://ec.europa.eu/eahc/health/projects.html


May 09

9

Benchmarking and peer-reviewing at EUROCITIES – a systematic look at local integration governance

Improving the exchange of knowledge and understanding

between local practitioners and experts is at the heart of

EUROCITIES’ mission. Learning from one another does not,

however, come by itself; it requires careful facilitation and,

above all, reflection about the application of working meth-

ods, specifically their use in measuring and evaluating how

learning develops. To this end, EUROCITIES has developed a

benchmarking and peer reviewing approach, which was first

tested in the project “INTI-CITIES – Benchmarking local inte-

gration governance”.

The project saw teams of six local

integration experts visit six cities

(Düsseldorf, Genova, Helsinki, Lyon,

Malmö, Rotterdam) to gain a close

look at the set-up and delivery of

local integration policy. This raised

some pressing questions about their

policy responses:

- Does your city have an

integration strategy based on a

needs assessment and drafted

in collaboration with migrant

associations?

- Do you gather pertinent data to

understand why some policies

work and others do not?

- Are there opportunities for

migrants to pursue intensive language courses and ac-

quire new skills?

These and many more questions helped the peers to measure

their city’s performance against a set of benchmarks. The

project praised successful approaches, but also pointed to

gaps in the delivery of policy. It stimulated improvement and

mutual learning by setting an ambitious target: no municipal-

ity would meet all of the benchmark’s criteria. These stan-

dards were then applied to the “Peer Review” method that

included several steps. First, the host cities drafted an ex-

tensive self-evaluation in which they compared themselves

to the benchmark criteria. These self-evaluations were then

checked by the peers who, prior to a four-day visit, formu-

lated hypotheses on the city’s performance. Second, the

peers from the other cities – acting as “critical friends” -

identified potential gaps, issues to clarify and good practice.

During their review visit, around 20 interviews were con-

ducted with experts on the local integration policy, including

NGOs and partner organisations, academics and service pro-

viders, officers and politicians. Based on the visit, a city

evaluation report was produced that included recommenda-

tions for the host city. A few months later, the city-reports

were presented to each host city by the leader of each peer

review team, often sparking lively discussion. The main out-

comes of INTI-cities are these city reports and the INTI-cities

synthesis report, which presents general findings (including

the revised benchmark and a guide to benchmarking and

peer-reviewing integration governance). Although the pro-

ject ended only a few months ago, some of the peers’ rec-

ommendations have already been implemented: in Helsinki,

the cross-departmental nature of integration work was

strengthened through a better allocation of resources; in

Malmö, the new plan on integration will be drafted with a

stronger involvement of

stakeholders, and in Genoa, the

role of the consultative committee

on integration was strengthened.

From INTI-Cities to DIVE

At EUROCITIES, the results of the

INTI-Cities project and the

experience of its members trig-

gered a critical review of the

benchmarking and peer review

method, and its applicability for

the new DIVE (Diversity and

Equality in European Cities) pro-

ject. In terms of methodology, key

lessons from the INTI-Cities project

are the need to simplify the scope of the indicators and to

gain a deeper involvement of the peers in the initial devel-

opment of the benchmark. To this end, the new DIVE project

will organise peer reviews to look at how cites can

strengthen diversity and equality through their roles as pol-

icy makers, service providers, employers and buyers of goods

and services. Cities under review are Amsterdam, Berlin,

Leeds and Rome. The Greater London Authority is also in-

volved as a city partner, and MPG and ethics etc. will again

facilitate the evaluation process. The research findings will

form the basis of a Cities Charter on Diversity and Equality.

In addition to the new project, EUROCITIES has started to

develop a toolkit for transnational learning that includes

guidance on peer reviewing and facilitating meaningful ex-

change visits. It will soon be available to all EUROCITIES’

Working Groups and is expected to be ready for use in au-

tumn this year. For info on benchmarking integration govern-

ance at EUROCITIES: [email protected]. For infor-

mation on the project DIVE: [email protected]

The final report of the INTI-Cities report can be downloaded

from http://www.inticities.eu


May 09

10

Events/Conferences

Social Polis Stakeholder Conference 11 – 12 May 2009 Vienna, Austria

SOCIAL POLIS (the Social Platform on Cities and Social Cohesion) is an EU project funded under the 7th Framework Programme, the aim of which is to draw upon the experience and knowledge of urban practitioners and researchers who work on strengthen-ing cohesion, integration, and inclusion in European cities. This conference will bring together stakeholders from all sectors to discuss research, policy and practice issues related to social cohesion in urban areas. For more information, see: http://www.socialpolis.eu

TIES: The Integration of the European Second Generation 11 – 13 May Amsterdam, Nether-lands

The TIES Stakeholders Conference will bring together representatives and experts from the fifteen cities involved in the project to identify structural differences between countries and cities, and their role in shaping educational careers and prospects of second generation young adults. For more info, see: http://www.tiesproject.eu/content/view/256/67/lang,en/

Trans-Atlantic Conference: “Welfare-to-Work”: Crisis proof?! 14 - 15 May 2009 Rotterdam,Netherlands

This conference, an initiative of the City of Rotterdam, will look at how welfare-to-work solutions in Europe, the USA and New Zealand are helping to combat the financial crisis. Key-note speakers include Mr. Robert Doar, Commissioner of Human Re-source Administration of the City of New York and Dr. Herwig Immervoll, Head of Employment oriented Social Policies of the OECD. For more info, see: http://www.welfare-to-work.nl/

The impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level

28 May 2009 Brussels, Belgium

Organised by the European Federation of National Organisations Working with the Homeless (FEANTSA), the theme of the semi-nar will be about bridging the gap between EU ambitions on homelessness and local realities, with a focus on the impact of the economic crisis on tackling homelessness at local level. For more information, see: http://www.feantsa.org/code/en/hp.asp

The European Anti-Poverty Network: Getting Progress on an EU without poverty and social exclusion?

29 May 2009 Brussels

There will be five thematic workshops (integrated poverty instruments; adequate minimum income and quality services; labour market inclusion; better governance and participation and fairer distribution of wealth) that will assess the effectiveness of national strategies and instruments and present examples from different Member States. Speakers include Mr. Aurelio Rodguez, president of the Social Protection Committee. For more info, see: http://www.eapn.eu

Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion 11 – 12 June 2009 Budapest, Hungary

Organised by the by the European Commission together with the Ministry of Social Affairs of Hungary, this conference aims to highlight the need for enhanced cooperation with the different actors in the field of social policies, agricultural development, regional policy and statistics to fight poverty and social exclusion in rural areas. For more information, see: http://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=88&langId=en&eventsId=158&furtherEvents=yes

Integrating Policies against Child Poverty 15- 16 June 2009 Amsterdam, Nether-lands

Hosted by the European Cities Against Child Poverty Network, this event falls within the framework of a two-year project de-signed to address the root causes of child poverty in our cities through the sharing of practical experience. For more informa-tion, see: http://www.againstchildpoverty.com/newsandevents.php

The European Social Services Conference: Quality and Perform-ance in social services in Europe – better outcomes for people

22 – 24 June 2009 Prague, Czech Republic

Organised by the European Social Network (ESN), this conference will offer networking opportunities to all those responsible for planning and implementing social services across Europe, including planners, politicians, managers and professionals. For more information, see: http://www.esn-eu.org/prague/eng/index.html


May 09

11

Employment Week: Europe’s Labour Market - ensuring growth through human capital

24 – 25 June Brussels

This conference will focus on skills development and evaluate how the European labour market is responding to the current economic situation. Among other topics, workshop sessions will examine lifelong learning and the green economy. Speakers include Barbro Colqvist, Senior Economic Adviser, Swedish Ministry of Employment and John Monks, Secretary General of the European Trade Union Confederation. For more info, see: http://www.employmentweek.com/cms.php

EUROCITIES events

Joint EUROCITIES Working Group Social Inclusion and EUROCI-TIES Working Group Housing meeting

18-19 May 2009 Brno, Czech Republic

At the meeting in Brno, both Working Groups will spend one day on their respective ongoing business. For WG Social Inclusion this is mainly about developing a database on local inclusion strategies, the WG Housing will finalise its report on affordable housing. On the second day, both groups will visit projects in Brno that aim at supporting the social inclusion of the local Roma community.

EUROCITIES preparation meeting for the 2010 European Year on Combating Poverty and Exclusion

20 May 2009 Brno, Czech Republic

Members of EUROCITIES are invited to participate in this event, which aims at further developing EUROCITIES activities to be carried out in the framework of the 2010 thematic year. For information, please contact Anna Drozd, [email protected]

EUROCITIES Working Group on Urban Security 4-5 June 2009 The Hague, Nether-lands

The focus of this workshop will be youth crime.

EUROCITIES Working Group on Employment 4-5 June 2009 Genoa, Italy

The meeting aims at giving a new boost to EUROCITIES activities in the area of employment policies. Points for discussion are current developments at EU level, possibilities for EUROCITIES to act, and the mandate for a relaunched WG Employment.

EUROCITIES Working Group on Homelessness 30 Sep – 2 Oct 2009 Barcelona, Spain

The group will discuss the updated report on city strategies against homelessness and visit projects in Barcelona.

EUROCITIES 1 Square de Meeûs B-1000 Brussels Tel: +32 2 552 0888 Fax: +32 2 552 0889 e-mail: [email protected] www.eurocities.eu

Editors Simon Guentner Anna Drozd Dirk Gebhard Rory Moody

Inclusive Cities for Europe_NEWS is published by EUROCITIES’ Brussels Office. © EUROCITIES 2008 Please send any contributions or comments to: [email protected]

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Inclusive Cities for Europe News (5th edition)