Ressources

Urbact

Presentation

Following the URBACT I (2000-2006) programme and the URBACT II programme (2007-2013), the cooperation programme URBACT III (2014-2020) was adopted by the European Commission on 12 December 2014. The URBACT secretariat is based in Paris (France).

The URBACT III programme is carried out within the framework of the Regulation on European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) and its Interreg VC interregional cooperation component. The programme covers the entire territory of the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and the countries involved in the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). The programme is co-financed through the ERDF and has a budget of €74 302 000 for the period 2014-2020. 

It aims to facilitate the exchange of good practices and networking of cities and other levels of government. Its aim is to promote integrated sustainable development and improve the effectiveness of regional and cohesion policies. 

Objectives

  1. Capacity for Policy Delivery: to improve the capacity of cities to manage sustainable urban policies and practices in an integrated and participative way. 
  2. Policy Design: to improve the design of sustainable action plans and strategies in cities. 
  3. Policy Implementation: to improve the implementation of integrated and sustainable urban action plans and strategies in cities. 
  4. Building and Sharing Knowledge: to ensure that practitioners and decision-makers at all levels have access to knowledge and share know-how on all aspects of sustainable urban development in order to improve urban development policies.

 

Interventions

  • Transnational exchanges
  • Capacity building
  • Capitalisation et dissemination

To ensure the effectiveness of investment, URBACT III actions focus on five themes common to European cities among the eleven thematic objectives of the ETC regulation: 

  • TO1 : Strengthening research, technological development and innovation
  • TO4 : Supporting the shift towards a low-carbon economy in all-sectors
  • TO6 : Protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency
  • TO8 : Promoting employment and supporting labour mobility
  • TO9 : Promoting social inclusion and combating poverty

Operation

Calls for projects « Networks »

Urbact III makes it possible to set up three types of networks via calls for projects (for dates of calls for projects, See URBACT website)

  • Action planning networks: Supporting cities in addressing a policy challenge by producing an integrated action plan.
  • Implementation networks: Supporting with the delivery of an existing integrated urban strategy/action-plan 
  • Transfer networks: Supporting cities in adapting and re-using good practice to enhance their urban policies

From December 2016 to March 2017, URBACT also launched a call for « Good Practices » relayed by the MOT to the members of its network. This call for projects aimed to collect transferable, integrated and participatory good urban practices. Approved projects received the URBACT Good Practice City label. In October 2017, Greater Geneva has been awarded the URBACT Good Practice City label for promoting its coordinated connurbation development areas (PACA - Périmètre d'aménagement coordonnés d'agglomération) in cross-border governance. 

Urbact local groups

URBACT Local Support Groups (ULSG) are a fundamental building block of the URBACT programme. Each URBACT partner sets up a local support group (Local Support Group) gathering the key local players in order to co-produce the Local Action Plan (LAP). 

Urbact experts

The programme provides each approved network with a specific financial envelope for the appointment of URBACT experts. 

MOT-led projects (2007-2013 period) :

Between October 2008 and May 2010, the Transfrontier Operational Mission was lead partner of a working group under the URBACT II programme called “EGTC” (Expertising Governance for Transfrontier Conurbations). 
More information

For the 2014-2020 period, it is no longer possible for the MOT to be lead partner of an URBACT project. 

Position paper :
For the purpose of preparing the 2014-2020 programming period, in September 2013, the MOT participated in the URBACT secretariat’s consultation with stakeholders on the URBACT 2014-2020 programme, which was launched by the URBACT secretariat.
See the contribution