METREXmonthly / A Manifesto on the Role of the European Metropolitan Regions 2021

24 June - 2021 , Online

12:00-14:00 CEST, Online

This was the second of two events at which we sought input from Members on a Manifesto that METREX is preparing on the role of European Metropolitan Regions.

Programme
For the detailed programme, please see the “Conference Documents” link on this page.

Speakers
In order of appearance

Jakub Mazur, METREX President
Ritva Viljanen, Mayor City of Vantaa, Helsinki region
Henk Bouwman, Secretary General METREX
Łukasz Medeksza, Deputy, Director of the Strategy and City Development Department, Wrocław
Hans Brandt Identity Consulting
Christa Standecker, Nürnberg Region
Koen Faber, City of Amsterdam
Sandeep Shingadia, Transport for West-Midlands
Chiara Mancini, Emilia Romagna Region
Arianna Censi, Vice Mayor of the Città Metropolitana di Milano

Background

The UN habitat organisation has just launched its report on Cities and Pandemics: Towards a more just, green and healthy future. Together with reports from the OECD and following ours and others’ online events on what is happening due to the pandemic, it is clear that METREX needs to look ahead. We need to exchange on scenarios, instruments and solutions for coming out of the pandemic, in respect to the Green Deal policies, the EU Recovery plan. This is also within the context of the Leipzig Charter.

METREX will hold a session on the Metropolitan answer to the Green Recovery at the EU Week of the Regions in October 2021. The partners in this session are Helsinki, Gdańsk, Wrocław, Torino and Stuttgart. We aim to have Jan Olbrycht, MEP and leader of the EP Urban Intergroup, as a panelist, and several recorded METREX member messages.

METREX aims to better connect to EU policy topics. And as part of the Green Deal Going Local, we would like to prepare for the regions’ week session by formulating our opinion, answers and actions in a METREX Manifesto that can be used beyond the regions’ week. And we need the help of our members to better understand the needs and policies they are working on as a basis for the statement.

A Manifesto on the Role of the European Metropolitan Regions

Following our first meeting in April, METREX has put together a first draft Manifesto. This will be shared prior to the meeting, with comments sought at the meeting. The draft statement will be finished in summer to allow all members to respond to it, in order to finalise it by the end of September.