EU recovery plan is failing to meet cities’ climate ambitions

The European Commission’s NextGenerationEU recovery plan offers a unique opportunity for the EU and its cities to achieve a just, green and prosperous future for the people of Europe. From the beginning, cities recognised the plan’s potential for stimulating public and private green investments at the local level. But despite strong calls from local leaders for an increased role of cities in the plan, cities have reported ongoing bureaucratic challenges, such as a lack of consultation and the territorially blind distribution of funds. Added to this, the design and governance of member state’s plans have been centralised at national level, with a lack of consideration for local governments’ needs. These experiences are outlined in a new report from Eurocities and the Global Cities Programme at CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs), which highlights the absence of cities’ participation in the design and governance of recovery plans.