Sustainable urban development: environmental legislation at the local level, Community framework for cooperation

PURPOSE : creation of a Community framework to promote sustainable urban development. CONTENT : This proposed programme would run for the period 2001-2004 with a budget of EUR 12.4 million and seeks to address three inter-related challenges in relation to the urban environment: - urban sprawl increases dependence on private motorised transport; - lack of green space translates into decreased quality of life for citizens ; - rising consumption of primary energy is coupled with an increase of greenhouse gas emissions. Community support will be available for the following activities: - awareness raising on sustainable urban development, urban environment and local agenda 21, including development and transfer of good practices ; - cooperation between actors involved in sustainable development and local agenda 21 on European level ; - accompanying measures (such as evaluation and monitoring).The partners of the framework of co-operation to be established are, on one side, the Commission and, on the other, the European Sustainable Cities and Towns Campaign and networks of cities. It is expected that the number of networks and cities taking part in the framework of cooperation will grow and extend to Central and Eastern European countries. The networks'activities to be co-financed by the cooperation framework will be selected according to the quality of their submission. The deliverables will be: studies, technical assistance, development of new instruments, demonstration projects and conferences with a view to facilitating the implementation of sustainablility at local level.�