Annual Report on European Activities 2014 Munich and Europe Munich‘S Role in Europe 3
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Annual Report on European Activities 2014 Munich and Europe Munich‘s role in Europe 3 City Council Commission on Europe 4 After the elections: All change in Brussels and Munich 5 Strategy In demand: Munich‘s expertise In Munich, EUROCITIES strengthens the position of large cities 7 Awards for energy efficiency and sustainable power supply 9 Setting a good example 10 Local government departments contribute their expertise to EUROCITIES working groups 11 Nantes takes over EUROCITIES presidency 12 Social Forum stands up for public participation ECOPROFIT at the Economic Development Forum 13 European cities join forces to adapt to climate change News from the networks 14 New head of the Commission‘s regional representation in Munich Network meeting: Keen interest in information about Europe 16 Air pollution control: Little movement in Brussels in 2014 City Council Commission responds to planned public transport regulation 17 TTIP must not jeopardize the quality and diversity of public services 18 EU‘s Urban Agenda must respect subsidiarity 19 Balancing the needs of mobility and the environment in the Alpine space 20 We grow together – together we grow Best-practice security 21 EU Parliament gains influence 22 Committee with extended authority Setting the points for the new parliamentary term Well prepared to apply for INTERREG funds 23 A new EU funding period begins Training and development in Europe 24 Promoting openness and tolerance Applying the UN‘s Disability Rights Convention 25 Cover: Our cover picture shows a reflection of Munich‘s Theatinerkirche in the Acropolis Museum in Athens A powerful voice in defence of public services Resource-Saving Europe initiative 26 A resounding “no” to genetic engineering 27 Communication Let’s talk about Europe! More than 18,000 downloads Europe Day – Focus on the European elections 29 Want to help shape Europe? Then get informed! 30 Second-best in Germany 31 Projects Assistance with EU projects A better quality of life thanks to a smart choice of location 33 Europe moves (me) Europe for the little ones News in brief 34 How to interact successfully without a common language 35 Remeasuring Europe 36 “What’s the deal?” 37 Dialogue on energy efficiency and renewable energy Toward more tolerance in dealings with HIV and AIDS 38 Taking a stand against repression Munich’s twin cities on the Viktualienmarkt Two questions for Dieter Reiter, Mayor of Munich 39 School furniture for Subotica Helping young people to launch their career 40 Helping refugees to return home 41 DELI promotes corporate diversity 42 Ground-breaking: “Fair Move” 43 Two weeks in Stockholm – 200,000 books in 120 languages! Professional and personal enrichment through residence periods 44 Prizes and awards 45 Future High-level CEMR meeting in Munich European Year for Development 47 Annual Report on European Activities 2014 3 Munich’s role in Europe Cities are like microcosms in which In its paper “The urban dimension of virtually every challenge known to EU policies”, the EU Commission human society can be found in con- describes the situation of cities densed form. Yet they are also the throughout the European Union, the social units within which solutions are urban policy of its member states and most likely to be found – and to be the global dimension of urban devel- found quickly. 70 percent of Europeans opment. It emphasizes that the devel- live in cities, and the number is still opment of an EU Urban Agenda is rising. Understandably, therefore, local consistent with current requirements. government officials have an espe- Munich got involved in the ongoing cially keen interest in mastering the process of developing an EU Urban urgent challenges of the future. For Agenda at a very early stage. Besides Europe’s cities, the ability to share and preparing a response to the relevant exchange knowledge and best-prac- consultation on behalf of all of the tice projects – to reduce CO2 emis- city’s municipal departments, the sions, for example, and to improve European Affairs Team also plays a energy efficiency – is a tremendous very active part in the EUROCITIES opportunity. That is why we must network with regard to the EU Urban work together to ensure that the voice Agenda. Only recently, it drafted a of our cities continues to be heard at position paper in cooperation with EU level. other major European cities. Urgently needed: an Urban Agenda Impact on cities Conversely, if the EU wants to achieve I believe that a future EU Urban its strategic goals for a smart, sustain- Agenda should reflect the overriding able and inclusive Europe, it is depen- goals of the EU and complement the dent on the support of Europe’s cities. policies of member states. Fortunately, That is why an EU Urban Agenda is the relevant institutions have long needed to lay a practical and coherent been aware that foreign trade topics, foundation on which to involve cities for example, are no longer the exclu- in the process of shaping European sive preserve of central governments, policy. However, an EU Urban Agenda but that they also have an impact on must also respect the principle of cities. Accordingly, it should be per- subsidiarity – and must not confront fectly natural for Europe’s cities to be cities with new legal prescriptions. involved in discussions about the TTIP, CETA and TiSA. 4 Annual Report on European Activities 2014 Yet I am equally aware that an increas- Highlights of European activities The fact that the most important ingly strong role for cities goes hand in Dialogue is the key. The extent to governing body of the Council of Euro- hand with greater responsibility. Cities which dialogue and joint action can pean Municipalities and Regions no longer plan only for their own resi- succeed was evidenced by the (CEMR), the Policy Committee, now dents, but on a European scale and EUROCITIES Annual Conference in also plans to convene in Munich with sometimes even beyond. Munich lives Munich last November. There can be about 150 functionaries in June of this up to this responsibility. By way of no doubt that this event, which year comes as further confirmation of example, let me simply point to the brought recognition for the host city’s how firmly the Bavarian capital is city’s efforts to support and strengthen international commitment to date, was established in the key networks of civil society: At the recent conference the highlight of Munich’s European European activities, underscoring the on “Civil Society in Harare, Kiev and activities. Some 550 delegates, many important part we play within these Munich”, prominent actors and local of them mayors and political repre- networks. politicians from all three partner cities sentatives of EU member states and were welcomed as guests and shared EU institutions, took part in the confer- Deputy Mayor Josef Schmid their experience of citizens’ and human ence. Presentations and discussions, Head of the Department of Labor and rights activities at the municipal level. workshops and excursions all gave Economic Development these guests a clear impression of at the City of Munich how Munich is leading by example on the subject of “Energising cities – energy intelligent cities of tomorrow”. The gathering was also impressed by Simon Anholt, who elaborated on his idea of the “good city” with these words: “A successful city is a ‘good’ city, a city which turns outwards, not one which turns in on itself.” City Council Commission on Europe Munich‘s City Council Commission on Europe is an advisory body to the City Council. It concerns itself with EU initiatives that have a bearing on local government, applications for EU projects submitted by local govern- ment departments, funding programs and position papers on EU consultation proceedings. The City of Munich submits the latter directly to the EU Commission. In its advisory capacity, the City Council Commission is staffed by representatives of all political parties that have seats on the City Council. Voting members are: § Josef Schmid, Deputy Mayor and Head of the Department of Labor and Economic Development § Manuel Pretzl, CSU § Dr. Manuela Olhausen, CSU § Ulrike Boesser, SPD § Jens Röver, SPD § Lydia Dietrich, Die Grünen/Rosa Liste § Gabriele Neff, FTB § Ursula Sabathil, AG BM/AfD Annual Report on European Activities 2014 5 After the elections: All change in Brussels and Munich 2014 was an eventful year in and for discussion and intensive networking shown that these efforts are worth- Europe. The EU’s parliamentary elec- activities once again underscored the while and that progress has been tion was held in May, and the out- city’s considerable interest in Euro- achieved in terms of greater transpar- come was for the first time critical for pean affairs. ency. In the spring, the Federal Minis- the subsequent election of the EU 2014 also marked the beginning of the try for Economic Affairs set up an Commission’s new President. This EU’s new funding period. In the advisory council of which Dr. Ulrich proved to be a victory for democracy: course of the year, the EU Commission Maly, President of the German Associ- In the person of Jean-Claude Juncker, and the member states staked out the ation of Cities, is a member. Led by the candidate was chosen whose new operational programs and pub- Deputy Mayor Josef Schmid, a public European People’s Party (EPP) lished the content of and requirements event in Munich likewise demanded attracted the most votes throughout for the individual funding programs. more transparency in November 2014. Europe. At the end of December, the Depart- Representatives of the German Asso- Regrettably, the elections also meant ment of Labor and Economic Develop- ciation of Cities, the EU Commission, that Munich now has only one local ment therefore invited its colleagues the Federal Association of Public representative in the EU Parliament.