ABSTRACT
Inside the European Commission (EC) there are different points of view on urban policy. Despite the fact that many Directorates General (DGs) produce policies that have an impact on cities, the only Directorate General involved practically in the development of an urban policy is the DG Regional Policy. Nevertheless, the focus of this DG is on regions and not on cities; regional policy clearly has priority over urban policy. Moreover, the fact that every six months a different member state has the Presidency of the European Union (EU) has a huge influence on the urban agenda of the Union, as urban policy’s position in the priority list changes continuously. Finally it should also be noticed that in each DG the role and importance of the city is quite different and this, of course, makes the possibility of discussing a common EU urban policy more difficult. In section 3.3 the role of some DGs and other institutional actors most involved in urban policy will be discussed.
