Joint call for stronger political support of the EU Missions

Together with other European city networks, we wrote to the Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, urging her to take political ownership of the EU Missions as part of her leadership on Europe’s Clean, Just and Competitive Transition.

The five EU Missions – Adaptation to Climate Change, 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, Restore our Ocean and Waters, A Soil Deal for Europe, and Cancer – are crucial for addressing societal challenges and fostering innovation in key areas such as climate neutrality and resilience, cancer treatment, urban transformation, soil health, and ocean and water restoration. By integrating R&I with broader EU policy priorities, particularly with the implementation of the European Green Deal and competitiveness agendas, they demonstrate a powerful model for collaborative and transformative change on the ground. Their alignment with the three pillars outlined by President von der Leyen – closing the innovation gap, achieving decarbonisation, and ensuring economic security – further underscores their strategic importance.

Our networks strongly support the EU Missions as they are implemented at local and regional levels, where transformations take place. The Commission’s evaluation of July 2023 highlights the progress of the Missions toward their 2030 targets, demonstrating their ability to inspire cities and regions to adopt Mission-like approaches. These approaches foster policy integration, citizen engagement, and private sector involvement, which are critical for sustainable transitions. Moreover, the Missions have advanced collaboration across governance levels, linking R&I policy with sectoral objectives, and created a unique momentum for addressing climate change at the local level. These gains should now be consolidated and expanded.

We asked VP Ribeira to:

• Lead the integration of the EU Missions into her portfolio, ensuring their full alignment with climate, industrial, and social transformation priorities. 
• Coordinate closely with other Executive Vice-Presidents and Commissioners, including Henna Virkkunen, Raffaele Fitto, Stéphane Séjourné and Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva, to guarantee systemic collaboration and engagement across portfolios