EU funding

We continue to unpack the European Commission's long-term budget (MFF) proposal. Today’s menu: the future of urban initiatives and the LIFE programme, and a new facility designed to cope with the uncertainty of our time.

The current proposal for the EU’s next long-term budget raises serious concerns for cities and regions. To help you respond, Energy Cities has developed a practical advocacy toolkit to help influence key decision-makers in your country.

Despite many setbacks in 2025, this year represents an opportunity to put Europe’s future back on the right course. Here are the EU policy battles to watch in 2026 and how Energy Cities will fight to keep Europe’s transition and future rooted in its communities.

Brussels is still buzzing. After scoring points in the debate on the 2028–2034 Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF), the European Parliament is now dragging its feet […]

Democracy is increasingly under threat in Europe, and the EU is struggling to respond. If they want to mount an effective defence of the rule of law, they must stop sidelining local governments and urgently focus on empowering cities.

A new policy Agenda for cities has been published by the European Commission, but without mandatory regional chapters and territorial approach in the next EU budget it will remain a dead letter.

I could have written about the latest chapter in the European budget saga. You will find it below… or now, let me simply say this: […]

Last week, Europe’s regions and cities took centre stage in Brussels, but against a tense political backdrop. As negotiations over the next long-term EU budget draw near, local leaders are warning that sidelining cities and regions as in the current proposal endangers not only their future, but Europe’s as a whole.

Like dancing on a volcano! That’s how it feels after an intense week of negotiations. The topic of discussion? The next 2028-2034 European budget.The protagonists? The […]

European Democracy Shield, this was European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s strong announcement on 10 September 2025, during the traditional State of the Union address in Strasbourg.  In a […]