The Local Alliance calls on Ursula Von der Leyen to rethink on funding for cities and regions

Continuing its advocacy work started early this year, the Local Alliance sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen urging a reassessment of how Europe funds its cities and regions.

The letter emphasises the need for a more integrated and holistic approach to financing, reflecting the reality that energy, mobility, waste management, governance, and citizen engagement are interconnected at the local level and should be addressed in tandem. The networks stress that the current siloed approach to funding does not align with the practical, on-the-ground needs of cities and regions, which require coordinated investments across sectors.

The letter also highlights the need for stronger collaboration between local leaders and key EU commissioners, particularly those responsible for economic and financial affairs, the single market, and cohesion. The signatories call for the appointment of an Executive Vice-President to oversee structured and permanent dialogues between the European Commission and local authorities. This, they argue, would be a crucial step towards achieving Europe’s economic, environmental, and social goals.

ACR+ forms the Local Alliance with seven other leading networks of European cities and regions: CEMR, Climate Alliance, Energy Cities, Eurocities, FEDARENE, ICLEI Europe and POLIS.