Urban Agenda for the European Union
(...) Not addressing urban issues at European level, and not having a common European vision of urban development policies - the so-called European "Urban Acquis" - could undermine the achievement of the objectives of the Lisbon Agenda and the EU's sustainable development strategies.
European Commission, 2009: 11.
The Pact of Amsterdam, approved at the Informal Meeting of Ministers responsible for Urban Development in the EU Member States, held on 30 May 2016, embodies the long-awaited Urban Agenda for the EU. This Urban Agenda proposes a clearly operational approach focused on 3 specific objectives: to improve regulation at EU level (“better regulation”) especially those having a direct impact on urban areas; to strive for a more effective design and simpler management of EU financing instruments (“better funding”); and finally, to promote the exchange of knowledge (“better knowledge”).