In addition to the MECOG-CE international conference, we also participated in other important international activities in March. On March 18, a meeting of the EUROCITIES working group focused on metropolitan areas took place. Fifteen cities from across Europe participated in the meeting. Led by František Kubeš from Brno and Peter Austin from Oslo, co-chairs of working group, a discussion took place on the future of metropolitan areas in relation to the proposed EU Multiannual Financial Framework, as well as on the group’s direction within EUROCITIES.
The working group meeting was enriched by external expert perspectives thanks to former Member of the European Parliament Jan Olbrycht, who had previously established a group in the European Parliament dedicated to urban issues, and Iván Tosics, an international expert from the Metropolitan Research Institute.
On March 30, 2026, the European Metropolitan Authorities (EMA) organized a meeting of political representatives from European cities with Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Cohesion and reforms. The Strategic Development and Cooperation Department actively contributed to the success of the entire event, both through preparatory online meetings and in person in Brussels on the day of this significant gathering.
The EMA is a prestigious forum for key policymakers and experts from major European metropolitan areas. This forum was established in 2015 and has become a platform for political dialogue between metropolitan areas and cities, EU institutions, and national governments. Brno is the only Czech city to be part of the EMA network.
Brno’s representative, Deputy Mayor Filip Chvátal, was among the leading figures from Rome, Milan, and Strasbourg. In his remarks, he emphasized, among other things, the need for continued support for the Integrated Territorial Investment instrument and the city’s positive experiences over the last two European Union programming periods. This was a unique opportunity to meet with such a prominent European politician, particularly at a crucial time when the shape of the post-2028+ programming period and the role of cities within it are being negotiated.
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