Urban Europe takes a decisive step forward: The European Urban LAG Network officially launched inside the European Parliament
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The European Urban Local Action Groups Network (EUrbanLAG Net) was officially launched in Brussels this week during a high-level event held in the European Parliament on 4 November 2025, hosted by Members of the European Parliament Ștefan Mușoiu and Victor Negrescu.
Representatives of the European Commission (DG REGIO, DG EMPL, DG JUST), national managing authorities, local governments, and Urban LAGs from Romania, Poland, Portugal, Czechia and Hungary took part in the 3-day programme — marking the first time in EU history that Urban CLLD actors have come together under a single coordinated structure at European level.
The core message of the conference was united and clear:
Urban Europe calls for a dedicated 5% share of the 2028–2034 EU budget for Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) specifically for urban territories.
This allocation, participants argued, is essential for addressing key neighbourhood-level challenges — including social inclusion, housing for the vulnerable, youth integration, local enterprise support, and community-based regeneration — using grassroots approaches already tested and working in EU cities.
The event also delivered a significant institutional signal:
Four European Commissioners formally acknowledged the initiative and requested further documentation — a breakthrough recognition of the urban CLLD movement within EU policy dialogue.
“Today is not just the launch of a network — it is the recognition of a European reality: communities must be at the centre of how we design and implement urban transformation. This is a decisive moment for the future of local democracy in Europe,” stated Valentin Gheorghe Dimon, President of the European Urban LAG Network.
From this point onward, Urban LAGs across Member States will act under a single European voice — establishing urban CLLD not as a pilot instrument, but as a structural pillar of the future EU budget.
Press contact:
European Urban LAG Network (EUrbanLAG Net)
+40 751 06 06 75 / +32 498 42 32 31