The EUROMED Cities Network, chaired since November 2008 by Christian Estrosi, encourages local authorities to engage in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership. With a membership of around one hundred European and Mediterranean cities, it has initiated innovative Euro-Mediterranean projects, based on links of friendship and fruitful cooperation between countries on both sides of the Mediterranean since its creation.
The second plenary session of the network is currently taking place in the city of Fez, Morocco. This plenary session is devoted to sustainable local development (water and waste management, ecotourism), building a new, diverse, and shared economy in the Mediterranean, as well as decentralization and autonomy of local authorities (decentralized cooperation, public services, training of leadership).
During the renewal of the presidency, the delegations reelected Christian Estrosi as President of the EUROMED Cities Network for a new 2-year term.
Christian Estrosi has outlined the main orientations of his second term: 1) Development and strengthening of decentralized cooperation actions between network authorities, following the conventions implemented over the past two years, between Nice Côte d’Azur and the cities of Jdeide and Bourj Hamoud, in Lebanon and Sousse, in Tunisia, in the fields of sanitation and waste collection.
2) Strengthening ties between network members and enhancing the network’s reach through the creation of a website.
3) Establishing for the first time since the creation of the EUROMED Cities Network a permanent general secretariat in Nice.
See the new site of the Euromed Network.
THE EUROMED CITIES NETWORK
Since 1995, political dialogue instruments have been put in place to promote Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, such as the Barcelona process, the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), and since July 13, 2008, the creation of a Union for the Mediterranean, which opens up new interesting prospects regarding the role that European and Mediterranean local authorities can play as partners in Mediterranean integration.
This group of Euromed cities, which is part of the United Cities and Local Governments network, was created by the City of Bordeaux in 2000 and is based on the conclusions of the third Euro-Mediterranean conference of foreign ministers, held in Stuttgart on April 15 and 16, 1999, which encouraged local authorities to engage in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership.
The network aims to promote the central role of cities as drivers of North/South dialogue.
The EUROMED Cities Network, with around a hundred members comprising European and Mediterranean cities and partner associations, has since its creation initiated innovative Euro-Mediterranean projects, based on links of friendship and fruitful cooperation between countries on both sides of the Mediterranean.
LIST OF EUROMED NETWORK MEMBERS
EUROPEAN CITIES
Germany: Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg
Poland: Gdansk
Belgium: Antwerp, Brussels capital region, Charleroi
Spain: Barcelona, Malaga, Zaragoza, Seville
France: Bordeaux, Belfort, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nancy, Nantes, Nice, Paris, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Cassis, Toulon, Saint-Etienne, Gap, Valence
Greece: Athens, Thessaloniki
Netherlands: Rotterdam
Italy: Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Lecce, Palermo, Rome, Turin, Trieste, Venice
Portugal: Porto
Romania: Mangalia
United Kingdom: Glasgow
Sweden: Stockholm
Cyprus: Nicosia
Turkey: Bodrum
Total European Cities: 45
MIDDLE EAST AND MAGHREB CITIES
Algeria: Sidi Abdellah, Tizi Ouzu, Constantine, Algiers, Annaba, Sidi Abdellah.
Egypt: Alexandria
Israel: Haifa
Jordan: Amman, Greater Salt
Lebanon: Al Fayhaa, Amioun, Beirut, Bourj Hammoud, El Mina, Jbeil Byblos, Jdeide, Khreibe, Sin El Fil, Baalbeck, Mansoura, Mokhtara, Tyre, Upper Chouf, Saida, Brital, Zouk Mikael, El Kaa, Rahbe, Hammana.
Morocco: Sale, Al Hoceima, Casablanca, Fez, Rabat, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Meknes, Essaouira, Agadir, Tangier, Tetouan.
Syria: Bosra, Aleppo
Tunisia: Mahdia, Sfax, Tunis, Sousse, Monastir, Bizerte.
Palestine: Ramallah
Total Middle-East and Maghreb Cities: 51
ASSOCIATED NETWORKS AND PARTNERS
APM (Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean)
Latin Arc
MedCities
UCLG
Technical Bureau of Lebanese Cities
United Cities France
Mediterranean Institute
ANIMA Network
French Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions
Association of Mayors of Major Cities of France
Cobaty International
Total associated networks and partners: 10
