Urban Agenda EU Partnerships on Food and Cities of Equality

Cities, Regions, Member States, Partner States, national city umbrella organisations, and other stakeholders are invited to apply and become partner of the new Thematic Partnerships under the Urban Agenda for the EU (UAEU): Food and Cities of Equality.

About the call

Cities (of all sizes), Regions, (and regional development agencies), Member States (through relevant national-level ministries and agencies), Partner States, European and national city umbrella organisations and other stakeholders, which are interested in joining one or both of the two new Thematic Partnerships on Food and Cities of Equality can show their interest by submitting the following application(s) by 29 September 2023 at 18:00 (CET).

Click here to apply to become a partner of the Thematic Partnership on Food

Click here to apply to become a partner of the Thematic Partnership on Cities of Equality

The call follows Ex-Ante Assessments for both thematic areas and is accompanied by background documents detailing eligibility, selection criteria, and responsibilities. Motivation, expertise, stakeholder engagement, and readiness are key criteria for applicants to consider.

More information, access to the Ex-Ante Assessment reports and the background documents as well as a dedicated Questions and Answers section are available on the respective partnership webpages on the UAEU website.

About the themes and partnerships

Urban areas undeniably serve as pivotal breeding grounds for pioneering solutions to the contemporary socio-economic challenges we confront. This guiding principle resides at the heart of the Urban Agenda for the European Union. Over the preceding seven years, a collaborative synergy has flourished across sixteen partnerships, uniting with a shared mission of confronting intricate issues encompassing poverty, climate change, migration, mobility, tourism, and more.

Today, two novel themes have emerged, ushering in fresh prospects for cities, regions, Member States, Partner States, national city umbrella organisations, and additional stakeholders to engage with and participate as partners in the new Thematic Partnerships: Food and Cities of Equality.

The Thematic Partnership on Food

The Partnership on Food emphasises a systemic approach to transforming food systems, with urban centres playing a pivotal role. Aligned with trends like the EU Sustainable Food Systems Framework and the EU Food Policy Council, the partnership aims to drive comprehensive legislative actions to bolster food system resilience.

Its core objective is to coordinate various initiatives, leveraging their collective efforts to boost transformative changes in food systems and establish cities as change agents. The partnership remains adaptable, aligned with evolving processes and perspectives.

Guided by principles like holistic food system views and recognizing food as a human right, the partnership promotes multilevel governance and considers the true costs of food production.

Themes like agroecology, food justice, and localizing food systems are focal points, emphasizing policy alignment and resource pooling. This effort aligns with broader agendas like the European Green Deal and UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The partnership convenes stakeholders across the food chain, facilitating collaborative vision-building for sustainable implementation. It contributes to policy input, funding processes, and multilevel governance to address local challenges and catalyse city-led positive food system transformations.

Access to the partnership’s webpages

The Thematic Partnership on Cities of Equality

European policies advocating green, digital, and just transitions, along with urban and environmental changes, present substantial opportunities with available resources. However, the challenge lies in concretely implementing inclusion and equality strategies, especially at the city level. The forthcoming partnership should seize this opportunity to strengthen the social dimension, addressing the current gap and enhancing equality measures within these policies.

The partnership’s primary focus is addressing city-specific equality issues. Successful cities fostering proactive equality environments consider diverse needs, providing equal opportunities for all irrespective of various factors. Achieving this involves targeted interventions for protected groups and holistic thinking for comprehensive citywide inclusion. Intersectionality, acknowledging interconnected discrimination, is crucial. By considering unique challenges faced by individuals and communities, the partnership aims for comprehensive, inclusive approaches to city equality.

The multi-level governance approach is vital for the ’Cities of Equality’ theme, ensuring a cohesive strategy across EU, Member States, regional, and city levels. This comprehensive approach aligns vision, incentives, and delivery mechanisms. The engagement of cities, especially small and medium-sized ones, is crucial for the success of the partnership.

Access to the partnership’s webpage

Membership benefits

Partners contribute to shaping the theme and implementing objectives, engaging in theme scoping, sub-theme analysis, and plan development at various levels. Responsibilities include active participation, formulation of actions, and resource allocation.

Joining a partnership offers a chance to influence EU policy, funding, and knowledge, alongside networking with likeminded organisations and the broader UAEU network.

Become part of the UAEU support team! EUI is looking for Thematic Partnership Officers

The European Urban Initiative provides support to the Urban Agenda for the EU and its partnerships. The EUI Permanent Secretariat is now looking for Thematic Partnership Officers (TPOs) to assist with a variation of administrative, organisational, and supporting tasks to enable an efficient functioning of the partnership(s).

TPOs will play a fundamental role in the day-to-day work of the allocated thematic partnership(s):