Edinburgh Conference Will Build Bonds With European Cities

Submitted by edg on Tue, 27 Nov '18 8.21am

As the debate about Prime Minister's Brexit deal continues to rage, tomorrow Edinburgh will be hosting representatives from over 100 cities as part of the 3-day EUROCITIES conference at the EICC.

Established in 1986, EUROCITIES is a major network of European cities, bringing together the local governments of over 140 of Europe’s largest cities and 40 partner cities that between them govern some 130 million citizens across 39 countries.

EUROCITIES is a network and platform for Europe’s mayors and political leaders to address key urban challenges faced by cities in Europe. Edinburgh has been a member since 1991.

The conference's main themes are headed "Citizenship and democracy", particularly the role cities can play within the European project, in the run-up to the European Parliament elections in 2019 - which, under Brexit, UK citizens won't vote in.

The other main theme is "Culture – a smart investment for our future" looking at how culture can broaden horizons, bring people together, and help improve the quality of urban life.

Commenting ahead of the event, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Frank Ross, said: “It is a great honour that Edinburgh is hosting this fantastic event. It gives Edinburgh and our European neighbours the opportunity to share know-how, expertise, and best practice while showcasing the best our city has to offer. Edinburgh has a long history of strong European connections having played an important role in the intellectual, scientific and cultural development of Europe. We are really looking forward to welcoming cities from across the continent to share insights and ideas for tackling the challenges facing our cities."