Kieran McCarthy calls for less red tape and a stronger voice for cities in EU investment

The European Committee of the Regions has unanimously adopted an opinion by European Alliance member Kieran McCarthy, councillor of Cork City Council, calling for simpler access to EU funding and a stronger role for cities in shaping European policies.

Adopted at the CoR plenary session on 14 October, the opinion welcomes the European Commission’s new EU Agenda for Cities but stresses that it must deliver practical results for local communities.

European cities face growing challenges, from affordable housing and climate change to demographic ageing and economic competitiveness. Yet many local authorities continue to struggle with complex EU funding procedures, fragmented support programmes and limited involvement in decisions that directly affect them.

McCarthy’s opinion calls for genuine simplification, better technical support for local projects and a stronger partnership between cities, national governments and EU institutions. The proposed EU Cities Platform should become a practical one-stop shop for local authorities, rather than another layer of bureaucracy.

With negotiations on the EU’s 2028–2034 budget under way, the opinion calls for binding guarantees that cities and regions can participate in the design, management and implementation of future EU investment plans.

It also stresses that stronger cities should benefit their surrounding towns and rural areas. EU investment must support balanced territorial development and people’s right to live and work in the places they call home.

The plenary debate also featured Denis Nesci MEP (ECR, Italy), the European Parliament’s rapporteur on Cohesion policy – the driving force in implementing the EU agenda for cities. His participation provided an opportunity for an exchange between the two institutions on the future of European urban policy.

Mr McCarthy said: “We welcome the Agenda, but we need more than another strategy or website. We need simpler access to EU funding, practical support to turn local priorities into real projects, and a genuine say in how European investment is planned and delivered. Cities do not exist in isolation. Investing in stronger, more competitive cities should also benefit the surrounding towns and rural communities.”