Monday

7th Nov 2016

Cities demand access to EU migration funds

Cities are struggling to deal with the influx of refugees and asylum seekers, but EU funds go to national governments, and mayors complain they are getting no help.

News in Brief

  1. Ex-commissioner De Gucht: Juncker has no spine
  2. Brexit calendar unchanged, May says
  3. MEPs' Dieselgate invitation to French minister still 'pending'
  4. EU 'gravely concerned' by political arrests in Turkey
  5. MEP Brok: US campaign style is a danger for democracy
  6. De Gucht justifies EU allowance: 'That's the system'
  7. Denmark confiscates thousands of euros from asylum seekers
  8. Brussels-diplomat becomes new Spanish foreign minister
Vienna: A reluctant cosmopolis

Vienna excels in quality of life surveys due to its local government, but Austria's capital may need to show more openness to foreign influences if its success is to endure.

Brussels 2030

The EU capital has had an awful year. Looking forward, the city needs to urgently make itself a better place for people to live in and visit, starting with its notorious problems with congestion, pollution and bureaucracy.

A world without waste

A garbage crisis in Naples, Italy, gave birth to the "zero waste" movement, but is the rest of Europe brave enough to change the way it thinks about trash?

Back to the Future by Hyperloop

Cars that run on petrol or diesel are meant to be a rarity by the year 2050. Progress is slow. But some Nordic cities have radical visions of how a "Hyperloop" could change that.

Old cities, new shapes

After centuries of development, the European model of cities is trying to put people first.

EU cities try their own 'Ubers'

As some places struggle to deal with the impact of firms like Uber and Airbnb, other cities are embracing the change and seeking to learn.

Europe's rare youthful villages

Some villages in the EU are bucking the trend by attracting young people. But unless there is outside funding and local action, Europe's countryside will be full of ghosts.

Copenhagen harbour swimming

Copenhagen harbour, like many of its kind, used to stink of oil and garbage. Now, people swim in canals around the parliament, passing shoals of fish and jellyfish.

Student villages on the water

Students will soon be able to move into converted shipping containers in Gothenburg. Architects hope to spread their idea of cheap, waterside living across Europe.

Analysis

Juncker's unrealistic promise of free wifi

The commission president said "every European village and every city" will have public internet access in 2020, but the statement was not backed up by any legally binding target.

Danish-Swedish border checks cause stress, delays

Number of people going by train between Denmark and Sweden dropped 12 percent since Sweden introduced anti-migrant ID controls. After 60 years of Nordic free travel, people hate the scheme.

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  12. COMECEMigrants: From Fear to Compassion

EU cities want say on refugee policy

Overwhelmed by refugees and let down by national governments, European cities had to step in. Now they want more funding and a seat at the table on migration policy.

Domino effect: Denmark follows Sweden on EU border checks

“May I see your ID?” - five little words on a train platform in Copenhagen on Monday mark the end of 60 years of Nordic free travel, as first Sweden, then Denmark impose new border checks amid the refugee crisis.

Climate host Paris's green goals bogged down by bureaucracy

The French capital, host of climate talks four weeks from now, has set ambitious targets to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption. But a multi-layered regional administration limits the impact of its actions.