Homepage
Sitemap
Larger
Smaller
Login
Registration
Help
Terms of use
CoR hosts launch of European Green Capital Award to reward cities with a green vision
27.05.2008, 09:01
Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas will sign a
declaration establishing a new annual award for cities committed to
furthering environmental improvement at the Committee of the Regions
(CoR) in Brussels on 22 May. The European Green Capital Award, an
initiative launched by the European Commission, will be given to a city
that is leading the way in environmentally friendly urban living.
The Commissioner will be joined by Paddy Bourke, Lord Mayor of Dublin and President of the Union of Capital Cities of the European Union. Jüri Ratas, former Mayor of Tallinn and current Vice-President of the Estonian Parliament, who conceived the award in May 2006, will attend the ceremony along with mayors from other cities supporting the initiative: Helsinki, Riga, Vilnius, Berlin, Warsaw, Madrid, Ljubljana, Prague, Vienna, Kiel, Kotka, Dartford, Tartu and Glasgow.
The award aims to support European cities in solving environmental problems and enhancing the quality of life of their citizens. Ahead of the event, Commissioner Dimas said: "I hope that this award will act as a powerful incentive for local governments and authorities to improve living conditions for Europe's city-dwellers. Many cities are already committed to improving protection of their environment: I am confident that this award will encourage many more to follow suit."
The competition is open to all European cities with a population of over 200,000. Entries will be assessed on the basis of ten environmental criteria including climate change, transport, air, waste and water. The deadline for applications for both the 2010 and 2011 award is 1 October 2008. A jury composed of representatives from the Commission, the European Environment Agency, Local Governments for Sustainability, the European Federation for Transport and Environment, the Union of Capitals of the EU and the CoR will select the winners later this year.
Source: www.cor.eu