The International Urban and Regional Cooperation programme (IURC) aims to consolidate the form of decentralised international urban and regional cooperation in sustainable urban development, in key partner countries and regions in line with the external dimension of “Europe 2020.” Based on the capitalisation of results and lessons learned from the previous phases (2016-2024), the IURC programme optimises the added-value of international cooperation.
IURC is about more than signing agreements, is about practical implementation of concrete focused projects. Is a functional platform of cooperation between stakeholders from business, governments and research institutions where they get together to implement actions and make a difference for the future.
“This exceptional project has united us, we can have a dialogue with countries on the other side of the planet. We recognize that, despite geographical and cultural differences, we have common problems for which we find the same solution: consideration for ourselves, for nature, for the environment in which we live”
– Bratislava (Slovakia)
The EU-funded programme is jointly implemented by the Service for Foreign Policy Instruments and the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission. It contributes to the objectives of the New Urban Agenda, the Agenda 2030 (SDGs), the Urban Agenda for the EU and the political objectives of the European Cohesion. Thematic workshops, webinars, networking events and advanced cooperation visits enable local and regional governments to implement concrete pilot projects engaging research, civil society and business partners (quadruple helix).
