The Digital Transition Partnership of the Urban Agenda, EUROCITIES, CEMR and OASC call on the next long-term budget to strongly support cities in the digital transition.

In a joint statement on the Digital Europe Programme, the Digital Transition Partnership of the Urban Agenda, EUROCITIES, CEMR and the Open & Agile Smart Cities network (OASC), raise the importance of supporting cities and communities in their digital transition.

The digital transition is currently revolutionising European cities. This revolution needs to be backed by appropriate financial tools. To close digital gaps, not only do cities need to invest in their (IT) infrastructure, but they also need to strengthen the digital skills of their citizens and public administrations. The Digital Transition Partnership, EUROCITIES, CEMR and OASC fully support the European Commission’s proposal for a Digital Europe Programme, which has adopted a much-needed cross-functional approach as it invests in both infrastructure and people. In this statement, we call for maintaining the proposed programme and level of budget allocation to ensure essential funding for digital transition in Europe.