Higher priority for urban development?
Sustainable urban development should be a key intervention area, tackled with a horizontal approach, in the European Commission's sixth action programme for environment and sustainable development, according to the European Union's environment ministers. This was the conclusion drawn from the informal meeting of ministers in Porto which took place on the weekend of 15 and 16 April. The sixth action programme, which is being prepared by the Environment Directorate-General of the European Commission, will last for 10 years and the informal meeting formed a key part in preparing its agenda as the previous programme draws to a close. The ministers claimed that there was a need to take measures to favour 'an integrated policy for sustainable cities'. The meeting had been analysing the effects of various factors influencing urban development, such as energy consumption, sustainable transportation and fighting social exclusion.