In October 2025, Barcelona hosted the 10th European Metropolitan Authorities (EMA) Forum — a key European platform where metropolises define a collective position on the future development of cities and regions beyond 2030. The Forum’s final report outlines a new global framework: metropolitan regions should no longer be merely advisory actors but full-scale partners in shaping policies, financing, and governance at European and international levels.
The discussions centered on housing, climate adaptation, water management, mobility, the digital transition, and social cohesion. Today, metropolises concentrate the majority of the population and economic activity, while simultaneously bearing most of the modern world’s vulnerabilities. According to UN-Habitat estimates, by 2035, nearly 40% of the world’s population will live in metropolitan regions.
Of particular significance is that the EMA report specifically highlights the Lviv Agglomeration as an example of institutional development in a time of war. The Lviv Agglomeration is recognized as the first metropolitan regional model in Ukraine which, despite the absence of specialized national legislation, unites 13 communities and serves as a vital social, medical, and economic hub. This recognition is not merely symbolic but political: European partners view our experience as a potential model for other Ukrainian agglomerations.
The Forum’s Political Declaration calls on member states and the European Union to establish stable financial mechanisms for metropolises, grant them greater authority, and provide direct access to EU funds. For Ukraine, this is a clear signal: agglomerations can and must become a key instrument for recovery, European integration, and improving the quality of life.
The Lviv Agglomeration’s participation in EMA is about more than just international presence. It is about joining the circle of regions that set the European agenda and demonstrating a readiness to take responsibility for the future — even under the most challenging conditions. This is what modern metropolitan leadership looks like today.
The final report is available for review here.
