EUROCITIES actively engages with the European Commission in establishing a strong policy dialogue to enable the city level to feed into the European level. The INTEGRATING CITIES conference series serves as a platform for this dialogue. This is where key experts and decision-makers, concerned with integration policies in European cities, can meet. The aim of the conference series is to promote cooperation between the European, national and local level on the implementation of the Common Basic Principles underpinning the European Framework for Integration. The importance of involving cities in the development of the European agenda for integration cannot be overstated and the conferences are an excellent opportunity to highlight this fact.

INTEGRATING CITIES I was held in Rotterdam in 2006 and looked at the topic of ‘European policies, local practices’. In Milan 2007, INTEGRATING CITIES II confirmed the commitment through the Milan Declaration “to further engagement for a strong voice of cities in shaping the European Common Agenda for Integration”. ‘Embracing Diversity – Achieving Equal Opportunities’ was the topic of INTEGRATING CITIES III held in Berlin 2009, where options on how city administrations can best contribute to promoting a welcoming and productive society were explored.

The latest conference in the series, INTEGRATING CITIES IV, was held in London, on 22 February 2010. 'Europe Enriched: towards a shared vision for migrant integration in European cities' focused on launching the EUROCITIES Charter on Integrating Cities and discussing how local administrations could use this tool in their future work. Click on the side menu to obtain more details on each of the INTEGRATING CITIES conferences.

The 2012 Integrating Cities will be held in Amsterdam and carries the theme 'Making Integration Work in Europe's Cities'. In Amsterdam, a city with 180 nationalities, diversity is a given. Even in a city with this many nationalities we see that tolerance, respect and freedom are things we have to constantly work on. Dialogues are crucial for maintaining a tolerant society where everybody has a chance to participate. It's the responsibility of every citizen in Amsterdam proudly uphold the tradition of tolerance and making diversity, citizenship and integration work.