This marks a milestone for the Green City Accord’s mission to foster sustainable urban development across all of Europe.
What is the ‘associated city’ status?
The associated city status would formally recognise non-EU cities that commit to the Green City Accord’s principles.
These cities:
- Align with the core goals of sustainable urban development and environmental improvement.
- Commit to addressing the five areas of environmental management (air, water, nature and biodiversity, circular economy and waste, and noise)
- Contribute to the exchange of good practices with current Green City Accord signatories.
By including associated cities, the Green City Accord expands its reach to welcome European cities outside the EU, strengthening its collaborative network while maintaining the current framework and commitments of current signatory cities.
Who will be eligible?
Cities eligible for associated status includes those in:
- European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries that are part of the European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein).
- EU acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, namely:
- Albania
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Georgia
- Republic of Moldova
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Serbia
- Türkiye
- Ukraine
Why this matters for current cities and partners
By expanding its geographic scope, the Green City Accord will:
- Strengthen environmental collaboration across the continent.
- Support alignment with the EU’s environmental and circular economy regulations in partner countries.
- Enable frontrunner cities and associated cities to share knowledge and accelerate progress.
- Create new opportunities for partnerships, innovation and investment in sustainable solutions.
Looking ahead
With this new status, the Green City Accord aims to broaden its impact, foster regional cooperation and reinforce Europe’s collective commitment to a more sustainable urban future.
