13.7.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L 191/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) DECISION No 1411/2001/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 27 June 2001 on a Community Framework for cooperation to promote sustainable urban development THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 175(1) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (3), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty (%), Whereas: (1) The Treaty provides for the development and imple- mentation of a Community environment policy and sets out the objectives and principles which should guide that policy. (2) By adopting Decision No 2179/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (), the Community confirmed its commitment to the general approach and strategy chosen by the Commission in its Programme ‘Towards Sustainability’ (%). (3)  Many of the Community's international commitments, in particular with regard to action to combat climate change, can be implemented only with the cooperation of local authorities. (4 In its communication entitled ‘Sustainable urban devel- opment in the European Union: a framework for action’ of 28 October 1998, the Commission gave an under- taking to provide ‘continued support for local govern- ment networking activities’ and to ‘ensure an appro- 1 () O] C 56 E, 29.2.2000, p. 68. () O] C 204, 18.7.2000, p. 35. () O] C 317, 6.11.2000, p. 33. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 14 December 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and Council Decision of 18 June 2001. () O] L 275, 10.10.1998, p. 1. () O] C 138, 17.5.1993, p. 5. priate legal basis necessary to fund such activities on a multiannual basis’. The European Parliament has adopted resolutions () on strengthening European Union urban environment policy. The Committee of the Regions has adopted opinions on transfrontier and transnational cooperation between local authorities (8) and on the Commission communi- cation ‘Towards an urban agenda in the European Union’ (). The Fifth Environmental Action Programme recognises that all the players concerned, including the Commission and local authorities, should take concerted action, acting in partnership, to achieve the objective of sustain- able development and share the relevant responsibilities. Chapter 28 of Agenda 21, which was the subject of the Protocol signed at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992, stipulates that most local authorities in each country should undertake a consultative process with their popu- lations and should achieve a consensus on a local Agenda 21 for the community. The objectives of sustainable urban development and the implementation of Agenda 21 and Community legisla- tion necessitate the definition, development and exchange of good practices between local authorities and the raising of their awareness. The capacity of local authority networks should be strengthened at European level, good practices in the fields of sustainable urban development and local Agenda 21 should be developed and exchanged, and these activities should be coordinated in order to relay to the Commission information and opinions from local authorities on new and emerging prospects in areas relating to sustainable development. 226, 20.7.1998, pp. 34 and 36 and 279, 1.10.1999, p. 44. 0] C 0] C 0] C 51, 2221999, p. 21. 0] C 251, 10.8.1998, p. 11.