Policy paper: Activation of Brownfields

The paper now published is the result of several months of discussions, which were advanced in autumn 2025 at the conference ‘Activation of Brownfields in Europe’ organised by the BMR at the Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) to the European Union in Brussels, among other places. There, representatives from politics, administration and business discussed the first key points of a European strategy for land activation. These findings were incorporated into the joint policy paper.

The regions involved see the EU's upcoming multiannual financial framework (2028–2034) as a crucial opportunity to promote brownfield development more strongly than before. The paper sets out four specific demands:

1. Early-stage financing as a separate component:
   A European funding mechanism is called for to support the acquisition, planning, demolition and soil remediation of brownfield sites.
2. Institutional strengthening through public development companies:
   The regions advocate structures that support municipal and regional actors in complex procedures and property issues.
3. Making existing EU funding programmes more flexible:
   In future, funding criteria should better reflect the ecological, economic and social dimensions of land reactivation.
4. A dedicated instrument for land acquisition:
   To enable local authorities to act strategically, land acquisition should be systematically integrated into EU programmes – without creating incentives for land speculation.

The 13 participating regions include the Ruhr, the Metropolis GZM (Poland), regions in Spain, Austria and the Czech Republic, as well as partners from France, Belgium, Greece and Slovenia. They all share the goal of securing brownfield sites and developing them for new economic, ecological and urban planning uses.

„The Activation of Brownfields in the European Union: Creating New Opportunities through the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028–2034“

Full version

Executive Summary