In 1999, the European Commission (EUROSTAT) initiated a pilot project called ‘Urban Audit’ (also known as City Statistics) to collect data on 58 of the largest European cities. The project is being implemented in phases, each lasting approximately 24 months. Bulgaria joined the project for the first time in 2004 and continues participating in it.
In 2017, the European Commission integrated the most important territorial typologies, including the City and Functional Urban Area (FUA) definitions as well as the Degree of Urbanisation classification into the NUTS Regulation: Regulation (EC) No. 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council.
In 2019, the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1130 adopted uniform conditions for the harmonized application of territorial typologies. The inclusion of ‘city’ and ‘functional urban area’ definitions in the EU legal framework allows for referencing these territorial typologies in statistical legislation.
The goal is to gather various statistical data on the demographic, socio-economic, ecological, and cultural development of cities and their functional urban areas. This information aims to provide comparable data on the regions for the implementation of territorial policies in the European Union.
The project is co-financed by the European Union.
