Cities and the policy of territorial cohesion in the EU

The paper reveals the main instruments for ensuring the cooperative functioning of cities and surrounding regions in the context of territorial cohesion policy in the European Union. It was noted that the policy of territorial cohesion resonates primarily with the practical implementation of the concept of "functional urban areas". Currently, such functional urban areas often transcend national borders, necessitating the implementation of cross-border administration. In addition, considerable attention is paid to the implementation of Integrated Sustainable Development Strategies, which began to be implemented at the pan-European level in the framework of Cohesion Policy for 2014-2020 as part of the overall transformation of political ideology and practice in favour of a place-based approach. It was noted that the “EU Urban Agenda” was launched in 2016 with the aim of achieving “better regulation”, “better funding” and “better knowledge” by cities, as well as to reach the compliance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals till 2030, in particular in the direction of inclusiveness, security, reconstruction and sustainable urban development. At the same time, it was noted that the priorities, themes and interdisciplinary aspects of the EU Urban Agenda were developed taking into account the priorities of the EU 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth