Towards a National Platform: France

France advances the EU Cities Mission through the National Groupe Miroir Ville (GMV), created in 2020 as an informal coordination initiative led by public officers from key ministries. The GMV responds to the need for stronger coordination among national and local actors: ministries, public agencies, cities, research institutions and practitioners, to engage French stakeholders in European research urban initiatives. The GMV operates without a formal political mandate or dedicated national funding, relying primarily on NetZeroCities and CapaCITIES resources and voluntary contributions. Despite these limitations, it enables regular exchanges, mutual learning and capacity-building among the nine French Mission Cities, while supporting joint reflection on priorities such as investment planning, funding access, policy alignment and stakeholder engagement. Since 2024, following The Mission labelling of French cities, the GMV have focused on strengthening its legitimacy and addressing investment needs collectively. Early work on Climate City Contracts and joint funding approaches have demonstrated the value of coordinated action. The next challenge is to move toward implementation by reinforcing technical cooperation and project-based collaboration.