The Association of interprofessionnal Employers / Businessmen Organisations of European capital cities (OPCE) has displayed during its 13th congress held in Warsaw on 20 and 21 June 2002, its 2nd Benchmarking Study.

Thanks to the data provided by its 14 members, this study contains the most updated results to analyse the economic and social situation in the main European capital cities, following by the way the aim of our association to facilitate and encourage the exchanges of information between the capital employers organisations. The European capital cities have in common, as the analysis shows it, particular advantages and problems and can learn a lot from each other.

The study underlines once again the important role of the capitals in their own countries and in the whole Europe. It shows clearly the attractiveness of these cities in all the spheres of the modern life.

A huge problem for most of the capital cities remains in the high rate of unemployment and the governments have implemented a lot of measures to solve it. Finally, the main chance of the European capital cities is their high attractiveness regarding young people, as Erich Gerard, President of OPCE from June 2000 to June 2002, said : "There are good chances for the capital cities to become centres for young entrepreneurs". Compared to the national average, there are more studients and more start-ups in the cities and this fact has to be related to the image of the OPCE cities as centres of culture, science and business. Young people move to the capitals and represent a chance to reinforce an innovative climate and their role in the new economy.

Furthermore, it appears that the capital cities are more and more attractive for tourism, especially thanks to very important cultural opportunities. The European capital cities are also high places to welcome international events of any kind.

To reinforce this economic and cultural attractiveness, it is important to help the European capital cities to solve their problems. To make sure to keep it, it is necessary to include the difficulties met by these cities in the programs of the European Union. It is therefore a priority for Erich Gerard to ask the European Commission to consider the particular situation of the European capital cities in the implementation of the EU structural aids and funds.