METREX, the Network of European Metropolitan Regions and Areas, was established in 1996 during the Metropolitan Regions Conference held in Glasgow and was supported by the European Commission. Its initial membership consisted of 15 authorities, and it has since expanded to include over 50 metropolitan regions and areas from across 22 European countries. The network’s core purpose is to bring together public sector representatives, strategic planners, and advisors to exchange knowledge and address shared metropolitan challenges such as sustainability, economic development, urban planning, and social inclusion.

Headquartered without a fixed single city but drawing on an extensive pan-European structure, METREX operates as a non-profit organisation. It collaborates with European institutions, governmental bodies, and research communities. Activities are facilitated through Expert and Network Groups, participation in EU-funded projects, and the bi-annual METREX Conference, which functions as a central forum for sharing knowledge and experience among its members.

Recent projects and initiatives focus on climate adaptation, digitalisation, and regional competitiveness, with notable involvement in programmes such as INTERREG and collaborative studies like InterMETREX, which benchmarked metropolitan planning practices across 31 cities in 18 countries. The network places emphasis on ‘Living Labs’—pilots and research-driven projects aiming for practical, scalable solutions to urban and regional challenges.

METREX functions as a knowledge hub, providing a platform for integrated policy thinking across the metropolitan scale and translating practice-based approaches into constructive feedback for shaping European policy frameworks.