News of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities
Congress and associations of local and regional authorities: renewed partnership in strengthening grassroots democracy
On 12 and 13 September 2024, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will host a Conference of national associations of local and regional authorities from the 46 member states, at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg. Organised on the occasion of the 75th...
Call for expression of interest to establish a Community of Practice on Deliberative Democracy in South-East Europe
A call for expression of interest is launched to establish a Community of Practice to support 18 local authorities and their associations in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia, in order to build their capacity for developing, implementing, and...
Congress to hold a Conference of national associations of local and regional authorities under the Lithuanian Presidency
The Congress will organise, in the framework of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers, a Conference of national associations of local and regional authorities, on 12 and 13 September in Strasbourg, under the theme “building together a stronger local and...
Congress youth delegates in the spotlight on International Youth Day
Convinced that involving young people in local and regional decision making helps build better communities, the Congress is a staunch promotor of youth participation in Europe’s cities and regions. Already in 1992, it adopted the first European Charter on the participation of young people in...
Congress President welcomes liberation of prisoners of conscience in Russia and in Belarus
The President of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Marc Cools, has made the following statement: “On behalf of the Congress, I unreservedly welcome the liberation of municipal councillors from Tomsk Ksenia Fadeeva and from the Moscow Krasnoselsky District Ilya...
Seven local authorities of Friuli Venezia Giulia join the network of governance excellence
The seven local authorities of Pagnacco, Premariacco, Reana del Rojale, Ruda, Sagrado, San Lorenzo Isontino and Tavagnacco from the Friuli Venezia Giulia region join over 50 peer municipalities in Italy and nearly 300 across more than 20 member states awarded the European Label of Governance...
Congress’ Standing Rapporteur calls on local governments to do more for social inclusion of Roma and Travellers
The Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC/G/PD), has made the following statement on the occasion of European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day, 2 August: “As Europe marks the 80th anniversary of the murder of 4,300...
Five Basque municipalities recognised for excellence in local governance
In a ceremony marking the conclusion of the 2024 edition of the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country (Spain), the municipalities of Donostia/San Sebastián, Azkoitia, Irun, Ermua and Legazpi received the prestigious distinction awarded...
Project in Bulgaria produces roadmap for fiscal decentralisation reform
On 30 June 2024, the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe completed the joint EU/CoE project “Developing fiscal decentralisation and improving local financial management in Bulgaria,” Implemented since June 2022...
United Nations High-Level Political Forum: Local and regional governments are key actors in transforming global governance
The United Nations High-Level Political Forum in New York is taking place at a time of multiple world crises. To address global challenges, the Congress called on states worldwide to empower cities and regions. In his speech, Congress Vice-President Bernd Vöhringer recalled the Congress...
Albanian local authorities: Better competencies for better services
How do you ensure you have the right staff with the appropriate skills to deliver services for citizens? On 26 June 2024, the Council of Europe Office in Tirana hosted a Focus Group meeting on the New Core Competencies Framework, which is being developed for local level civil servants in...
Congress Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights meet with Human Rights experts of the Council of Europe
Congress Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC/G/PD) and Deputy Standing Rapporteurs Mélanie Lepoultier (France, ILDG) and Peter Drenth (Netherlands, EPP/CCE) will carry out a study visit to Strasbourg from 10 to 11 July 2024. They will hold exchange of views...
Congress and Council of Europe youth bodies join forces for the Youth Participation Charter revision
On 5 July 2024, the Committee on Social Inclusion and Human Dignity of the Congress organised a consultative meeting in Strasbourg to move forward with the new revision of the European Charter on the participation of young people in local and regional life, adopted in 1992 and revised for the...
Ageing communities, artificial intelligence, housing and human trafficking on the agenda of the Social Inclusion Committee
The Committee on Social Inclusion and Human Dignity of the Congress, meeting in Strasbourg on 4 July, approved a report on “Ageing communities - ensuring access to quality social care for older persons” by rapporteurs Joanne Laban (United Kingdom, ECR) and Carla Dejonghe (Belgium, ILDG). For this...
Congress President stresses crucial role of local and regional authorities in delivering social rights
"The road to social justice and the full implementation of social rights is a collective undertaking," stressed Marc Cools, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, at the opening of the High-Level Conference on the European Social Charter, in Vilnius, Lithuania, on 4 July...
Council of Europe and Ukraine sign joint declaration on the way forward in post-war period
After the two-day session of the High Level Dialogue on good democratic governance in Ukraine and the way forward in the post-war period, Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge and First Deputy Chairperson of the Parliament of Ukraine Oleksandr Korniyenko signed the following...
Congress Secretary General welcomes continued dialogue on decentralisation in Ukraine
“The decentralisation reform in Ukraine has led to the creation of bigger, stronger and more resilient local authorities, which proved to be pivotal in resisting the Russian aggression,” underlined Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori at the opening of the High-Level Dialogue on good...
Council of Europe Congress: Statement by the Monitoring Committee on the situation in Georgia
The Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, on 2 July 2024, adopted the following statement: “The Monitoring Committee reaffirms its full support to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia...
High-level dialogue on good democratic governance in Ukraine and way forward in post-war period
On 2-3 July 2024, Council of Europe and key national stakeholders from Ukraine gather in Strasbourg to discuss perspectives for good democratic governance reforms in Ukraine and further actions to improve the legal framework on multilevel governance and post-war elections in line with European...
Armenian and Georgian municipalities forge new partnerships across the border
Leaders and officials from neighbouring Armenian and Georgian municipalities met in Dilijan, Armenia, on 26-27 June 2024 to exchange ideas for a cross-border cooperation project involving the creation of youth centres, shared management of agricultural resources, and joint economic development...
