The Committee on Governance, Civic Engagement and the Environment (Governance Committee)  of the Congress met for the first time under its new terms of reference on 11 June 2024 in Strasbourg. 

The Committee approved a report on fostering circular economy in Council of Europe municipalities and regions to address both environmental sustainability and human rights delivery by Linda Gillham (United Kingdom, ILDG) and Kristoffer Tamsons (Sweden, EPP/CCE)The Committee also discussed the preparation of a report on better local and regional governance of water resources by Teuvo Hatva (Finland, ILDG) and Carla Nunes Tavares (Portugal, SOC/G/PD); and agreed to prepare reports on coastal erosion, cultural heritage and memory, history teaching at regional level, as well as on recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine which would ensure its transition to a developed decentralised democracy. 

Committee members also held an exchange of views with Congress Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC/G/PD) on ways of mainstreaming the human rights dimension into Committee activities, in the light of the revised Congress priorities.

The Committee’s Third Vice-Chair Benoît Pilet (France, ILDG) chaired the meeting and the Committee elected Paolo Beltraminelli (Switzerland, EPP/CCE) as First Vice-Chair.