Representatives of national associations of local and regional authorities from 12 Council of Europe member states met in Strasbourg on 25 April 2025 to begin preparing for accreditation to implement the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE).
During a workshop organised by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress, participants from Armenia, Latvia, Malta, Spain, Romania and Türkiye learned how to conduct a 3600 self-assessment of good democratic governance practice in local authorities using the ELoGE benchmark and questionnaires. The workshop also provided a platform for peer learning, as participants exchanged with their counterparts who have recently completed ELoGE processes in the Basque Country (Spain), Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, North Macedonia and Türkiye. A delegation from Cyprus, currently finalising the first ELoGE implementation in the context of the Enhancing Local Government Reform in Cyprus project, also benefitted from the opportunity to exchange with peers.
Developed on the basis of the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance, ELoGE is a benchmarking tool that includes 36 targets and 72 indicators. The Label is awarded to municipalities demonstrating high performance in democratic governance, transparency and citizen participation.
National associations interested in pursuing accreditation to deliver ELoGE are invited to submit their applications by 19 May 2025, ahead of the next meeting of the ELoGE Accreditation Platform, established under the aegis of the Congress Bureau, which is scheduled to take place in June 2025.
