As part of its project on promoting civil participation in political decision making, the Congress has launched Regional Academies in the Republic of Moldova for local authority leaders and civil society.

In the first Regional Academy organised by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance and the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM) in Bălți on 7-8 April 2025, local leaders and civil society representatives from 10 municipalities in the North of the country exchanged innovative approaches for engaging civil society, piloting new methods and strengthening citizen consultations and participatory budgeting. They identified waste management, local budgeting and dealing with stray dogs as top concerns that could be addressed effectively through stronger community participation.

The next Regional Academies are planned for 5-6 May in Chișinău and 7-8 May in Cahul for, respectively, the Centre and the South of the country. During them, Council of Europe experts from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Georgia, Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and the United Kingdom will introduce European standards and tools to plan inclusive participation,  innovative community consultations, local Citizens Assemblies and the interactive UChange game. The Centre of Expertise will then provide technical assistance to local authorities wishing to strengthen their civil participation processes.

The Regional Academy on Civil Participation was organised in the framework of the project ‘Promoting Civil Participation in Political Decision-Making in the Republic of Moldova – Phase I’, implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, within the 2025-2028 Council of Europe Action Plan for Moldova.