News 2020
“Mostar made the first step towards a return to democratic normality”, says Congress President
Commenting on the local election held in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) on 20 December, Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP-CCE), President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, pointed to the crucial importance of this Election Day: “Despite difficult circumstances, democratic elections have...
Consolidating the institutional position of the association of local authorities in the Republic of Moldova
On 21 December 2020, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe organised an online meeting for the presentation of the baseline assessment of the institutional position and organisational capacities of the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM). It...
"In times of crisis, the Charter provides a legal basis for member States to defend the principles of local democracy," said the Congress Secretary General.
"The Congress stands ready to engage in a political dialogue with the Serbian authorities in order to further implement the reforms of local self-government under way. The provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the latest Congress monitoring report and Recommendation 403...
International Migrants Day: "Local and regional authorities are in the front line to defend the rights of migrants in Europe" said Harald Bergmann
"The increase of the number of migrants in Europe represents a major challenge for all levels of governance. The Covid-19 pandemic has profoundly changed our societies, especially the most fragile populations. Migrants are among the most impacted by the upheavals caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. ...
Kosovo*: Call for tenders for local consultancy services to assess the application of the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and to develop a training manual for local authorities
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is implementing the project “Promoting local democracy in Kosovo*” within the framework of the Council of Europe co‑operation with Kosovo*. The project aims to improve local self-government and the quality of local democracy...
Mostar: Congress concludes remote observation procedure in view of the first local elections after 12 years of political deadlock
Welcoming the fact that, for the first time in over a decade, citizens of the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will be able to vote at the local level on 20 December 2020, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe conducted a remote observation...
Kosovo*: Call for tenders for international consultancy services to assess the application of the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Kosovo*
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is implementing the project “Promoting local democracy in Kosovo*” within the framework of the Council of Europe co‑operation with Kosovo*. The project aims to improve local self-government and the quality of local democracy...
Youth delegates: Call for applications to participate in the 2021 edition of the "Rejuvenating Politics" initiative
As part of its "Rejuvenating Politics" initiative, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is calling for applications from young people from the following countries: Austria, Bulgaria, Georgia, France, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco and the...
The Congress carried out remote monitoring of the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Bulgaria
Remote meetings were organised by a delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe on 14 and 15 December 2020 as part of the Congress monitoring mission to Bulgaria to assess the implementation of the provisions of the European Charter of Local...
Congress Spokesperson invited to present findings of remote election observation procedure regarding BiH at PACE Monitoring Committee
Speaking at the Monitoring Committee meeting of the Parliamentary Assembly organised online on 11 December, Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, ILDG), Congress Spokesperson on the observation of local and regional elections, presented findings of the remote observation procedure regarding the local...
Ukraine: Launch of an online course on “Gender Mainstreaming at Local Level in Ukraine”
“Women are increasingly present in political decision-making bodies, and we are proud of the progress we are making. However, women face major obstacles to enter politics and conduct their work safely and professionally due to sexism, violence, negative attitudes and stereotypes” noted Jelena...
Xavier Cadoret: "E-governance at local level contributes to strengthening citizens' trust in locally elected representatives"
"The implementation of e-governance by local authorities makes it possible to involve citizens in decision-making processes concerning budget, public procurements and contracts, and allows for the development of efficient and rapid public services that meet the population’s needs," said Xavier...
Ukraine: Fair elections is a prerequisite for the functioning of democratic institutions
The findings of the Congress Information report on the elections in Ukraine were presented by Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, GILD-ILDG), Congress Spokesperson on the Observation of Local and Regional Elections, at the Forum “Efficient local government as a background of democratic and...
"Local and regional authorities are indispensable for achieving this common ideal of a Europe of human rights", says Harald Bergmann on the occasion of Human Rights Day
"Every year we celebrate Human Rights Day on 10 December, an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of protecting the inherent rights of Europe's 835 million people," said Harald Bergmann (Netherlands, ILDG), the Congress' thematic spokesperson on human rights. "This year we also celebrated the...
Thomas Andersson: “We need to invest in youth work to unlock the full potential of young people in our societies”
"Young people are faced with our societies' challenges, but they are also powerful actors of change. Youth work is of particular importance in providing young people with tools that can fully unlock their potential", said Congress thematic spokesperson on Youth Thomas Andersson at the workshop on...
Congress project stakeholders in Armenia take stock of 2020 achievements
Congress main co-operation partners in Armenia met remotely on 8 December 2020 to take stock of the results achieved in fighting corruption at local level, as well as making local governance and public procurement more open and transparent. Representatives of the Ministry of Justice, the Open...
Kosovo*: Call for tender for the provision of visibility and publication services
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is implementing co-operation activities in the field of local democracy in Kosovo*. In this context, the Council of Europe is looking for a maximum of six local providers, with a particular expertise on visibility and...
Latvia: "A missed opportunity to adopt a territorial reform in line with the European Charter of Local Self-Government," say rapporteurs
In a Recommendation adopted on 7 December 2020, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe expressed its concern about the deterioration of local democracy in Latvia since its last report in 2018, in particular the lack of consultation in the framework of the...
Congress Co-rapporteurs advocate for equivalent living conditions between rural and urban areas in newly adopted report
During its 5th Statutory Forum held remotely on 7 December 2020, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a report prepared by the Co-rapporteurs Wilma Delissen Van Tongerlo (Netherlands, ILDG) and Matija Kovac (Serbia, EPP/CCE) on the development of...
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities adopts report on combating sexist violence against women in politics
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has adopted a report on fighting sexist violence against women in politics at local and regional level, on the occasion of its 5th Statutory Forum, held remotely on 7 December 2020. The Congress calls for the removal of...
