"Strengthening subnational governments’ capacity is a priority for the Council of Europe Bank, to scale up investments and social impact,” stressed the Bank’s Vice-Governor Tomáš Boček during the debate on the financing of local projects, in Strasbourg on 12 September 2024. According to him, the Bank was strongly committed to supporting local governments with financing, capacity building and knowledge sharing, as subnational governments played a key role in creating more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive societies; they were also at the forefront of stepping up response and recovery efforts when crises and disasters strike. The Vice-Governor referred to the Bank’s 134 loans to municipal and regional governments and companies in 19 countries for a total value of €11.5 billion, provided since 2010. In Türkiye, the Bank lent several hundred million euros for disaster relief following the 2023 earthquake. In Ukraine, the Bank supported the health sector and social housing, with a loan of €100 million for housing certificates and rehabilitation of medical institutions at local level. The Bank’s social housing projects targeted combatants, disabled persons, large families and women, ensuring inclusivity and fostering social cohesion in war-affected regions.
The participants in the debate called on the Bank to establish a framework for direct engagement with local authorities, ensure that sustainability and energy efficiency were integrated in the development and management of social housing projects, and consider extending housing programmes to address broader social needs in countries undergoing post-disaster recovery. Local and regional governments were encouraged to foster better engagement with the Bank for greater sustainability and inclusion in their communities.
