The Bureau of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities held a meeting by video conference on 9 June 2020. On the agenda was, in particular, a debate on the COVID-19 crisis; the challenges and responses in member states and the role of local and regional authorities in dealing with it. This was followed by an exchange of views with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Marija Pejčinović Burić on the role of the Council of Europe and the Congress in developing post-COVID strategies for inclusive and resilient societies.

Bureau members discussed the agenda of the 39th Session to be held from 27 to 29 October 2020 in Strasbourg and proceeded with the selection of Congress candidates for the 2020 North-South Prize. They also examined terms of reference for future activities presented by the three committees – Monitoring, Governance and Current Affairs.

Finally, several administrative rules have been updated in light of changes to the Charter and Rules and Procedures and they were submitted to the Bureau for approval.