The statutory and regulatory texts define the working methods of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe and its structure as well as its scope of activity concerning the evaluation of the situation of local democracy in Europe and observation of elections. They comprise:

• the Congress Charter, revised by the Congress to reflect the latest changes in its functioning, which was adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 15 January 2020 with its Statutory Resolution CM/Res(2020)1;
• the Rules and Procedures of the Congress, revised at the Statutory Forum of 12 February 2021, which cover all aspects concerning the appointment of its members, the functioning of its organs (bureaux, Statutory Forum, committees, etc) and the procedure during sessions and other Congress meetings. These rules, together with the appended Code of Conduct of Congress members, govern the ethics and conduct of members and describe the devices for new forms of partnership with the Congress. They also include the procedures relating to the:
  • monitoring of local and regional democracy in member States through the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and post-monitoring dialogue;
  • observation of elections and post-electoral dialogue
  • election of the Secretary General of the Congress.

• the Administrative Rules adopted by the Bureau of the Congress on an ad hoc basis after consultation of the members of the Congress, which supplement the Congress' Rules and Procedures.