The “European Local Democracy Week” (ELDW) is an annual
European event with simultaneous national and local events
organised by participating local authorities in all Council
of Europe member States. The purpose is to foster the knowledge
of local democracy and promote the idea of democratic participation
at a local level.
The week including 15 October has been chosen as the European
Charter of Local Self-Government was opened for signature
on that date in 1985.
The ELDW is a Council of Europe initiative. Its role is
to co-ordinate the European dimension of the project, whereas
the national and local implementation of the ELDW is being
supported in each participating country by the correspondents
designated by the national associations of local authorities,
listed on the website.
Keith Whitmore: "After Copenhagen: climate change a challenge to be faced at local level"
"After the Copenhagen Summit it became evident that climate change is an issue to be faced at local level", said Keith Whitmore (UK, ILDG) Chair of the Congress Institutional Committee and Political Co-ordinator of the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) during a debate about local consequences of the Copenhagen summit at the Congress Bureau meeting on 5 February in Paris. “Climate change is a real test for local communities , therefore the 2010 edition of the European Local Democracy Week will be an occasion for local elected representatives to exchange views with citizens and to raise awareness of city policies related to this problem” he added, inviting Bureau members to act as ambassadors for the ELDW in the municipalities of their countries. Keith Whitmore will chair a co-ordination meeting for the launch of the ELDW 2010 edition on 2 March in Strasbourg, which will include the choice of a leading theme of the event in 2010.
Congress prepares the 2010 edition of the European Local Democracy Week
The fourth edition of the initiative launched in 2007 will be taking place from 11 to 17 October 2010. Municipalities and local authorities who are willing to join it can fill in the registration form and send it back electronically for a first enrolment. During the first week of February more detailed instructions will be published on the website concerning the participation, as well as guidelines and examples of activities.
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Congress and EU-Committee of the Regions join their forces for Local Democracy Week
Congress President a.i. Ian Micallef welcomed the decision of the European Union's Committee of the Regions to join the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW), the Council's programme of events to raise awareness for grassroots policies in Europe. 'This agreement is an important step for the further strengthening of the ELDW. The committment of the Committee of the Regions, our partner organisation in the EU, will contribute to make this concept one of the major events on the calendar of the 47 Council of Europe member states', concluded the political co-ordinator of the Local Democracy Week, Keith Whitmore, on the fringes of discussions about the ELDW during the Utrecht Ministerial Conference.
Kathrin Hilber: ''Local authorities need to prove that they are serious about citizen participation''
Kathrin Hilber (Switzerland, SOC) Head of the interior department member of the government of the Canton of St Gallen represented Switzerland at the Ministerial Conference in Utrecht, on the challenges for good local and regional governance in times of crises. In this interview she expresses her views on the highlights of the conference.
Interview
Ank Bijleveld-Schouten : ''The European Local Democracy Week calls for innovative methods to increase citizen participation''
Ank Bijleveld-Schouten, State Secretary for the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the Dutch Ministry for the Interior and Kingdom Relations, participated in the Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Local and Regional Government, in Utrecht, Netherlands, on 16 and 17 November 2009. In an interview, she speaks of the importance of citizens’ participation and co-operation between governments and territorial structures.
Interview
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Keith Whitmore: "After Copenhagen: climate change a challenge to be faced at local level"
"After the Copenhagen Summit it became evident that climate change is an issue to be faced at local level", said Keith Whitmore (UK, ILDG) Chair of the Congress Institutional Committee and Political Co-ordinator of the European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) during a debate about local consequences of the Copenhagen summit at the Congress Bureau meeting on 5 February in Paris. “Climate change is a real test for local communities , therefore the 2010 edition of the European Local Democracy Week will be an occasion for local elected representatives to exchange views with citizens and to raise awareness of city policies related to this problem” he added, inviting Bureau members to act as ambassadors for the ELDW in the municipalities of their countries. Keith Whitmore will chair a co-ordination meeting for the launch of the ELDW 2010 edition on 2 March in Strasbourg, which will include the choice of a leading theme of the event in 2010.
Congress prepares the 2010 edition of the European Local Democracy Week
Congress and EU-Committee of the Regions join their forces for Local Democracy Week 
Kathrin Hilber: ''Local authorities need to prove that they are serious about citizen participation'' 
Ank Bijleveld-Schouten : ''The European Local Democracy Week calls for innovative methods to increase citizen participation'' 