On 19 September, the group held a special session to mark the 40th anniversary of the Charter. This included panel discussions on the Charter’s impact on empowering local authorities over four decades and its future prospects. On this occasion, the three GIE Chairs – Alain Delcamp (France) and Francesco Merloni (Italy), who have both previously held the position, and the current Chair, Ángel M. Moreno – were awarded the medal of the Congress for their contribution.