European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) awarded to municipalities across Europe which have achieved the required standards of good democratic governance. The Congress is now launching a new call for national associations of local and regional authorities to apply for accreditation to deliver ELoGE to local authorities in the Council of Europe member states.

ELoGE helps local authorities improve their governance through a self-assessment tool in the form of a European Good Democratic Governance Benchmark and a series of questionnaires aimed at citizens, elected representatives, and local officials.  This self-assessment tool (the ELoGE Benchmark), composed of 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance,  36 targets and 72 indicators, should be translated and adapted to the local context. To date, ELoGE has been awarded 467 times to 380 municipalities in 22 member states.  In 2026, award ceremonies have been held in Bolgaria, Spain and Türkiye and are planned for Croatia, Italy, Malta, and Romania.

Through ELoGE, the Congress contributes to rebuilding citizens’ trust in institutions and strengthening democratic resilience in an age of multiple crises and democratic backsliding, thus responding to the ambition of the Council of Europe’s New Democratic Pact for Europe. 

The ELoGE Accreditation Platform, established under the aegis of the Congress Bureau, is responsible for granting accreditation and will hold its next meeting in August 2026. National associations wishing to apply are invited to submit the accreditation request form by 10 July 2026 to [email protected].