On 30 October 2025, Congress adopted a resolution to strengthen the application of the rule of law at local and regional level. The resolution, which refers, among other things, to the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the Reykjavik Declaration, as well as to previous Congress resolutions and strategies on human rights, marks an important turning point with the adoption of a Strategy on the Rule of Law at Local and Regional Level (2025-2028).
According to rapporteur Stewart Dickson (United Kingdom, GILD), this Strategy fills a gap: until now, there has been no comprehensive approach to guide the Congress in promoting the rule of law at local and regional level. It is based on two reciprocal axes: strengthening the role of local authorities as guarantors of the rule of law and promoting the rule of law as a guarantor of local autonomy. In concrete terms, this means respecting the decisions of national courts, but also those of the European Court of Human Rights, establishing transparent procedures for public procurement, anti-corruption tools, citizen consultations and educational programmes on citizens' rights and duties.
The local level is often the scene of repression of opposition forces, as Andrew Boff (United Kingdom, CRE) pointed out. The debate in the Chamber highlighted a series of serious problems related to the violation of the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, while raising the question of the application of the rule of law at local level in a country at war such as Ukraine.
The resolution calls on the Congress Monitoring Committee to collaborate with other Congress committees and contribute to updating the Venice Commission's List of Criteria for the Rule of Law, incorporating a local and regional perspective. With this Strategy, the Congress is transforming the rule of law into a living principle, guaranteeing justice, transparency and democracy for all.
Mediabox interview with Stewart Dickson
Congress Strategy on the Rule of Law at Local and Regional Levels (2025-2028)
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