“I welcome Royal Assent of 15 April 2026 which incorporates the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Scots law,” stated today Gunn Marit Helgesen, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

“This step is fully in line with Congress recommendations that the principles of local self-government, as set out in the European Charter, should be enshrined in domestic legislation of Council of Europe member states. It gives a new momentum to the Charter’s application in Scotland as a constituent country of the United Kingdom, which ratified the Charter in 1998.

“We in the Congress look forward to our co-operation with the Scottish Parliament and stand ready to provide the necessary expertise and assistance in implementing the Charter’s provisions under Scots law,” said the Congress President.