On 3 October 2025 in Valletta, the Local Councils Association of Malta, with the support of the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, launched the process for the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE).

Organised within the framework of a wider platform for exchange among European island communities, the event brought together over 40 participants from Malta and Italy. They benefited from the experience of the Italian Association of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (AICCRE) in promoting ELoGE nationally.

Developed on the basis of the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance, ELoGE is a benchmarking tool that includes 36 targets and 72 indicators. The Label is awarded to municipalities demonstrating high performance in democratic governance, transparency and citizen participation.

The outcomes of the workshop will directly support Maltese municipalities as they begin implementing ELoGE, in line with the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers’ recommendation CM/Rec(2023)5 and its explanatory memorandum.