The Congress promotes good governance and citizen participation by supporting local authorities associations and encouraging the establishment of networks, including the Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS), the Association of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA) and the European Network of Training Organisations of Local and Regional Authorities (ENTO). The Congress supports local authorities associations in collaboration with their European networks (the CEMR and the AER) and encourages the establishment of various networks.

The ALDA is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of good governance and citizen participation at the local level. ALDA in particular focuses on activities that facilitate cooperation between local authorities and civil society.
ALDA was established in 1999 at the initiative of the Congress to coordinate and support the network of Local Democracy Agencies (LDAs), established in the early 1990s. The LDAs are locally registered NGOs acting as promoters of good governance and local self-government in their regions.

ALDA Website

ENTO, which was originally set up by the Council of Europe, is, since 1995, an independent association that assists the Council of Europe and the European Union in their efforts to improve the quality of local and regional government in Europe. The association fosters co-operation by promoting professional debates and the exchange of information and experience between its members on problems confronting local and regional authorities and training institutions.

ENTO Website

NALAS is a network of associations of Local Authorities in South-East Europe which strengthens, in cooperation with central governments, the decentralisation process. It establishes links with international and European organisations, as well as with other associations in the same field, and implements specific projects and activity programmes.

NALAS Website