The Congress enjoys excellent relations with CALRE, the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies. During the CALRE chairmanship of Ana LUIS, President of the Legislative Assembly of the Azores, the co-operation focused on regional languages, gender equality and representation of women in political bodies, the European Social Charter, refugees, migration and integration as well as on innovation in democracy, regional identity and regionalism.

“The concrete work done in the committees of the Congress and the working groups of CALRE generates synergies and added value and takes into account the regional parliamentary dimension”, the Congress Secretary General said at the annual CALRE Plenary Assembly on 21 November 2018. The meeting was held at the seat of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Horta, on the island of Faial.

having conveyed the greetings of the President of the Congress and confirmed the Congress’willingness to continue the close and substantial co-operation with the incoming President of CALRE, Donatella PORZI, President of the Parliament of Umbria, Mr KIEFER invited the presidents of the regional parliaments to disseminate the work of the Congress in their respective assemblies. “The Congress and its Chamber of Regions are “your” Congress and your Chamber! So your parliaments have privileged access to the work and results of the work of this European institution”, the Secretary General said. All the regional members from Germany, the United Kingdom [Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales], Spain, Austria and Belgium are members of regional parliaments.

Mr KIEFER also informed parliamentarians that the Congress had planned monitoring visits to several of the countries represented in CALRE. The implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government will be assessed in 2019 in Austria, Germany, Portugal and Spain and in 2020 in Belgium and in the United Kingdom, with reports and recommendations being drawn up subsequently.