At the symposium to mark the 100th anniversary of the Austrian Association of Cities and Towns held in Vienna on 23 September 2015, the Secretary General of the Congress underlined the crucial role played by national associations of local and regional authorities in representing and defending the interests of local and regional government vis-à-vis central governments and European institutions. He noted that the European Charter of Local Self-Government, a benchmark instrument where local and regional democracy was concerned, stipulated the right of local authorities “to co-operate and, within the framework of the law, to form consortia with other local authorities in order to carry out tasks of common interest”. For the Congress, the associations are key partners which, by interacting at national level with central government and at European level with the relevant organisations and institutions, perform a multiple function as intermediaries, lobbyists and watchdogs. “The Congress needs the associations’ commitment in order to translate its proposals into practical activities on the ground, and also in order to put pressure on governments to implement its recommendations for improving the quality of local and regional democracy in member states,” he explained, pointing out that the Congress had helped set up and develop national associations, especially in countries where none existed before, such as Georgia and Azerbaijan. Andreas Kiefer also represented the Congress at the festive ceremony which took place, on 24 September 2015, in the presence of the Federal President Heinz Fischer.
