News from the Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance
Congress delegation visits Kyiv to back Ukraine’s democratic resilience
A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, led by Cecilia Dalman-Eek, President of the Chamber of Regions (Sweden, SOC/G/PD), visited Kyiv on 25-26 May 2026. The mission aimed to strengthen political dialogue with Ukrainian authorities at all levels,...
Kyiv citizens’ assembly delivers 24 recommendations to support war veterans and their families
Kyiv’s Obolon district concluded a citizens’ assembly dedicated to supporting veterans and their families, one of the most pressing challenges faced by Ukrainian communities during the Russian Federation's war of aggression against Ukraine. After three weekends of deliberation, participants...
Congress to lead implementation of a new Council of Europe-EU programme for Western Balkans
The Local Observatory on Reform Agendas Implementation (LORAI), a joint initiative between the European Commission and the Council of Europe, was launched yesterday at a high-level ceremony on the margins of the 50th session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. LORAI will support...
South-East Europe: call for applications to the training for facilitators of citizens’ assemblies
The Centre of Expertise for Multilevel Governance at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is launching a call for participants in the training course for lead facilitators of citizens’ assemblies. The call is open to representatives of civil society...
Congress backs new Ukraine–Sweden metropolitan partnership
The association “Lviv Agglomeration” (Ukraine) and the Gothenburg Region (Sweden) signed a Memorandum on Partnership and Co-operation on 27 February 2026, concluding a dedicated peer exchange visit. Meeting the Ukrainian delegation, Cecilia DALMAN EEK, First Vice-President of the Congress,...
Local authorities in the Republic of Moldova commit to civil participation
“Representative local institutions must be complemented by modern forms of participatory democracy, public dialogue and increased participation of young people, women and vulnerable groups.” stressed Congress President Marc Cools on 16 February at a roundtable entitled “Local Voices, Shared...
Spanish municipalities receive the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE)
The municipalities of Alcantarilla and Cartagena were awarded the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) at a ceremony held in Murcia, Spain, on 6 February 2026, with Congress support. Both have obtained the ELoGE award for the second time, after first achieving the distinction in 2022....
Basque municipalities celebrated for their commitment to good democratic governance
During a ceremony in Bilbao (Spain) on 5 February 2026, attended by Congress Secretary General Mathieu Mori, the City of Bilbao and municipalities of Leioa, Errenteria and Urretxu were awarded the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE), and Tolosa was honoured for its commitment to good...
New Congress report on human rights at local level in the Republic of Moldova presented at Human Rights Forum
On 10 December, International Human Rights Day, Congress Standing Rapporteur on Human Rights Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC/G/PD) took part in the Human Rights and Equality Forum in Bălți, Republic of Moldova, organised by the People’s Advocate (Ombudsperson), the Council for Preventing...
Follow-up to Rome’s Ukraine Recovery Conference: from words to actions
“The Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) 2025 sent a clear message: recovery is not only a national endeavour, but a shared European project rooted in partnership, subsidiarity and trust. The unprecedented participation of local and regional leaders demonstrated that reconstruction cannot be driven...