On 28 March 2017, the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe programme was presented at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe by Stefano Dominioni, Executive Secretary of the EPA on Cultural Routes. The presentation was followed by an interesting exchange of views with members of the Congress.

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is a pan-European political assembly, the 648 members of which hold elective office (they may be regional or municipal councillors, mayors or presidents of regional authorities) representing over 200,000 authorities in 47 European states.  Its role is to promote local and regional democracy, improve local and regional governance and strengthen authorities' self-government. It pays particular attention to application of the principles laid down in the European Charter of Local Self-Government. It encourages the devolution and regionalisation processes, as well as transfrontier co-operation between cities and regions.