From 1967 to 2014, the CDLR was the committee responsible for steering the intergovernmental work of the Council of Europe in the area of local and regional democracy and pave the way for greater European co-operation and common standards. The Committee prepared legal texts, promoted their implementation, published reports and organised conferences, seminars and exchanges of good practice. The CDLR promoted democratic participation in local affairs, administrative and territorial reforms, the allocation of sufficient financial resources to local and regional authorities, and the strengthening of cross-border co-operation.

The Council of Europe Conference of Ministers responsible for Spatial/Regional Planning (CEMAT) brings together representatives of the 47 Council of Europe member states in pursuit of a shared objective: the promotion of the territorial dimension of human rights and democracy for a sustainable spatial development of the European continent (read more...)