South-Med Partnership

In May 2011, the Council of Europe adopted a policy towards neighbouring regions, in particular the Southern Mediterranean, which aims to facilitate a democratic political transition, promote good governance and strengthen and broaden regional action in the fight against cross-border threats. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is responsible for the implementation of the local and regional democracy element, the purpose of which is to support the ongoing territorial reforms. On 10 February 2017, the Congress Bureau adopted a co-operation programme entitled “South-Med Partnership”, to meet the objectives of the neighbourhood policy. Although the activities only concern Morocco and Tunisia, the Partnership aims to extend to other neighbouring countries.

Co-operation with Morocco

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities’ co-operation programme with Morocco is part of the South-Med Partnership and aims to assist Morocco in its decentralisation reforms by providing a platform for the exchange of experience and expertise between Congress members and their Moroccan counterparts, for example through plurilateral meetings and exchange of good practice.

Co-operation with Tunisia

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities’ co-operation programme with Tunisia is part of the South-Med Partnership and aims to help renforce local governance in Tunisia by providing a platform for the exchange of experience and expertise between Congress members and their Tunisian counterparts, for example through plurilateral meetings and exchange of good practice.

Partner for Local Democracy

The Partner for Local Democracy status of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities enables elected representatives of local authorities of countries in the Council of Europe’s neighbourhood to participate, within the Congress, in strengthening local and regional democracy.

Institutional co-operation

The Congress has conducted its co-operation activities with the North-African authorities in the framework of the Council of Europe new policy towards its immediate neighbourhood. It holds observer status at ARLEM (Euro-Mediterranean Assembly of Local and Regional Elected Representatives) and it is also an institutional stakeholder of the North-South Centre, where it represents the local level.

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Назад Piero FASSINO welcomes Tunisia’s request for Partner for Local Democracy status

Piero FASSINO, Congress Spokesperson on the South Mediterranean Partnership, welcomed, on 13 May 2019, the decision of the Tunisian government and the Federation of Tunisian Cities to submit an application for the status of Partner for Local Democracy with the Congress. “This is an important decision as the Partnership represents a real tool for co-operation which will bring local institutions closer to citizens and strengthen the fabric of Tunisia’s democracy," said the Congress spokesperson.

“The partnership with Tunisia - as well as the partnership with Morocco signed in March 2019 - will help to consolidate peace, stability and security in a Mediterranean basin currently marked by the serious conflicts in Syria and Libya and upheavals affecting many countries in the region,” he added.

The Tunisian Government’s decision to apply for the status of Partner for Local Democracy with the Congress is part of a long-standing co-operation between the Congress and the Tunisian authorities. The Congress contributed, in particular, to the drafting of the Tunisian Constitution in 2014 and to the preparation and observation of the municipal elections held in 2018.

The request will be submitted to the Bureau of the Congress for decision at its meeting on 28 June 2019 in Brussels.

The status of Partner for Local Democracy offers elected representatives of local authorities from the Council of Europe's neighbouring countries the opportunity to participate, within the Congress, in the strengthening of local and regional democracy. Members of delegations from countries with this status may participate in Congress sessions as well as in meetings of its Monitoring, Current Affairs and Governance Committees.

Cooperation activities Strasbourg, France 13 May 2019