Cities & regions
Holistic farm policies needed to keep focus on SDGs argues EESC’s Peter Schmidt
Est. 7minGovernments are shifting their priorities away from Sustainable Development Goals, but the EESC’s Peter Schmidt argues for a holistic approach, designing policies that can help farmers and citizens transition to a more sustainable way of producing and consuming.
UN’s Summit of the Future, EU regions and cities preparing for SDG upgrade
Est. 5minThe UN’s Summit of the Future takes place on 22-23 September in New York, hosted by the UN General Assembly. It provides a high-level forum to determine the next steps in achieving all 17 sustainable development goals.
Integrating civil society and local authorities, a Global Gateway game-changer
Est. 5minThe European Union’s Global Gateway strategy aims to strengthen the bloc’s global influence, providing a clear alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. European Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen believes integrating civil society and local authorities will be a game-changer.
No paper tigers, please! Results only, says Denmark’s Climate Alliance
Est. 6minDenmark’s DK2020 climate collective initiative brought together all Danish municipalities, now it prospers as the Climate Alliance. What began as a pilot project has become a five-year plan to transform climate plans from targets into tangible action.
Moving from Protection to Prevention: Combating Violence Against Locally Elected Women
In our pursuit of gender equality, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is committed to exposing the hurdles faced by women in local and regional politics.
Ukraine’s battle for civic services as war rages
Est. 5minUkrainian municipalities battle at a local level to keep contact with citizens and ensure services continue, despite continuous shelling. Municipal representatives spoke with Euractiv, telling their civic story as Ukraine enters its third year since the Russian invasion.
Finally, a Cohesion Policy that (truly) leaves no one behind?
Est. 6minTwo years after the process was launched by European Commissioner for Regional Development Elisa Ferreira, and a year-long series of meetings and exchanges with academics and experts, the Group of High-Level Specialists on Future of Cohesion Policy has released their long-awaited report “Forging a sustainable future together: cohesion for a competitive and inclusive Europe”.
As national governments meet at COP28, local governments are partnering for change
Est. 7minWhile national governments tend to be at the forefront of the fight against climate change - as signatories to the Paris Agreement, for example - at this year's COP28 UN climate summit in Dubai, local authorities are also joining them at the table.
Bridges of Trust: Hope and Cooperation in European-Ukrainian Municipal Partnerships
The first Bridges of Trust gathering brought together representatives from Ukrainian and European municipalities, as well as Ukrainian and European Local Self-Government Associations, EU institutions, and other relevant organizations that have joined forces since the onset of the conflict. In the …
Watch “Niekhe Kilintii – Together” and discover Anderlecht (BE)-Marsassoum (SN) municipal partnership
Follow Julien Milquet, the Alderman of Anderlecht (Belgium) in charge of international solidarity, to Marsassoum (Senegal), where he is exchanging with his cooperation partner, the charismatic mayor Sény Mandiang. Together, they are meeting with citizens who benefit from the municipal …
Ukrainian teachers keep schools running amid increased workload, fewer resources
Est. 4minAs Russia's war in Ukraine forced a cut in public funds, Ukrainian schools are forced to keep operating with fewer resources, while teachers face an increased workload to ensure lessons reach all children.
A Romanian city’s individualised housing strategy for Roma
Est. 5minSince 2019, the Romanian municipality of Reșița has been adopting a new approach to housing its Roma community, moving them away from run-down neighbourhoods and ensuring public housing responds to their needs.
Lack of funds, skilled staff hinders municipal climate measure investments
Est. 4minWhile climate adaptation plans across European cities are improving, a lack of funding and staff shortages still deter municipalities from investing in climate mitigation and adaptation measures.
European Territories Localise the 2030 Agenda
“We are fast approaching the halfway point on the road to the 2030 Agenda and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), meaning there are only six summers left!,” says the President of the Council of European Municipalities and …
Experts, cities, regions worried over repurposing of cohesion funds
Est. 5minThe European Commission’s plan to reshuffle cohesion funds to finance innovative technologies is heightening concerns over the repeated use of the EU’s place-based policy to address new emerging needs and EU’s recentralising tendencies.
Local authorities want to help matching migrants with skills shortages
Est. 4minAs the EU and European governments step up efforts to increase labour migration to face skills shortages, local governments ask to be more involved in the process to help meet the needs of local labour markets and facilitate socio-economic inclusion.
International Women’s Day: Let’s talk about human rights!
Est. 6minDr. Claudia Schöning-Kalender, Member of the SPD-parliamentary group in Mannheim City Council (Germany), Chair of the CEMR Standing Committee for Equality, calls on EU institutions to “effectively translate words into action” on gender equality.
City pairings across Europe and beyond
Est. 3minEuropean city-to-city cooperation, including town twinning, is increasingly viewed as a possible solution to current challenges of sustainability as well as a way to promote best practice exchanges at the local level.
Local public finances and the green transition
Est. 4minAs the EU is struggling to find ways to pay for the transition of its industries towards a carbon-free economy, finances of local governments play an often-neglected role in delivering the needed investments, argues a report.
City-to-city cooperation addresses economic and social needs, mayors say
Est. 3minLocal municipalities in the EU and third countries are partnering up to boost local economic and social development, exchange best practices and promote civic participation.
European towns struggle to retain youth, fight unemployment
Est. 4minWhile youth unemployment across the bloc has decreased compared to last year, European towns are struggling to remain attractive to young people.
Why do we need local-to-local cooperation?
While development cooperation is often perceived as a country-to-country process, decentralised cooperation allows towns, cities and regions to work hand in hand with partners within Europe and across the world. So why do we need local-to-local cooperation? EU top leaders, …
European and African local authorities renew EU partnership for sustainable development
Est. 3minThe European Commission and five local authority associations have renewed a four-year partnership to make European and African communities more sustainable and pave the way for stronger EU-African relations. The Commission recently signed five agreements with associations of local authorities to …
European Territories Localise the SDGs
Discover CEMR and PLATFORMA latest study on the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): local-sdgs.eu