August 2026

ALIJA Makfire In About CEMR, Latest, PLATFORMA, Projects and Programmes

Job vacancy – Policy Adviser, PLATFORMA

PLATFORMA is looking for a Policy Adviser

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1–2 minutes

Read the full job description

PLATFORMA is looking for a Policy Adviser to join its Brussels-based team.

About the role

As a Policy Adviser you will be responsible for monitoring of policy and legislative developments in the field of EU external action (financing instrument NDICI – Global Europe and its programming and implementation, including the EU Global Gateway strategy, territorial approach to local development, EU-AU / EU-CELAC relations, aid effectiveness, innovative financing) and advocacy towards EU institutions to include the role of and the opportunities for local and regional governments. You will also be responsible for monitoring project partners’ activities. You will report directly to the Director of PLATFORMA.

Profile

Candidates should have:

A master’s degree in international relations, political science, development studies or a related field.
At least four years of experience in policy, advocacy and project management related to development cooperation.
A solid understanding of the role as well as the functioning of local and regional governments in the field of international cooperation.
Fluent (written and oral skills) in English and another official EU language; a working knowledge of French is an asset.
An outstanding knowledge of the European Union policy-making and decision-making processes.
Availability to travel, if necessary, in Europe and/or internationally

Our offer

For this position, we offer an initial short-term contract, starting as soon as possible and ending on 31 December 2026, with a possibility to extend based on performance and funding available.

A competitive salary package (54k – 75k gross per year, depending on experience and background), including the 13^th month of salary, legal and extra-legal holidays, a teleworking policy and teleworking allowance, holiday allowance (as per Belgian legal framework), lunch vouchers, eco-vouchers, medical insurance, and coverage of public transport.

How to apply

Interested candidates should send a CV and cover letter by 2 September 2026, at midnight, to:

application@ccre-cemr.org
Subject line: “Policy Adviser, PLATFORMA”

Read more here

CEMR is an equal opportunities employer committed to diversity and inclusion.

For more information, contact:

ALIJA Makfire

Adviser to the Secretary General, People & Talent

BORDELOT Federica In EU budget, Impact community Cohesion, Latest

EU budget campaign – Slovenia

The advocacy work of our national associations: the case of Slovenia

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2–3 minutes

As negotiations on the next EU long-term budget move forward at both European and national level, CEMR is calling for a stronger role for local and regional governments in shaping EU investments and priorities.

In a recent video message, Samo Turel, Mayor of Nova Gorica and President of the Association of Urban Municipalities of Slovenia, says that the current proposal does not fully reflect the needs and realities of cities. Speaking from Nova Gorica, a border city that has experienced firsthand how European cooperation and EU funds shape local development, he highlights, in particular, that a weaker cohesion policy could widen development gaps between regions rather than closing them, pulling Europe away from its shared goals.

The Association of Urban Municipalities of Slovenia has been active both nationally and at European level, engaging directly with national ministries, the European Commission and Slovenian Members of the European Parliament to argue that involving the local level in policymaking leads to better outcomes for citizens.

Watch the video

Our views on the current EU budget proposal

CEMR calls for stronger guarantees for multilevel governance and partnership, greater flexibility for local governments to respond to crises, and a budget that reflects today’s challenges: from climate adaptation and housing to digital services and territorial cohesion.

The message behind the campaign is simple: when local and regional governments are involved from the start, Europe delivers better results for citizens.

For months, CEMR has been calling for:

A strong role for local and regional governments in EU programmes and funds
Clear guarantees for multilevel governance and partnership
Greater flexibility so local governments can respond quickly to crises
A budget that matches today’s real challenges, from climate adaptation to housing, digital services and territorial cohesion

CEMR’s EU budget campaign centres on one simple truth: When local and regional governments are involved from the start, Europe delivers better results for its citizens.

This is how democracy works — through cooperation, partnership and decisions made close to the people they affect.

Join us in defending that principle.

Learn more about the CEMR EU budget campaign

For more information, contact:

BORDELOT Federica

Director – Policy & Impact

SKAZLIC Ivana In Governance, Governance, Impact community Society, Impact community Society, International cooperation, International cooperation, Latest, Mindcraft, Mindcraft, Projects and Programmes, Projects and programmes, Publications

EU Delegation study

EU Delegations engagement with local and regional governments: what will it take to make that cooperation more systematic?

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2–3 minutes

Read the study

“The Work of EU Delegations with Local and Regional Governments” is a new Mindcraft publication, following on from the report published by PLATFORMA in 2021. Since 2021, the EU’s external action framework has undergone significant change. Under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) Global Europe and the Global Gateway strategy, EU international cooperation has moved towards a more geographic, investment-driven approach, with growing emphasis on the localisation of development cooperation.

This new study examines to what extent and how EU Delegations (EUDs) engage with Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) and their associations (LRGAs) in the partner countries. It is based on a 2025 survey of 40 EUDs worldwide and, interviews with five of them in Chad, Guatemala, Madagascar, Nepal and Zambia, as well as additional exchanges with EU Member States development cooperation agencies.

Key findings:

Enabling environment is key for LRG engagement. 62.5% of surveyed EUDs assessed the decentralisation in the partner country as favourable, and 57.5% support decentralisation efforts. Examples across partner countries show that support to local governance and public finance management helps LRGs engage in territorial development and EU-funded initiatives, though access to finance and the preparation of bankable projects remain persistent challenges.
LRG engagement in EU international cooperation remains uneven and rather limited. 57.5% of surveyed EUDs stated they engage with LRGs and LRGAs under the NDICI-Global Europe, while 20% stated they engage with them under the Global Gateway strategy. EUDs point to the lack of a right framework for structured cooperation as an obstacle. 69.2% consider that a specific budget line for LRGs would help.
LRG engagement can be valuable in fragile contexts. Among EUDs working in fragile settings, 76.4% consider that engaging with LRG would facilitate their work.
Decentralised cooperation remains generally underused. Illustrative examples of partnerships between European and partner-country LRGs, along with cooperation through LRGAs and their international cooperation structures, show real potential to strengthen local governance and support the localisation of EU initiatives but require greater visibility and emphasis.
There is an ongoing need to strengthen EUDs capacities to work with LRGs. Only 30% of surveyed EUDs reported having received specialised training or support for engaging with LRGs, which were assessed useful for understanding territorial approaches to local development.

These findings come at a timely moment, as negotiations on the 2028–2034 Multiannual Financial Framework, including its proposed Global Europe Instrument, are underway. CEMR-PLATFORMA calls for a clear engagement framework, dedicated funding mechanisms for LRGs, and stronger support for decentralised cooperation as a route to shared development goals.

Read the full publication, available in:

English
French (available soon)
Spanish (available soon)
German (available soon)

For more information, contact:

SKAZLIC Ivana

Research Analyst – Decentralised Cooperation