History

Founded by 56 mayors and local representatives from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Switzerland and the Netherlands in the post-war era with the mission to build a united and peaceful Europe.

This document established the commitment of the Council of European Municipalities (CEM) to preserve municipal liberties.

CEM’s early work primarily centred on promoting town Twinning. National associations facilitated municipal requests, fostering friendship and solidarity. A new model of city-to-city cooperation is born.

Two hundred women representatives of European municipalities, provinces and regions met on the occasion of the first “Meeting of Women Local and Regional elected representatives of the European Community” organised by CEM to allow for the debating of the “Renewal of European Society” for three days.

Over the years, CEM broadened its membership beyond municipalities to also include regions and counties. CEMR has consistently advocated not only for political decentralisation but also a decentralised territorial approach to economic development.

Ratified by the Council’s 7 member states, The Charter commits the parties to applying basic rules guaranteeing the political, administrative and financial independence of local authorities.

CEMR became the European section of the world organisation of local authorities, the International Union of Local Authorities (IULA), which later merged with the FMCU-UTO to create United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) in 2004.

United Cities and Local Governments is an umbrella international organisation for cities, Local and Regional Governments, and municipal associations throughout the world. UCLG strive to advance the agenda of local-self-government, municipal cooperation and peace on the world stage.

To promote gender equality at the local and regional level, CEMR launched the European Charter for Equality of Women and Men in Local Life in 2006. The Charter is both a political document and a practical instrument. It encourages local and regional governments to make a public commitment to equality and to implement the principles listed in the Charter.

PLATFORMA is a CEMR project launched in 2008 to influence and support the European local development policy. Emphasising sustainable development, it brings together a wide range of partners to advance the global agenda of decentralised development cooperation.

This is a powerful and historic response to climate change from cities around the world. GCoM is the largest global alliance for city climate leadership, built upon the commitment of over 12,500 cities and local governments.

In 2021, the EU institutions reached a consensus to exempt local and regional governments, along with their associations, from the mandatory inclusion in the Transparency Register for interest representatives associated with the Parliament, the Council, and the Commission. 

CEMR Prague Policy Committee culminated with the adoption of a landmark document titled “The Prague Declaration: More Trust in and Stronger Voice for Local and Regional Governments”. This significant political act underscores the role that Local and Regional Governments (LRGs) play in confronting the challenges facing our municipalities and regions.

Half of the world population will vote, and so will the EU. As the 2024 EU Election approaches, CEMR’s mission gains heightened importance as it strives to amplify the voices of Local and Regional Governments in addressing pressing issues such as ageing populations, economic crises, climate change, political instability, the rise of AI, and neighbouring conflicts creating a Call to Action for the next EU Parliament.