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Impact community Cohesion102

GAUDRON Marine
In EU budget, EU budget, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Society, Latest, Local democracy, Publications, Territorial development, Territorial development

Bringing Europe closer to its citizens 

EU Cohesion Policy - News

How ITI and CLLD strengthen local democracy, multi-level governance, and place-based development in EU cohesion policy 

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The European Union’s Cohesion Policy is one of its most important instruments for promoting economic, social, and territorial cohesion across its member states. With nearly €392 billion allocated for 2021–2027, it tackles inequalities between regions while supporting a greener, more competitive, and more inclusive Europe. Central to this effort are Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI) and Community-Led Local Development (CLLD), two tools designed to put territorial needs and local actors at the heart of EU funding. 

Why integrated tools matter 

The foundations for a place-based approach were laid in the 2009 Barca Report, which argued that EU policy should focus on unlocking the potential of specific territories while addressing persistent exclusion. ITI and CLLD, introduced in 2014, operationalise this vision by giving local and regional governments a stronger role in programming, governance, and project implementation. 

These tools provide flexibility, enable cooperation across levels of government, and ensure that EU funds target the real needs of communities. For municipalities, regions, and their associations, they are among the most valued features of cohesion policy. 

ITI: Integrating strategies across territories 

ITI allows funding from several EU programmes to be combined in support of integrated strategies. It has been especially used for urban development, where at least 8% of ERDF funding is earmarked for sustainable urban projects. While designed to cover any functional area, urban, rural, or mixed, ITI is most common in metropolitan settings, where challenges like mobility, housing, and regeneration demand integrated solutions. 

CLLD: Communities leading the way 

CLLD builds on the LEADER approach to rural development, empowering local action groups of citizens, NGOs, and businesses to design and implement strategies. While most common in rural areas, it has the potential to strengthen participation and ownership in cities, too. CLLD fosters trust, encourages bottom-up innovation, and helps address the needs of vulnerable groups such as youth, migrants, or elderly people. 

What worked well 

CEMR’s analysis highlights several clear benefits: 

  • Flexibility and relevance – ITI and CLLD adapt EU funding to local needs. 
  • Capacity-building – local authorities gain expertise in managing EU programmes. 
  • Stronger governance – fostering trust and cooperation between local, regional, and national levels. 
  • Visibility of EU action – projects close to citizens showcase the value of EU funds. 
  • Community cohesion – encouraging cooperation among local actors and building metropolitan or regional identity. 

Persistent challenges 

Despite their value, integrated tools face obstacles: 

  • Administrative burden remains high, with complex procedures and slow fund absorption. 
  • Limited flexibility – strategies must still align with national operational programmes, sometimes restricting genuine local priorities. 
  • Time pressures – integrated projects require trust and participation, often at odds with the EU’s strict N+3 spending rule. 
  • Uneven use of PO5 (“Europe closer to citizens”) – some member states underfund this priority despite its direct link to ITI and CLLD. 
  • Urban uptake of CLLD – adapting the rural-focused model to cities remains difficult. 

CEMR recommendations 

Looking ahead, municipalities and regions urge the EU to: 

  • Maintain and strengthen integrated tools in cohesion policy. 
  • Simplify procedures at both EU and national levels, avoiding “gold-plating.” 
  • Clarify guidance on multi-funding, project selection, and the use of PO5. 
  • Exempt ITI/CLLD projects from the N+3 rule to allow more time for participatory approaches. 
  • Reintegrate the EAFRD into the Common Provision Regulation to ease multi-fund projects. 
  • Ensure meaningful local involvement in programming, implementation, and evaluation. 

Conclusion 

ITI and CLLD have proven their worth as vehicles for place-based development, democratic participation, and closer cooperation between Europe and its citizens. While challenges remain, strengthening these tools is essential for making the EU’s cohesion policy more visible, more inclusive, and more responsive to local realities. 

Read the study here 

For more information, contact: 

GAUDRON Marine
In Energy, Latest, Local finances, Local finances, Publications

Sustainable local finances in Europe

Sustainable local finances - News 2022

CEMR releases landmark study on local finances in European countries

Discover the online tool

People depend on quality local public services and infrastructure every day. Reliable buses, insulated public housing, good schools or clean energy: all of these and more depend on healthy and sustainable local public finances to be developed and maintained.

That’s why the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is releasing a fully-fledged online report and tool entitled Local Finances and the Green Transition in Europe. This one-of-a-kind study provides data and analysis on the trends in local and regional finances in 40 European countries over the past 10 years. The study offers a bird’s eye view of both changes in subnational finances and the remarkable diversity of national situations.

“This report is essential reading for policymakers, politicians and academics. Only by understanding local public finances and unlocking futher investments can we achieve the sustainable and resilient societies our people and planet need”, said CEMR Secretary General, Fabrizio Rossi, who added: “If this report shows one thing, it is that well-funded municipalities, counties and regions are essential to taking care of our people and realising the environmental transition“. 

Revealing figures and trends as observed over the last decade

The study reveals for instance that despite making up 25% of all public spending, local and regional governments finance 54% of all public investment. This reflects the leading role of municipalities and regions in investing in areas such as energy efficient housing, smarter public transport and local environmental protection. The climate and energy transition will only happen by working with local and regional governments.

Also noteworthy is that subnational government debt is at a manageable level in the 36 countries where comparative data was available. In fact, local debt is low and stable, a mere 4.8% of GDP on average. By way of comparison, general government debt increased by the middle of the decade to 67% of GDP (and to 81% in 2020).

While browsing through the online study, you will also come across a special section on the impact of the EU’s €720-billion post-COVID recovery plan on local and regional governments. This chapter looks in particular at the implications for the green transition and territorial cohesion.

The data shows clearly that the share of green transition among the main RRF spending areas is higher in the decentralised countries. Stronger local and regional governments can support more recovery and resilience programmes and actions.

A dynamic and interactive online tool

“Local Finances and the Green Transition in Europe” is available as an interactive online tool  as well as in PDF  format. The online tool contains:

The study is currently only available in English. The French version is under development.

The study was launched on 10 November 2022 at the occasion of a seminar bringing together representatives of many of CEMR’s member associations, the OECD, KDZ and the study’s co-author Gábor Péteri.

For more information:

GAUDRON Marine
In Impact community Cohesion, Latest

Next Generation EU

Cohesion Policy - News

State of Play – Recovery and Resilience Facility

In 2020, faced with the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic, European Union (EU) leaders and the European Commission put in place an equally unprecedented response package: Next Generation EU. It allows the EU to borrow large amounts of funding from the financial markets and to allocate these to Member States. The Next Generation EU’s centrepiece, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), provides grants and loans over a period of 5 years, amounting to €724 billion (in current prices) in total, to support the rebound of EU economies following the pandemic.

EU Member States have been required to submit national Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs), which outline their respective investment and reform strategies for using the RRF financing. The RRPs should outline a 5-year reform and investment strategy and set the pace of transformation needed for robust and fair digital and sustainable transitions. Member States have recently been given the opportunity to adapt their national plans to consider the new challenges thrown up by the war in Ukraine and its impact on the cost of energy supplies.

Local and Regional Governments’ involvement

Since early on in the process, CEMR and the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) have worked together to push for the fullest and most meaningful involvement of local and regional governments (LRGs), both in the design and the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience. An initial study produced jointly by the CoR and CEMR and published in January 2021 highlighted the early efforts of LRGs to be involved in the preparation of the RRPs.

The results demonstrated the extensive problems experienced by LRGs, the lack of consultation on their national RRPs and even on the occasions where they were consulted, their contributions were often overlooked.

In May 2022 CEMR and CoR prepared a follow-up study, to explore the extent to which the situation had evolved positively and whether or not LRGs felt that their involvement in the implementation of the RRPs had improved. The results of this follow-up study were more mixed but the general feeling was that LGRs were concerned that the lack of partnership arrangements in delivering the RRPs was leading to less effective delivery of the RRPs on the ground.

Current developments

Member States are advancing with the implementation of their national recovery plans, setting out both new investments and reforms, and consequently a considerable amount of RRF funds have now been disbursed. It remains noticeable however, that a significant amount of the loans available remain unrequested by Member States. While there is potential for synergies between cohesion policy and the RRF, there is also the potential for overlap and a competition for funding due to insufficient coherence between the different instruments. Concerns are growing that prioritising the RFF could lead to a reduction of cohesion resources after 2027. There are growing calls for the opening of a serious debate on how to ensure coherence among different EU cohesion instruments, as well as which approach can deliver on EU objectives in a world where shocks have unfortunately become not only more frequent, but also more varied in nature.

At the start of summer 2022, the European Commission published its Review report on the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, setting out the Commission’s views on the performance of the RRF to date. This has since been followed by the first in a series of audits on the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Based on a selected sample of six member States (France, Germany, Croatia, Greece, Spain and Italy), the European Court of Auditors (ECA) assessed the suitability of the RRFs for each of these countries, the guidance provided to each Member State and compliance with the RRF regulation. Overall the ECA’s felt that the Commission’s assessment was generally appropriate, given the complexity of the process and the time constraints. However, the ECA highlighted a number of weaknesses in the process and that risks to the implementation of the RRF remain.

The CoR too is preparing an opinion on the implementation of RRF following its earlier work and the publication of the European Commission’s Review report. We wait to see whether or not, a year on from its last opinion, the CoR now believes that the implementation of the RRF will enable important public funds to properly reach the needs of our communities, municipalities and regions. The CoR will adopt its opinion during the plenary session in February 2023.

GAUDRON Marine
In Impact community Cohesion, Latest, Local finances

OECD Conference

Promoting the Global Goals - News 2023

Conference to launch the new SNG-WOFI

The OECD and United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) are organising an in-person conference to launch the third edition of their World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI).

The goal of the Observatory is to increase knowledge, promote dialogue on multi-level governance and subnational finance around the world as well as to monitor the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

This 2022 edition includes data from 135 countries, covering almost 90% of the world surface area, 93% of the world population and 94% of global GDP.

The conference will bring together national and subnational governments, international organisations and stakeholders from around the world involved in this wide-ranging project, to present the key findings of the new edition and to discuss current challenges related to subnational finance and multi-level governance, in light of new data and analysis.

CEMR’s Finance Spokesperson, Flo Clucas, will take part in the Session 3 on : How can subnational government access to external resources be improved to finance infrastructure investment?

For more information and to register, please fill in this online form. If you have any questions, please contact Leslie Greenhow

GAUDRON Marine
In Impact community Cohesion, Local Insights, Territorial development

Urban renewal

Urban renewal - News 2022

Cadde54 Bazaar: Relaunching urban life after the pandemic

Revitalising urban life has become particularly important in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Shopping centres create jobs and businesses by providing useful goods and services, but they can also energize a neighbourhood and give it a unique identity.

That was the ambition of the “Cadde54 Bazaar Project” in Serdivan, a city of 160,000 people in northwest Turkey. Cadde54 combines the logic of a Turkish bazaar with cultural and social functions. Visitors can walk around several open-air plazas or spend time in cafes where they can taste local and international cuisine.

It is noteworthy that Cadde54 Bazaar’s launch coincided with the post-pandemic period. Lockdowns and the closing of public buildings left people longing to spend time in open spaces. Unlike indoor shopping centres, at Cadde54 visitors can walk in the open air in pleasant and healthy conditions.

The project has led to the creation of new office spaces, businesses and jobs. The centre brings together, for the first time in Sakarya Province, local tradesmen and world-class companies under the same roof.

Cadde54 Bazaar also contributes to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. The centre features a vegetation-rich green roof and greywater recycling to limit environmental impact. The area is pedestrianised and features a sports centre. The project has also included the creation of new accommodation in the area.

​The project, completed in April 2022, received 1.5 billion Turkish lira (82 million euros) in investments from the municipality.

GAUDRON Marine
In Impact community Cohesion, Latest, Territorial development

Muni World 2022

Muni World - News 2021

Save the date: Muni World 2022, an event focusing on smart cities

The Federation of Local Authorities in Israel, Masham, is organising its annual event MUNIWORLD 2022, in partnership with the municipality of Jerusalem. It is taking place from 6 to 8 December, in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem.

Unique stages for global brainstorming on urban challenges and city innovation, the MUNIEXPO 2022 Exhibition, and the 6th international MUNIWORLD Conference being held as an integral part of it will host exhibitors, decision-makers from Israel and abroad, and thousands of visitors.

Discover last year’s MuniWorld with a short video.

For more information: click here!

GAUDRON Marine
In Impact community Cohesion, Local Insights

Rural concierge service

France - News Section

A French rural and solidarity-based concierge service to encourage local development and integration

Already popular in large cities, concierges provide residents with a range of everyday services, from childcare to shopping deliveries to clothes alterations. The concierge service concept is also taking root in rural areas, as shown by the example of the Ô Taquet concierge service in Saint-Sauvant, France.

The Ô Taquet rural concierge service offers a multitude of services to all individuals, whether they are working or retired, alone or with their family. The aim is simple: to make life easier for the inhabitants of the commune. Elderly people who can no longer perform certain tasks or working people who lack the time to do some of their tasks particularly appreciate the establishment of such an initiative.

The Ô Taquet conciergerie was created by the association Solidarité Environnement Insertion (SEI). This association was founded in 2011 by a small group of inhabitants who wanted to contribute to the local development of Saint-Sauvant while facilitating the integration of people.

The establishment of the concierge service has had multiple beneficial effects on the territory. First of all, it creates a social link between people with social difficulties and those who have the means to hire them. In addition to creating jobs, the concierge service has increased the activity of local businesses. In this sense, Ô Taquet represents a real public service for the village.

GAUDRON Marine
In Impact community Cohesion, Local Insights, Territorial development

Utility Park

Bucharest - News

How a utility park in Bucharest is fostering sustainability and inclusion

Green spaces can be a great way to foster community feeling and biodiversity in our cities. That’s why Bucharest’s Sector 2 decided to create a utility park in the Ion Creanga neighbourhood, an area suffering from social deprivation and a lack of recreational facilities.

The utility park was designed to tackle both social and environmental challenges, in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and finances by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The local authorities worked in close collaboration with local communities and empowered them to have a say in their future. As such, the city hall organised a series of debates and public consultations, communicated about the project online and actively integrated local demands into the project.

The park’s creation made a huge difference in the lives of residents:

  • The neighbourhood became more liveable because low-income families and at-risk youth benefited from recreational opportunities.
  • Residents’ sense of community increased as the park allowed people from diverse backgrounds and cultures to connect, facilitated the organisation of neighbourhood activities and exposed young people to nature.
  • The quality of the environment improved with sustainable and rational management of waste, enhanced energy efficiency and decreased of air pollution.
  • The park attracted homebuyers and the value of residential property rose by 15%.

To learn more about this and other local best practices, check out the website of URBACT, the European territorial cooperation programme which aims to promote sustainable integrated urban development in cities all over Europe.

Since 2021, the RFSC tool has been used by cities and partners of the “Global Goals for Cities” URBACT network, supporting the localisation of the SDGs across 19 European cities.

BORDELOT Federica
In About CEMR, Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Labour, Impact community Labour, Impact community Society, Impact community Society, Latest, Publications

CEMR report of 2021 

Meet Local Leaders - News

Report on the publications, knowledge-sharing, advocacy and communications in 2021 

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The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is pleased to present its 2021 Activity Report, which provides an overview of the organisation’s main actions and achievements over the year. Guided by the 2021–2030 multiannual strategy and the 2021–2022 work programme, CEMR focused its work on four objectives: 

  1. Policies and advocacy 
  1. Knowledge sharing and capacity-building 
  1. Pan-European campaigns and visibility 
  1. Internal organisation and sustainability 

All actions were aligned with the aim of advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across Europe’s territories. 

Shaping European and Global Agendas 

Throughout 2021, CEMR actively influenced European initiatives and alerted members to upcoming developments affecting local and regional governments. Activities included: 

  • Monitoring EU initiatives on recovery, resilience, and international cooperation. 
  • Engaging in structured dialogues on cohesion policy, rural development, disability rights, and urban development. 
  • Providing input that shaped OECD analyses, Council Conclusions, and the European long-term vision for rural areas. 
  • Publishing position papers and resolutions on gender equality, migration, the Fit for 55 energy package, water, and digitalisation. 

At the international level, CEMR deepened cooperation with UCLG, the Global Taskforce, OECD, and the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. 

Building Knowledge and Capacity 

To strengthen understanding of EU policies and empower members to act, CEMR: 

  • Produced publications and webinars, including a new edition of the TERRI Report on decentralisation reforms. 
  • Organised workshops on member participation in national and European processes. 
  • Delivered capacity-building through externally funded projects in areas such as EU funding, climate adaptation, gender equality, migration, and SDG implementation. 

Raising Visibility and Engaging Citizens 

2021 was also a year of celebrations: 

  • 70th anniversary of CEMR and the 15th anniversary of the Equality Charter brought together 500 participants online. 
  • Pan-European campaigns were launched for Europe Day, SDG Day, and equality, highlighting the voices of local leaders and women in politics. 
  • CEMR ensured visibility for its spokespersons through social media, interviews, videos, and participation in international events. 

In numbers: 

  • Over 120 articles published in English and French. 
  • More than 650 tweets reaching 1 million views. 
  • 14 newsletters delivered to the network. 

Strengthening Internal Organisation 

CEMR took concrete steps to become a more sustainable, inclusive, and resilient organisation: 

  • Two online Policy Committee meetings gathered 170 elected representatives to adopt policy positions and validate the strategy. 
  • A new Secretary General selection process was launched. 
  • Internal processes were modernised with digital templates, e-signatures, and reduced paper use. 
  • Staff received training on project management, budget monitoring, public speaking, and team collaboration. 

Milestones and Campaign Highlights 

  • Advocated for local governments to be included in post-COVID recovery plans (#CohesionAlliance). 
  • Shared local leaders’ visions for the Conference on the Future of Europe. 
  • Continued the #Power2Her and #LocalEquality campaigns on gender equality. 
  • Helped secure recognition of the multilevel cooperative model in the Glasgow COP26 agreement. 

2021 was a year of adaptation, resilience, and influence for CEMR. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the network succeeded in shaping European debates, amplifying the voice of local and regional governments, and strengthening internal capacities. With a stronger foundation and renewed strategy, CEMR continues its mission to empower Europe’s municipalities and regions to lead sustainable change. 

Read the study here

For more information, contact:

GAUDRON Marine
In Impact community Cohesion, Latest

World Urban Forum 11

Cohesion Policy - News

Join us at the Eleventh World Urban Forum in Katowice, Poland from the 26th to the 30th of June

The World Urban Forum (WUF) is the premier global conference on sustainable urbanisation. It was established in 2001 by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing issues faced in the world today: rapid urbanisation and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.

Representatives of national, regional and local governments, academics, business people, community leaders, urban planners and civil society representatives will be among the thousands of people which are expected to attend the WUF11 in Katowice, Poland. The conference is co-organized by Poland’s Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and the Municipal Office of Katowice.

Under the theme “Transforming our Cities for a Better Urban Future”, the WUF aims to present existing and future urban trends, challenges and opportunities. On this occasion, the CEMR is organising three sessions. Should you be interested in attending, registration is still possible until June 22.
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More information on CEMR’s sessions at the WUF11:

28 June
09:00 – 10:30: “Designing integrated urban strategies and localising the SDGs: experiences from cities using the Referential Framework for Sustainable Cities tool”.
Discover and learn how the RFSC helps cities in designing, implementing and monitoring integrated sustainable urban development strategies and/or projects.

15:45 – 17:15: “Inclusive cities in times of crisis”.
This session will address key questions such as the way cities and regions compromise between long-term objectives (carbon neutrality, achievements of SDGs) and the social cost of such measures, and how to dialogue between different tiers of governance.

29 June
14:30 – 16:00: Networking event on “Shaping green, resilient and sustainable urban areas in Europe by 2030”.
This session will look at the necessary and relevant level of actions to achieve net-zero emission urban areas, possibilities for municipalities and regions to finance their green and just transition, and existing initiatives in Europe, amongst others.

The WUF11 will be a great opportunity to meet in person, as four members of CEMR’s secretariat will be present during the event, along with a delegation of European elected representatives. Do not hesitate to reach out to us if you are attending as well!

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