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GAUDRON Marine
In Climate, Housing, Impact community Climate, Impact community Cohesion, Latest, Territorial development

Territorial dimension in the future Cohesion Policy 

Future of Cohesion event 2026

CEMR and the German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development (DV) hosted a discussion on the role of the territorial dimension in the future Cohesion Policy 

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973 words
4–6 minutes

On 12 October, during the European Week of Regions and Cities 2026, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and the German Association for Housing, Urban and Spatial Development (DV), with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Housing, Urban Development and Building (BMWSB), brought together policymakers, practitioners and elected representatives to discuss how to strengthen the territorial dimension of the next EU Cohesion Policy. 

Future of Cohesion event - Speakers
Speakers of the event (from left to right): Claragh Mulhern, Tilman Buchholz, Raquel Garcia Hermida-van der Walle, Christoph Schnaudigel, Renata Calak, Arjen Gerritsen, Matija Kovač

With the negotiations on the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) still ongoing, Member States are already advancing their National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs). In this perspective, as no earmark has been foreseen by the European Commission to promote the use of Integrated Territorial approaches such as Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI), Community-Led Local Development (CLLD/LEADER) and other similar tools, CEMR and DV focused the main debate on this matter.  

“The Territorial Dimension and its place-based instruments can build on regional strengths through intermunicipal cooperation across the rural-urban continuum. They can make the benefits of European investment visible in everyday life, foster economic innovation and resilience, and bring Europe closer to its citizens.” Dr. Rene Peter Hohmann, Executive Director DV’s EU-Office.

An “operational” and not “symbolical” multilevel governance is needed  

Opening the event, CEMR President Christoph Schnaudigel, who is also President of the County of Karlsruhe, called the territorial dimension “not a technical addition to Cohesion Policy” but “a core condition for its success”. He warned that a simpler policy on paper could be less effective in practice if it ignores how differently climate transition, demographic change, affordable housing and access to services play out in a capital city, a small municipality, an island or a mountain area.  

He also stressed that partnership and multilevel governance “must be operational, not symbolic”, and that local and regional governments must be genuine partners in preparing, implementing and monitoring the NRPPs rather than only delivery contractors. 

The case of Celje (Slovenia): an example of how to include the territorial dimension 

Following those words, Matija Kovač, the Mayor of Celje (Slovenia), showed how the territorial dimension works in his town. “The ITI (Integrated Territorial Investment) in Celje is a good example of multi-level governance that is actually run by the cities and for the cities, and, of course, building on two programming periods’ experience since 2014, it has also built strong trust between the national organs, ministries, and the municipalities”, he said at the event.

“I think it is also a new way to include our knowledge and organisation in helping the national states to move on with the territorial decision.”

High level event ITI in SLO on Cohesion – Oct 2026Download

Predictability, flexibility, formal mechanisms for the NRPPs… different views in one high-level debate 

The high-level discussion, “Quo Vadis Cohesion Policy?”, brought together policy makers from the European, national and regional levels, as well as MEPs and local elected representatives 

According to Arjen Gerritsen, King’s Commissioner of Flevoland and CEMR spokesperson on the EU budget, the future funding architecture must deliver certainty, respect for territorial diversity, and support for integrated investments. He argued that Cohesion funding must remain identifiable and predictable within the NRPPs. 

“We need predictable regional resources, mandatory regional coverage (or chapters), stronger territorial tools, and the right enabling conditions. Together, these elements can help ensure that the Cohesion Policy continues to support economic, social and territorial cohesion across all European regions”, he added.    

Renata Calak, Director of the Strategy Department in the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy in Poland, presented the first national perspective and stressed that “the new framework offers [Poland] both challenges and opportunities. ITIs are not foreseen in the new framework, but [Poland] will create [its] own national instrument to continue the work done on territorial approaches.” 

Future of Cohesion event - Speakers roundtable
Roundtable discussion, speakers (from left to right): Raquel Garcia Hermida-van der Walle, Arjen Gerritsen, Renata Calak, Claragh Mulhern, Anna Wagner

Following the Polish example, Claragh Mulhern, the Principal Adviser in the National Strategic Planning Department of Housing in Ireland, presented the Irish stance.  

“In Ireland, we have undertaken a spatial strategy involving a balanced territorial approach. We look at everything across the broad in a coherent strategy, cross-sectors providing an opportunity at a national level to look at what those interventions might be across the country.”

The discussion later turned into a brief debate between Commissioner Anna Wagner, Head of Unit, Regional and Urban Policy, and the Member of the European Parliament Raquel Garcia Hermida-van der Walle.  

While Wagner stressed that “the territorial dimension is anchored in the future framework through the European semester process and that for the first time there is a systematic and detailed territorial analysis, that will guide the national and regional partnership plans”, Garcia Hermida-van der Walle reiterated that “the partnership principle, multilevel governance, and the need of the local and regional governments in shared management need to be in the legal text, [as so far it is simply not in it]”. “It needs to be something that if member states don’t abide by the Commission will have to intervene”, she added. 

Future of Cohesion event - Last speaker
Future of Cohesion event, speaker: Tilman Buchholz

The event was wrapped up by Tilman Buchholz of the BMWSB, who reflected on a shared ambition to build a European coalition for balanced, integrated territorial approaches linking cities with their surrounding areas and complementing urban and rural development, as the MFF and NRPP negotiations move forward. 

CEMR will continue to work with the European institutions, Member States and partners to ensure that Europe’s future investment policy is built on the knowledge, legitimacy and capacity of its territories. 

For more information, contact:

GRIFFON Axelle
In Climate, Environment, Impact community Climate, Impact community Cohesion, Latest, Local finances

Webinar: Costs of climate and natural disaster risks

Climate disasters - News 2026

CEMR hosts a discussion on the evolving insurance landscape and its implications for local public finances

673 words
3–4 minutes
Watch the webinar here

As climate-related disasters become a structural part of our reality, their financial consequences are placing growing pressure on local and regional budgets. By bringing together voices from local governments in Europe and Canada, European institutions and the insurance sector, CEMR led a webinar on 6 October on the evolving insurance landscape and its implications for local public finances.  

The diversity of perspectives reflected the reality that climate risks do not respect administrative boundaries, and neither should the search for solutions. Opening the webinar, Federica Bordelot, CEMR Director for Policy, stressed that local and regional governments are facing rising insurance premiums, tighter coverage conditions and, in some cases, difficulties obtaining insurance for certain assets or activities. With climate insurance rapidly moving up the European policy agenda, Bordelot emphasised the importance of fully involving local and regional governments in the discussions. 

“Climate risks materialise locally, and public infrastructure is managed locally and resilience in the end is built locally. There cannot be one-size-fits-all” – Federica Bordelot 

CEMR webinar 2026
CEMR webinar 2026

Ronan Dantec, Senator for Loire-Atlantique, France, and CEMR Spokesperson on Climate, pointed out the importance of solidarity and risk-sharing in the face of growing climate risks. Dantec recalled that “insurance is fundamentally based on pooling risks” and called for financial resources to be mobilised upstream to support adaptation and more resilient territories. He also highlighted the need for long-term financing mechanisms for local and regional governments. 

“We are probably at a level of financial effort [on the scale of adaptation needs] that corresponds to [those] after World War II.” – Ronan Dantec 

Understanding the insurance protection gap 

Opening the panel discussion, Pantelis Marinakis from the European Environment Agency explained the growing climate insurance protection gap. Marinakis stressed that climate risks are systemic and can cascade through households, businesses, banks, insurers and public finances. He also presented insurance as part of a broader resilience approach and identified key priorities to close the protection gap, including increasing risk awareness and transparency, preserving affordable insurance, expanding risk-bearing capacity and strengthening public-private partnerships. 

“The most durable way to keep insurance available and affordable is to reduce future losses through adaptation measures.” – Pantelis Marinakis 

Marien Ferdinandusse from the Public Finance Division of the European Central Bank highlighted what a growing climate insurance protection gap means for public finances. When losses are uninsured, governments can ultimately become risk-bearers, while insurance helps households and businesses rebuild after extreme weather events. As climate risks increase, he underlined the need to move from a reactive to a more proactive approach through adaptation, fiscal preparedness, and measures to reduce the insurance protection gap. 

Local and insurance sector perspectives 

Louise Wallace-Richmond, Councillor in the City of Salmon Arm in British Columbia, Canada, brought an international perspective to the discussion. Drawing on her municipality’s experience, she highlighted the impacts of disasters on local infrastructure, budgets and communities. She put emphasis on clarifying responsibilities between levels of government, maintaining affordable insurance and protecting essential infrastructure. 

Sibylle Steimen from Allianz brought the insurance sector perspective, stressing the importance of maintaining the broadest possible insurance market. She underlined the need to better inform customers about their exposure to risks and identified prevention and adaptation as essential to keeping insurance available and affordable. Steimen also pointed out that local adaptation measures can have a positive effect on insurance premiums. 

As discussions turned to possible solutions to the climate insurance protection gap, participants exchanged on the role of adaptation, the impact of local measures on insurance premiums and the need for cooperation between public authorities and the insurance sector. 

The recording of the webinar is available here. CEMR will continue exchanging with its members, engaging with the European Commission and supporting knowledge-sharing on this topic, especially as the European Commission is about to release an integrated framework for European climate resilience and risk management: the ‘Climate Insurance Alliance’. This webinar feeds into the future work and positioning of CEMR on these important initiatives.  

For more information, contact:

HETZ Léa Agathe
In Bridges of Trust, Latest, Projects and Programmes

Bridges of Trust Award Ceremony 

Bridges of Trust Partnerships Award 2026: Europe’s dedicated award for municipal cooperation with Ukraine unveils its Ambassadors on 14 October

366 words
2–3 minutes

On 14 October 2026, the Bridges of Trust Award Ceremony will take place in Brussels, during the European Week of Regions and Cities, celebrating the first edition of an award for outstanding municipal partnerships between Ukraine and the rest of Europe. The ceremony will reveal and celebrate the six Bridges of Trust Ambassadors 2026, along with one special recognition. 

The award was launched by the European Partnership Hub Secretariat (EPHS), hosted by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), together with the Bridges of Trust Community. It is supported by the EU and its member states through the U-LEAD with Europe programme. 

Municipal partnerships with Ukraine 

Town twinning has existed across Europe for decades, connecting towns, cities and regions through exchange, cooperation and shared projects. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, many of these partnerships, along with new ones formed specifically in response to the war, have become active channels of support: vehicles, generators, hospital equipment, hosted refugees and staff exchanges, organised directly between municipalities. 

Several of this year’s Ambassador partnerships also show cooperation moving in both directions, with Ukrainian municipalities sharing crisis-management and civil protection expertise with their European partners. 

A range of partnerships 

The selected partnerships reflect the diversity the Award set out to capture: partnerships from across different regions of Ukraine and Europe, spanning small, medium and large municipalities; working across different thematic areas; and including both long-standing twinnings and partnerships formed after the full-scale invasion, many of which have moved from immediate solidarity to sustained, mutually beneficial cooperation. 

The call for applications was open to Ukrainian municipalities of all sizes and their partners in Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden. Applications were pre-selected by national and regional associations across these countries, then assessed by a jury of representatives from CEMR, U-LEAD with Europe and the European Committee of the Regions. The four Ukrainian associations of local governments validated the final selection. 

Practical information 
Bridges of Trust Award Ceremony 2026 
14 October 2026 | 18h40 – 20h40 (CET)
Brussels 

Watch live in English | Watch live in Ukrainian

For more information, contact:

ROSSI Fabrizio
In Governance, Governance, Impact community Society, Impact community Society, Latest, Local democracy, Local democracy, Publications

Statement on the arrest of Vahap Seçer 

Mersin Metropolitan Turkiye

CEMR denounces the arrest of Vahap Seçer, President of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye and CEMR Vice-President 

406 words
2–3 minutes
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The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is deeply concerned about the arrest of Vahap Seçer on 6 October 2026, Mayor of Mersin Metropolitan Municipality, President of the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (UMT), and CEMR Vice-President. 

Mayor Seçer is the third President of UMT, CEMR’s member association in Türkiye, to be deprived of his liberty since the 2024 Turkish local elections. His arrest follows those of Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, on 19 March 2025, and Zeydan Karalar, Mayor of Adana Metropolitan Municipality, on 8 July 2025. 

These developments are part of a broader and deeply concerning trend. Since the 2024 local elections, more than 80 municipalities in Türkiye have had their mayors replaced, and over 30 mayors have been arrested. Among them is Sinem Dedetaş, Mayor of Üsküdar and a member of the CEMR Policy Committee, who was arrested in July 2026. Taken together, these events point to a continued erosion of local democracy in Türkiye, a trend CEMR has repeatedly raised concerns about. 

CEMR reiterates that local elected representatives must be able to carry out their duties freely and without undue interference and calls on the Turkish authorities to: 

  • Respect the democratic mandates entrusted to local elected representatives by citizens and uphold the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government; 
  • Release arrested elected representatives and allow them to resume their mandates; 
  • Ensure that UMT can operate freely and continue to be led by the representatives chosen by its members. 

CEMR also calls on European institutions and the wider international community to stand in solidarity with democratically elected local representatives in Türkiye and to raise these cases in their dialogue with the Turkish authorities. 

At a time when democracy is facing increasing pressure across Europe, protecting local self-government is more important than ever. CEMR will continue to follow developments closely and stands firmly alongside UMT and its members and partners in Türkiye. 

Related content:

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BANOS DE GUISASOLA Eva
In Climate, Environment, Impact community Climate, Impact community Society, Latest, PLATFORMA

The post-2030 Scenarios

Beyond 2030: How can territories help shape the future of sustainable development? 

1,174 words
5–7 minutes

On 5 October, CEMR and PLATFORMA brought together almost 100 participants from over 50 countries for a public webinar on the future of the global sustainable development framework beyond 2030. The discussion gathered voices from research, civil society, women’s organisations and local government to answer one question: how can territories really be at the heart of the post-2030 framework? 

Eleven years after the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many targets remain off track. The webinar, which followed CEMR spokespersons’ debate in June, examined lessons from SDG implementation and emerging challenges, from climate risks to technological disruption and geopolitical tensions, that will shape the next agenda. 

Opening the meeting, Fabrizio Rossi, CEMR Secretary General, stressed that the SDGs remain the world’s most important shared political framework, but that implementation will only succeed if it is localised. Local and regional governments are not merely implementers of global agendas: they are political actors that turn commitments into services, investments and policies, and must be recognised as strategic partners and co-architects of the next agenda. He also called for better local data to anticipate risks, and for gender equality to move from commitment to leadership. 

“The SDGs remain the world’s most important shared political framework, but implementation will only succeed if it is localised.

The local and regional governments should be part of the discussions; they should be at the table, not solely the implementers.” – Fabrizio Rossi 

Four possible scenarios after 2030 

Axel Berger, Deputy Director of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), opened the discussion with a keynote on a global sustainability agenda beyond 2030. He recalled that the SDGs have delivered real progress: 92% of the world’s population now has access to electricity, 74% of people were online in 2025 (up from 40% in 2015), and 134 countries have already met the target on under-5 child mortality.  

Yet an implementation gap remains, driven by successive shocks and conflicts, a financing gap of around $4 trillion a year in developing countries, a weak implementation architecture, and eroding political ownership and trust. 

“The debate should move from the number of goals to purpose and delivery, with resilience, new alliances and a role for subnational actors.”

Berger stressed that negotiations on a successor agenda will take place in a harder context than in 2015, marked by multipolarity, low trust and overlapping crises, which makes an inclusive and trust-building process even more important.

“At the moment, we are putting an emphasis on issues like competitiveness and security, and the SDGs in the Agenda 2030 falls to the wayside.”   

Berger presented four possible paths: continuing the SDGs, extending them with new goals, reducing the number of goals, or building a new vision focused on delivery, resilience and new alliances, including the role of subnational actors. With the SDG Summit in September 2027 meant to launch the process, he called for negotiations that are inclusive, transparent, science-based and learning-oriented. 

“Beyond pushing forward on SDG implementation, what we urgently need to do between now and September 2027 – and well beyond – is to build progressive alliances with like-minded nations and stakeholders.” – Axel Berger 

Perspectives from civil society, research and women’s organisations 

Jyotsna Mohan Singh, Advocacy Officer at Forus International, a network representing more than 24,000 civil society organisations, argued that putting territories at the heart means shifting power, resources and decision-making closer to people, not only localising implementation. She underlined the complementary roles of local governments, civil society and communities, including civil society’s independent accountability role, and presented Voluntary Local Reviews as a way to connect local evidence to budgets, national reviews and global accountability. 

“Putting territories at the heart of the post-2030 framework should not mean simply asking territories to do more. It should mean giving territories, and the people within them, a greater voice, greater resources and greater influence over the decisions that affect their lives.”  

“Local governments are not simply the last mile of implementation. They are important governance actors, with knowledge of what works, what does not work, and what people actually need.” – Dr Jyotsna Mohan Singh

João Tavares, Co-Founder and CEO of Nexus Governance, presented an analysis of 474 Voluntary Local Reviews from 359 cities in 72 countries. He pointed out that the local reviews are becoming more candid: challenges rose from 11% to 29% of reported items between 2017 and 2025. Cities name financing, institutional capacity and coordination across government tiers as their main barriers. In Europe, 45% of commitments are concrete, compared with 50% worldwide.  

“Cities have already written the evidence. What we have done is make it countable: 474 local reviews, from 359 cities in 72 countries.”  

“Local reviews are becoming more honest. Challenges have gone from 11% to 29% of what cities report, led by the most vulnerable territories.” – Joao Tavares

Gabriele Köhler, Board Member of Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF), warned of a global retrogression on women’s rights, with austerity and militarisation displacing social spending. She highlighted the intersecting inequalities and structural barriers, such as unequal access to resources and time poverty, that limit women’s representation and leadership. She also called for building CEDAW and Universal Periodic Review recommendations into SDG 5 accountability in a post-2030 framework. 

“We need to look at the really disaggregated level to see what is happening to women and girls from disadvantaged communities, which can be anything from where they are located to their citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity, or ethnicity.” 

“I think that beyond 2030, what we really need to think about is binding accountability.” – Gabriele Köhler 

The meeting was also joined by CEMR spokesperson on SDGs, Carola Gunnarsson, the Councillor of Sala Municipality and the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR).  

“Trust is perhaps the most important resource we have for managing transformation.”  

“If we can strengthen those partnerships and keep people at the centre of decision making, then local and regional governments will not only implement future global goals, but they will also help shape it being them.” – Carola Gunnarsson  

Four key asks from local and regional governments 

Closing the webinar, Boris Tonhauser, Director of PLATFORMA, stressed that the question is no longer whether territories matter for sustainable development, but whether the next framework will empower them to help shape decisions, not just implement them. He recalled the key asks that will structure the CEMR-PLATFORMA position: 

  • Put multilevel governance into practice, giving local and regional governments a defined role in shaping, implementing and reviewing the future framework 
  • Reflect the interconnections of today’s challenges, addressing climate, inequality, demographic change, digital transformation and peace and security in an integrated way 
  • Match ambitions with means of implementation, ensuring access to finance, capacities, data and knowledge 
  • Strengthen international and decentralised cooperation, recognising the contribution of local governments to global sustainable development 

“The question is no longer whether territories matter for sustainable development. The real challenge is whether the post-2030 framework will empower local and regional governments to help shape decisions, not just implement them.”  

“If sustainable development happens in territories, then territories must have a seat at the decision-making table. This means moving from a model of consultation to a model of genuine co-creation and shared governance.” – Boris Tonhauser 

For more information, contact:

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

Decentralised Cooperation report #2

Decentralised Cooperation Mindcraft

Decentralised Development Cooperation Report #2: A European overview

372 words
2–3 minutes
Read the report

Following the first Decentralised Development Cooperation Report (DDC Report #1), this second Report (DDC Report #2) draws on the same Europe-wide survey to continue offering a pan-European overview of how local and regional governments (LRGs), their associations, and civil society actors engage in international cooperation. 

While DDC Report #1 presented a general overview of reported decentralised development cooperation (DDC), this second report digs deeper into the opportunities and challenges shaping decentralised cooperation and looks at the results that DDC partnerships aim to achieve. It also showcases a selection of DDC projects, offering illustrative examples of what effective partnerships and activities look like in practice. 

Where does Europe stand when it comes to DDC? 

The second DDC Report highlights: 

  1. Funding drives engagement, but limited capacities hold it back. Available funding and linguistic, cultural or historical ties (both 56.75%) are the top drivers of involvement in DDC. Yet, limited capacities (78.37%) and limited or inconsistent funding opportunities (54. 05%) appear as the biggest challenge for scaling up. 
  1. Similar goals in focus. Respondents most frequently selected the following three results that their DDC partnerships aim to achieve in both partner and home territories:  empowering local leaders and stakeholders, improving local public services, and strengthening local governance. Which one takes priority, though, differs depending on the territory in focus. 
  1. A lasting commitment. The majority of respondents (78.38%) plan to continue cooperating with their DDC partners, pointing out that decentralised cooperation is seen as a long-term investment rather than a one-off exercise. 

This report is part of a wider series of Mindcraft publications on decentralised development cooperation, including Country Profiles on DDC frameworks. You can find the rest of Mindcraft’s publications here. 

Read the full Mindcraft DDC Report #2, available in English, French, Spanish, and German.  

Discover Mindcraft DDC Report #1 here. 

CEMR encourages European and national authorities to strengthen the role of LRGs in development policy, not only as implementers, but also as strategic partners helping shape a more resilient, inclusive, and effective development agenda. 
This report is produced within the Bridging and Mapping Knowledge Gaps in Decentralised Cooperation (Mindcraft), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).  

For more information, contact: 

GAUDRON Marine
In Housing, Housing, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Cohesion, Latest, Publications

Reaction: Housing Simplification Act

Housing Simplification Act

CEMR calls for clearer, more coherent and flexible EU rules to help cities, towns and regions deliver affordable housing

852 words
4–5 minutes
Read CEMR’s full response

Europe urgently needs more affordable, sustainable, and inclusive housing. Yet cities, towns and regions working to deliver new homes increasingly face overlapping rules, lengthy procedures, legal uncertainty and limited investment capacity.

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) provided feedback on existing EU law impacting housing policies, especially at local level. In its response to the European Commission’s call for evidence on housing simplification, CEMR sets out how the European Union can remove unnecessary barriers while protecting essential social, environmental and democratic objectives.

Local and regional governments play a decisive role in housing through spatial planning, permitting, local services, infrastructure, and territorial development. They must therefore be fully involved in the design, implementation, and evaluation of any future European housing simplification measures. EU action should support locally adapted solutions, respect subsidiarity and strengthen the capacity of towns, cities and regions to act, not replace local decision-making with new layers of European requirements.

Simplification, not deregulation

Many EU rules affecting housing pursue legitimate public-interest objectives. Problems arise when requirements from different policy areas overlap, follow incompatible timelines, or impose disproportionate administrative burdens.

Housing projects can be affected simultaneously by procurement, state aid, fiscal, energy, environmental, and construction rules. Their combined effect can increase costs, delay investment, and require local governments to seek expensive external legal or technical expertise.

CEMR is therefore calling for a more coherent regulatory framework, with better-aligned definitions, datasets, deadlines, and digital systems. Simplification should focus on removing duplication and resolving conflicts between rules, while maintaining environmental protection, building quality, social safeguards, and meaningful public participation.

Unlock local investment in affordable housing

Towns, cities and regions cannot respond to housing shortages if public investment continues to be constrained by fiscal and state aid rules that do not adequately recognise the long-term value of affordable housing.

CEMR calls for affordable and energy-efficient housing expenditure to be treated as long-term public investment rather than ordinary current spending. The state aid framework should also provide greater legal certainty and flexibility for municipal and public-interest housing projects.

In particular, procedures related to entrustment, overcompensation controls, and earmarking obligations should be made clearer and more proportionate. Local governments, including smaller towns, should be able to implement housing measures without routinely depending on costly external expertise.

Make public procurement faster and more proportionate

Public procurement rules are another significant source of delay and administrative cost. As construction prices rise, more housing projects fall within complex EU-wide procurement procedures, even where there is little realistic cross-border interest.

CEMR proposes higher procurement thresholds that better reflect current construction and service costs. Its response also calls for greater flexibility to negotiate directly with a contractor following an unsuccessful procedure and to modify contracts when circumstances change after an award.

A simpler and more flexible framework would reduce delays, lower compliance costs, and help local governments bring affordable housing projects forward more quickly.

Align energy, environmental and housing objectives

EU energy rules should better enable local energy sharing, the use of nearby renewable energy and residual heat, and more flexible allocation of grid capacity for projects serving a clear public interest.

Closely connected legislation, including rules on energy efficiency, renewable energy and building performance, should operate as a coherent whole. Rather than prescribing detailed administrative procedures, the EU should promote open standards, interoperable data, and digital permitting systems that can be adapted to national and local administrative structures.

Greater legal certainty is also needed in applying the Birds and Habitats Directives and the Nature Restoration Regulation. CEMR calls for clearer assessment of thresholds, proportionate procedures for low-risk projects, and more flexible approaches to environmental compensation. These changes should improve planning certainty without weakening biodiversity objectives.

Build the capacity to deliver and renovate

Regulatory reform alone will not solve Europe’s housing shortage. Higher productivity in construction and renovation is equally important.

CEMR calls for investment in skills, training, innovation and local administrative capacity, particularly in small and medium-sized municipalities. Better labour mobility and recognition of qualifications could help address workforce shortages, while greater harmonisation of construction standards could reduce fragmentation and support innovative, circular and climate-resilient building methods.

Europe must also look beyond new construction. Renovation, retrofitting and the adaptive reuse of vacant buildings can increase supply, revitalise neighbourhoods and reduce environmental impacts. Making these projects easier to finance, permit and implement should be a core part of the simplification agenda.

Put local and regional governments at the centre

Housing pressures differ sharply from one territory to another. They may be driven by tourism, demographic change, land scarcity, infrastructure gaps, construction costs, depopulation, or shortages of affordable and social housing. Aligned with CEMR’s reaction to the Affordable Housing Act, the definition and related rules for areas under housing stress should be revised.

There can therefore be no single regulatory shortcut that works everywhere. The EU should provide enabling conditions through investment, legal clarity, interoperable systems and smart simplification, while leaving local and regional governments the flexibility to develop solutions suited to their communities.

For more information, contact:

BORDELOT Federica
In EU budget, Impact community Cohesion, Latest

EU budget campaign – Finland

Miikka Lonnqvist

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

396 words
2–3 minutes
Watch the interview

As negotiations on the next EU long-term budget move forward at both European and national levels, CEMR is calling for a stronger role for local and regional governments in defining the priorities of this new EU budget.

Miikka Lönnqvist, City Councillor of Hollola (Finland) and representative of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (Kuntaliitto), sets out what the association wants to see in the next EU budget: fair competition for businesses; investment in innovation; greater weight to security, preparedness and resilience at local level; and sustainable growth reaching every town, city and region, not just national capitals. Kuntaliitto is also pushing for local governments to have a significant role in designing and implementing the EU budget, not simply receiving it.

This advocacy campaign of the EU budget is not only happening in Brussels. The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (Kuntaliitto) has taken its message directly to national decision-makers, engaging with parliamentary committees in the Finnish Parliament and participating in discussions with Finland’s Prime Minister’s Office and national ministries as the country’s position on the EU budget takes shape. Alongside this, Kuntaliitto has worked with municipalities, cities and local governments across Finland to build and promote a common national position on the EU budget.

Kuntaliitto’s call to fellow associations across Europe is to do the same: engage in the budget negotiations as early as possible and make sure the local voice is heard by those designing and implementing the new EU budget at national level.

Our views on the current EU budget proposal

CEMR calls for stronger guarantees for multilevel governance and partnership, greater flexibility for local governments, 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.

Read CEMR’s position paper on the next EU budget

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:

Anna Goclawska
In About CEMR, Housing, Impact community Cohesion, Latest, Local Insights

Meet Ellen van Selm (Purmerend)

Meet the Local Hero: Ellen van Selm, merging the best of the local and the European politics

807 words
3–5 minutes
Watch the full interview

In this edition of Local Heroes, we speak to Ellen van Selm, Mayor of Purmerend (The Netherlands), about the city’s challenges, her goals and achievements as a mayor, as well as what connects her town to Brussels.

A city shaped by water and growth

Purmerend is a town of 100,000 inhabitants just north of Amsterdam, part of the city’s wider metropolitan area. Its roots, however, lie in a very different landscape.

“Purmerend used to be a small market town in a very watery area,” van Selm explains. “Farmers from the surrounding wetlands came here to trade their agricultural products, livestock and fish.” When the lakes and wetlands around it were reclaimed, the town became an important food-producing region for Amsterdam and later, thanks to its proximity to the capital, an increasingly attractive place to live.

That proximity still shapes daily life. A steady flow of commuters travels between Purmerend and Amsterdam, and the town has grown rapidly since the 1970s. For van Selm, that growth is also the municipality’s biggest challenge today. “We also want to remain a town where people know each other, where there is room for nature, culture and community, and where people feel at home,” she says. “Our biggest challenge is not simply to build more houses, but to grow in a way that strengthens the quality of life and preserves the identity of Purmerend and [the nearby municipality], Beemster.”

In the Netherlands, mayors are not elected

Being a mayor in the Netherlands, van Selm points out, differs from the role in many other European countries. Unlike many of her European colleagues, she was not elected by residents but appointed by the Crown. Dutch municipalities are governed jointly by the mayor, the Aldermen, who serve in the Netherlands as the executive and administrative officers of a local municipality, and an elected city council, each with distinct responsibilities.

“I don’t have my own election programme that I want to implement,” she says. “I see my role as bringing people together, creating connections, and making sure that the interests of our residents are heard in our democratic process.”

Three initiatives stand out for van Selm. The first is Purmerend’s regional deal, a genuine partnership between the municipality, the national government in The Hague, and local NGOs, all investing together in the region’s future.

The second is the town’s children’s mayor programme. “It gives children in Purmerend a real voice and teaches them that they can make a difference,” she says. “My aim is to make sure that their voices are heard as well.”

The third is safety, a legally assigned part of her role as mayor. Purmerend has worked to make neighbourhoods safer following incidents involving explosions, and to make public spaces feel safer for women.

From Purmerend to Brussels, and back

Van Selm’s local role and her European work, as a member of the Dutch delegation to the European Committee of the Regions and of its COTER Commission are, in her words, “two sides of the same coin.”

“What I experience locally informs my work in Brussels, and what I learn in Brussels comes back to my municipality.” Through COTER, she is closely involved in discussions on the future of the EU budget and cohesion policy, topics that can sound abstract, but which she sees translated directly into local impact. In Purmerend, European Social Fund support has helped sustain the municipality’s labour market programme, run through a local social development organisation, giving it continuity from year to year and room to innovate.

That two-way exchange extends beyond the Committee of the Regions. Van Selm also takes part in European city networks such as the New Towns Alliance, exchanging experience with towns facing similar pressures around housing, the energy transition, the labour market and social inclusion. As Purmerend is part of Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), Van Selm is also CEMR Spokesperson on Housing.

“What works in one city can inspire solutions in another,” she says. “Policy becomes meaningful when it reaches people and communities locally and local experiences become even more valuable when we share them with other cities and use them to shape European policy.”

Staying close, looking outward

Asked what matters most for a mayor today, van Selm points to balance: staying close to residents while keeping a broader view. “You need to stay close to your residents, listen to them, understand what makes your municipality unique, and protect that sense of identity. But at the same time, don’t only look inward, ask what your municipality can contribute to the country, to Europe, and to the other regions and networks you work in.”

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Pumerend is a member of the CEMR National Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG).

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Anna Goclawska
In About CEMR, Latest, Local Insights

Voices of our 75-year history: Annemarie Jorritsma

Anne Marie Jorritsma

Annemarie Jorritsma: “The local level is where citizens meet their government”

786 words
3–5 minutes
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Annemarie Jorritsma is a prominent figure in Dutch politics. She served as the Netherlands’ first female Deputy Prime Minister (1998-2022), later chaired her party’s group in the Senate, and spent many years as Mayor of Almere (2003-2015), a period she describes as “the most important” of her political career. Throughout her career, she was also the first female CEMR President (2013-2015).

In this interview, recorded in Almere, Jorritsma reflects on how the European Commission’s understanding of local and regional governments has evolved over the years. She also shares her views on the progress of gender equality in politics and explains why politicians at every level should never lose sight of the local level.

A stronger seat at Europe’s table

Asked about her major achievement during her period as CEMR’s President, Jorritsma does not point to a single decision or campaign. Instead, she highlights a shift in attitude: local and regional governments are now taken far more seriously by the European Commission than they once were.

In her view, it used to be only the Council and Member States who mattered in Brussels. That has changed. Today, she says, there is a growing recognition that European policy cannot work without the support of local and regional governments, since a town, city or region cannot survive without its national government, and a country cannot manage alone without Europe.

She sees the war in Ukraine as having sharpened that understanding further, pushing countries to recognise that they cannot face today’s challenges alone. Still, she notes with some regret that it so often takes a crisis to bring that lesson home.

Naming the gender gap, and closing it

Jorritsma was the first woman to hold the office of Deputy Prime Minister in the Netherlands, though she says she rarely thought of it in those terms at the time; she simply worked hard and tried to outperform the men around her. Looking at the wider picture today, she is candid that progress on gender equality in politics has stalled, and in some respects is slipping backwards. The Netherlands has still never had a female prime minister, and even in Europe, where a woman leads the European Commission, she points out that sexism has not disappeared.

She recalls one achievement with particular pride: as chair of her party’s group in the Senate, she reached a 50-50 balance between men and women. Once achieved, she says, people quickly assumed it was simply normal, but she warns that without continued effort, that balance can just as easily be lost again. It is a lesson she is determined to act on, by pushing her party to bring more young women into politics and into the education that prepares them for it.

The local level is where it all begins

For Jorritsma, local government is not a stepping stone to something more important; it is where the real work of democracy happens. Most citizens will never meet a government minister, she notes, but they will meet their mayor or visit their local council. It is at that level that people encounter their government directly.

What frustrates her is how many politicians, once they move to the national stage, forget the local level they came from. She hopes that in the years ahead, the influence of local government on national decision-making will grow stronger, building on the progress she believes has already been made, but which still has a long way to go.

Lessons from an international network

Reflecting on her years at CEMR, Jorritsma describes it as a source of constant learning. Every country does things differently, and sharing those experiences, and the practical tools other local leaders use, was, she says, one of the things she valued most.

She recalls a particular lesson from her time as Mayor of Almere: that leaders of large cities can learn a lot from the mayors of small towns, who tend to stay much closer to their inhabitants, going out to meet people rather than waiting for them to make an appointment. She made a point of doing the same, keeping her network among the city’s residents strong rather than retreating behind an office door.

Being Mayor of Almere, she says, was the most important part of her entire political career, and she hopes mayors across Europe come to feel the same way about their own local roots, and that national politicians learn to see it that way too.

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*Jorritsma served as president of the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten) starting in January 2008 until June 2015, representing the interests of Dutch local governments during her tenure as Mayor of Almere.

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