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GAUDRON Marine
In EU budget, Impact community Society, Latest, Projects and programmes, Publications

How to unlock EU funds

EU financing opportunities - News

A guide to help local and regional governments navigate 2021–2027 funding opportunities and prepare successful proposals 

Read full study

Accessing European Union funding can be complex, especially for municipalities and regions unfamiliar with project management procedures. To address this challenge, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has developed a guide within its new External Funded Activities (EFA) Platform. The guide provides practical support for members, including information on funding opportunities, thematic priorities, and tips for writing strong proposals. 

The current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021–2027, boosted by Next Generation EU, represents the EU’s largest-ever budget, totalling €2 trillion. More than half is dedicated to research, innovation, digitalisation, and climate action, while one-third supports cohesion policy. For local and regional governments (LRGs), this translates into significant opportunities to finance projects across diverse fields. 

The guide outlines how to navigate the Funding and Tenders Portal, the central entry point for EU calls. It explains how applicants can: 

  • Search funding opportunities and partners; 
  • Check eligibility; 
  • Submit proposals online; 
  • Manage reporting and compliance requirements. 

It also provides advice on preparing successful project proposals. Key recommendations include aligning projects with EU policy goals, ensuring sustainability and impact, and selecting experienced, committed partners. Strong project teams, clear narratives, and realistic budgets are critical for success. 

Finally, the guide emphasises capacity-building. CEMR encourages municipalities to build internal expertise, engage with partners early, and take advantage of available training and support services. 

By simplifying complex procedures, the CEMR guide aims to empower local and regional authorities to fully tap into EU funds and deliver projects that advance Europe’s priorities, from green transition to digital innovation. 

Read the study here 

For more information, contact: 

GRIFFON Axelle
In Call, Environment, Impact community Climate, Latest

Call for Proposals EUI

BoT Expertise - News 2023

First Call for Proposals EUI – Innovative Actions

Eligible authorities are invited to submit project proposals in the framework of the first EUI – Innovative Actions (EUI-IA) Call for Proposals. For this Call for Proposals, an indicative budget of EUR 50 million ERDF is allocated.

Each project can receive up to a maximum of EUR 5 million ERDF co-financing and project implementation should take place within a maximum period of 3,5 years.

For more information and to apply don’t hesitate to check out the website and the seminars that will take place until the end of the year.

GRIFFON Axelle
In Energy, Impact community Climate, Latest

Training Academy

Meeting - News section

Local leaders explore how to mobilise sustainable finance at local and regional level

More than forty local and regional leaders gathered on Friday (21 October) to learn more about sustainable finances during CEMR’s training academy.

Terms like “sustainable finance” or “Taxonomy” are part of the everyday Brussels jargon and are now trickling down to the local and regional levels. After the Paris Agreement in 2015, the European Commission launched an ambitious Sustainable Finance action plan for financing sustainable growth in 2018. At the heart of it is the EU Taxonomy, a classification instrument which attempts to define “sustainable” economic activities. In addition, private and public enterprises like municipal utilities will have to disclose environmental, social and governance information (so-called ESG factors) and report on the Taxonomy alignment.

The training provided territorial leaders basic scientific knowledge about the concept of sustainable finance. It explained the EU’s sustainable finance framework, focusing on the EU Taxonomyand explored the role of local and regional governments in mobilising climate finance. The participants also shared best practices and funding opportunities for projects and sustainable financial products.

In addition to a panel on the regulatory architecture of sustainable finance, participants had the opportunity to discover the OECD subnational climate finance hub which offers local and regional governments insightful data and a self-assessment tool. Finally, representatives from the European Investment Bank and MuniFin, a Finish municipal credit institution, showcased projects which were enabled by sustainable financial products like energy efficiency renovations of 622 houses in the French region of Picardie.

According to the OECD Subnational Government Climate Finance Hub, local and regional governments accounted for 63% of total climate –significant public expenditure in 2019. However, the local and regional elected representatives stressed the need to take more into consideration the limited technical, administrative capacities in municipalities and regional administrations. A clear and understandable regulatory framework as well as more technical assistance by experts would be necessary to implement sustainable projects to fully align public investments with the Paris Agreement.

You are interested in the subject and in Brussels? Join us on 10 November for our event: Local Finances in Europe – Unlocking investments for sustainable and resilient societies. Our study on Local Public Finances and the Green Transition will be launched, followed by a high-level policy debate on the EU economic governance framework. Register here!

GRIFFON Axelle
In Environment, Impact community Climate, Latest

EU Green Capital

Environment - News section

Which cities will be the European Green Capital 2024?

Which cities will be the European Green Capital and the European Green Leaf 2024? Discover the winners at the Awards Ceremony on 27 October, hosted by the City of Grenoble. 

The European Commission’s (European) Green Capital Award, recognises and rewards local efforts to improve the environment, and thereby the economy and the quality of life in cities. The Award is given each year to a city, which is leading the way in environmentally friendly urban living. The Award encourages cities to commit to ambitious goals for further environmental improvement.

PALA Francesco
In Impact community Society, Latest, Local democracy

Youth employment

Youth employment - News

European towns struggle to retain youth, fight unemployment

While youth unemployment across the bloc has decreased compared to last year, European towns are struggling to remain attractive to young people.

Youth unemployment in the EU is currently at 13.8% and has decreased compared to last year, but the rate varies from region to region, with the highest number of unemployed young people in the regions of Southern Europe.

In the Portuguese municipality of Mourão, a small town near the border with Spain, the youth unemployment rate is at 24.6%.

According to Mayor João Fortes, while many young people would like to stay, they end up moving to other cities where they find more job opportunities, such as Evora, Porto or Lisbon.

Ageing towns

“I really would like them to come [back] because we are ageing so much that we need young people to build their own projects, their own family,” Fortes told EURACTIV.

Other mayors are raising similar concerns regarding the impact of demographic changes on their municipalities.

Alexandros Paschalis, deputy mayor of Edessa, a small Greek town with a 45% overall unemployment rate, said the “city is getting older and older.”

“Most of the people who go to study don’t have the opportunity to come back to do the work they study for,” he said at a conference organised during the EU Regions Week, adding that local authorities often lack the tools to address youth unemployment.

The city of Klaipėda on the Lithuanian coast is also facing a similar challenge to retain local youth.

According to mayor Vytautas Grubliauskas, “the goal is not to stop them, but to do everything so they can come back.”

Building infrastructure

In Grubliauskas’ view, to reduce unemployment and retain young talents, regions and cities need to be “attractive from the infrastructural point of view.”

“It is not enough to only create jobs, we also need to have the adequate conditions in place,” including infrastructure to compensate for lower salaries, he said.

Youth unemployment in Klaipėda is lower than the European average and the overall unemployment rate, with just over 8% of the population between 16 and 29 years of age out of a job.

The mayor said the municipality is “approaching these challenges in a good way,” for instance cooperating with universities and NGOs. The city has also created a funding mechanism to attract specialists in the areas most affected by labour shortages, such as IT technicians, doctors, and teachers.

In his view, cities and regions have the responsibility to make sure both the city infrastructure and choice of jobs are attractive to young people. At the same time, he said professional guidance is critical to help young people understand their talents.

Training

At the EU level, the Commission is promoting vocational training to fill gaps in the labour market and give young people the skills needed to find employment.

However, the problem “cannot be solved in six months,” according to Andrea Glorioso, policy officer at the European Commission.

“Education policy takes a lot of time, in order to see the effect we need to have a bit of patience,” he said.

Meanwhile, the municipality of Mourão is trying to address the problem locally, giving young people the opportunity to carry out work experience in the municipality.

The idea is for them to develop competences the municipality does not have and for which it has to rely on external consultants.

“Why not try to teach these kids how to do it?” Fortes said.

“It will require time, obviously, but after that time perhaps we’re going to have the inside resources to manage these kind of tasks.”

This article was first published by EurActiv. Real the whole text.

REVAULT Martin
In Latest, United Cities and Local Governments

Pact for the Future

UCLG - News section

​​UCLG Congress adopts the ‘Pact for the Future’

Mayors, local and regional leaders from across Europe have adopted the ‘Pact for the Future‘, a key strategic document defining UCLG’s priorities from 2022 to 2028. 

The visions and aspirations reflected in the Pact will be shaped into actionable commitments throughout 2023 and serve as the strategic vision for the World Organisation in the coming years. Motions presented by all members will further deepen the policy visions and serve as a reference to the inputs of the whole local and regional government constituency represented by the Global Taskforce. 

Three political leaders have been appointed as Ambassadors for the Pact for the Future: Ada Colau, Mayor of Barcelona as Ambassador for the Future of People; Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris as Ambassador for the Future of the Planet; Yücel Yilmaz, Mayor of Balikesir as Ambassador for the Future of Government. 

TARAN Stanislav
In Bridges of Trust, Impact community Society, Latest, Projects and Programmes, Twinning

France-Ukraine Solidarity

Bridges of Trust Branding - News 2024

The France-Ukraine Local Solidarity Forum: Together we are stronger!

On the 19th of October, more than 100 participants took part in the Local Solidarity Forum jointly organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), PLATFORMA, Association of French Mayors (AMF) and the U-LEAD with Europe Programme.

Twinning and partnerships between Local and Regional Governments were at the centre of the discussions. Cooperation is the only way to bring about Ukrainian reconstruction.

Join un on 28 October, from 09:00 to 12:00 CEST, for the Bridges of Trust Forum to learn more about partnerships between Ukrainian and EU local governments!

TARAN Stanislav
In Bridges of Trust, Latest, Projects and Programmes

Bridges of Trust Forum

Ukraine flag - News section

Join us at the occasion of the Bridges of Trust Forum!

Join un on 28 October, from 09:00 to 12:00 CEST, and learn more about partnerships between Ukrainian and EU local governments. This online event will be conducted in English and Ukrainian, with simultaneous interpretation.

The Forum is organised in the framework of the Initiative “Bridges of Trust: Empowering municipalities in Ukraine and in the European Union through building municipal partnerships”, implemented by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), PLATFORMA and supported by the U-LEAD with Europe.

Today, international municipal cooperation between Ukrainian and EU municipalities is perceived by many, including the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, as one of the important instruments that can help Ukraine and Ukrainian communities recover, rebuild and renew. Closer personal links and cooperation based on joint projects and actions between the peers in Ukraine and the EU are also facilitating the integration with and the future accession of Ukraine into the EU family.

Therefore, the aim of this Forum is to highlight and promote partnerships between municipalities in Ukraine and the EU member states.

The Forum will be focused on the following components:

  • Partnerships between Ukrainian and EU municipalities, in the framework of the “Bridges of Trust” Initiative.
  • Examples of European Union funding programmes supporting partnerships between Ukrainian and EU municipalities.

The full programme of the Forum can be found here: English and Ukrainian.

To register, please fill in this online form. If you have any questions, please contact Yana.Brovdiy[at]ccre-cemr.org.

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Приєднуйтесь до нас 28 жовтня, з 10:00 до 13:00 за київським часом, та дізнайтеся більше про партнерство між органами місцевого самоврядування України та ЄС. Цей онлайн-захід буде проведено англійською та українською мовами, з синхронним перекладом.

Форум організовано в рамках ініціативи «Мости довіри: розширення можливостей громад в Україні та в Європейському Союзі через побудову муніципальних партнерств», що впроваджується Радою європейських муніципалітетів та регіонів (РЄМП), PLATFORMA за підтримки за підтримки Програми «U-LEAD з Європою».

Сьогодні міжнародна співпраця між українськими муніципалітетами та муніципалітетами ЄС сприймається багатьма, зокрема Президентом України, Володимиром Зеленським, та Президентом Єврокомісії, Урсулою фон дер Ляєн, як один із важливих інструментів, який може допомогти Україні та українським громадам відновити та відбудувати зруйноване агресором та окупантом. Більш тісні особисті зв’язки та співпраця на основі спільних проєктів між колегами в Україні та ЄС також сприяють інтеграції та майбутньому вступу України до сім’ї ЄС.

Тому метою цього Форуму є висвітлення та сприяння партнерству між муніципалітетами України та країн-членів ЄС.

Форум буде зосереджений на таких компонентах:

  • Презентації партнерств між українськими та європейськими муніципалітетами в рамках Ініціативи «Мости довіри», що реалізується Радою європейських муніципалітетів та регіонів (РЄМР) та PLATFORMA за підтримки U-LEAD з Європою.
  • Програми фінансування Європейського Союзу для підтримки партнерств між українськими та європейськими муніципалітетами.

З повною програмою Форуму можна ознайомитися тут: англійською та українською мовами.

Для реєстрації, будь ласка, заповніть цю онлайн-форму. Якщо у вас виникли запитання, будь ласка, зв’яжіться з Yana.Brovdiy[at]ccre-cemr.org.

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

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