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CEMR seeks to partner with a professional and certified branding or design agency to develop all the deliverables detailed in this document. The agency must work collaboratively with CEMR to produce high-quality deliverables and materials.
As the European Union prepares its next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2028–2034, the Global Europe instrument will define the EU’s external action for the years ahead — encompassing development cooperation, humanitarian aid, enlargement support and Global Gateway. Discover PLATFORMA detailed policy position outlining how this strategic instrument should be shaped to foster sustainable global partnerships and advance inclusive governance.
At a time marked by intersecting global crises — from climate breakdown and shrinking development funds to geopolitical instability — the role of local and regional governments (LRGs) is more critical than ever. PLATFORMA’s paper is thus anchored in the belief that effective global action starts from the ground up.
Local and regional governments as co-decision-makers, implementers and partners
PLATFORMA’s position starts from a stark reality: despite their proximity to citizens and deep knowledge of local contexts, LRGs remain under-recognised in EU external action frameworks. The coalition calls for the Global Europe instrument to move beyond symbolic references to “local authorities” and embed mechanisms that genuinely empower LRGs as co-decision-makers, implementers and partners in EU external policies.
Key recommendations
The Policy Paper makes 9 key recommendations to EU decision makers:
Strengthen multilevel governance in Global Europe and place local and regional governments in the driving seat of territorial development
Pair flexibility and simplification with ambitious official development assistance targets, and enhance accountability and transparency mechanisms
Unlock Global Gateway’s potential through the involvement of local and regional governments
Foster EU delegations’ engagement with local and regional governments
Recognise and empower local and regional governments as unique and effective development partners in fragile contexts
Advance the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals to achieve decarbonised societies and climate justice
Involve citizens through Global Citizenship Education as a key component of decentralised development cooperation
Foster inclusive and participatory local governance: empower youth, women, and disadvantaged and underrepresented groups
Strengthen local governance through the EU Eastern neighbourhood and enlargement strategy
Through these recommendations, PLATFORMA aims to improve the current proposal for the Global Europe instrument, so that it fully recognises, acknowledges, and supports the contribution of local and regional governments to EU external action, notably through decentralised cooperation as a development aid modality.
PLATFORMA also calls on the European Commission to issue an updated Communication on the structured involvement of local and regional governments and their associations in the new (geo)strategic approach to EU external action.
Meet the Local Hero: Eider Inuntziaga, building trust from the streets of Bilbao
When Eider Inuntziaga talks about local government, one word comes up again and again: closeness.
Since 2023, she has served as a city councillor in Bilbao, after years of political engagement within the Basque Nationalist Party. It is her first public mandate, and the experience has changed how she sees political life.
Before, she observed politics from the inside. Now, she experiences it daily — in the street, in neighbourhood conversations, and in the direct reactions of citizens to local decisions. The distance between elected representatives and residents is minimal, which makes local politics both uniquely meaningful and uniquely exposed. She also brings this experience to the European level as one of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions’ spokespersons on Local Democracy.
Across Europe, these challenges are increasingly visible. To better understand and address them, CEMR and its partners, including the City of Bilbao, have launched the European Observatory for the Defence of Democracy at the Local Level — an initiative that collects data, documents threats and harassment against local elected representatives, and helps develop practical tools and responses to better protect those serving their communities.
As she puts it, “local governments are the closest level of administration; we are the face of democracy.”
That proximity builds trust, but it also concentrates frustration. When people are unhappy, local leaders are often the first — and easiest — target.
Social media: useful, but risky
That visibility now extends far beyond the street.
Inuntziaga describes her relationship with social media as “conflicted.” While it can help connect people and share information, she also sees clear downsides.
“Social media can connect people and stories, and it can be useful—up to a point. But it also creates noise, polarisation, and sometimes hate. It can be dangerous.”
For local politicians, the effects are concrete. “It affects integrity, it affects how we speak, and it can silence people. It can make people leave the work they’re doing—or become afraid of what’s happening.”
She keeps her presence limited, using Facebook and LinkedIn, and mixing personal and political communication carefully.
Participation beyond election day
Despite these challenges, Inuntziaga remains firmly optimistic about the role local governments can play in strengthening democracy.
Her approach is simple: stay close, listen carefully and involve citizens as much as possible. For her, elections are only the starting point. Day-to-day participation matters just as much. In Bilbao, this philosophy has taken concrete form through participatory initiatives that invite residents to help shape the city’s direction.
One example is “Bilbao City of Values,” a process through which citizens collectively identified a shared set of principles to guide public life. The idea is to create a common framework that strengthens belonging and counters misinformation. The goal, she explains, is not only better policies, but stronger relationships between institutions and the people they serve.
Learning from Bilbao’s past
Bilbao’s history has also shaped how she thinks about governance.
The city has experienced profound transformation over the past decades — from industrial decline and unemployment to renewal driven by long-term planning and cooperation between public institutions, private actors and civil society. For Inuntziaga, this experience shows that change does not happen overnight and that stability requires patience.
She often points to three elements behind Bilbao’s recovery: cooperation, shared values and long-term vision. Quick fixes rarely work. Instead, consistent decisions taken with the future in mind gradually rebuild trust.
“Decisions must be made with the long term in mind,” she says, describing democracy and stability as mutually reinforcing.
Eider Inuntziaga during the launch of the European Observatory for the Defence of Democracy at the Local Level.
Rooted locally, thinking European
Although her work is grounded in municipal politics, Inuntziaga keeps a strong European outlook. She follows debates beyond Spain closely and draws inspiration from leaders such as Kaja Kallas, whom she admires for her perspective on Europe’s role in a changing world.
Still, her focus remains firmly local. For her, cities are where democracy is tested every day — where policies meet real life, and where trust is either built or lost through everyday interactions.
It is not the most visible level of politics — but, in many ways, it is the one where democracy is felt most directly.
To hear more from Eider Inuntziaga, you can listen to the full episode of Call Simone, also with Gianmarco Daniele of Bocconi University, . They discuss how growing harassment and disinformation are affecting local leaders across Europe, and how the launch of the European Observatory for the Defence of Democracy at the Local Level can better track threats and protect local democracy.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world. Heatwaves, floods, droughts and extreme weather events are already affecting communities, infrastructure and ecosystems across the continent — with impacts that vary widely from one territory to another. In this context, climate adaptation has become an urgent priority for towns, cities and regions, which are on the frontline maintaining essential services and strengthening resilience on the ground.
The policy paper highlights a clear reality: local and regional governments already implement the vast majority of adaptation measures, yet their role remains insufficiently recognised and supported in EU and national frameworks. The paper calls for a territorial approach to climate resilience, grounded in multi-level governance and built around six key priorities:
Empowering local and regional governmentswith clear mandates and flexibility to act;
Strengthening local capacity through better access to data, tools and peer learning;
Securing predictable and accessible funding for adaptation investments;
Improving preparedness and disaster risk management;
Restoring ecosystems and scaling up nature-based solutions;
Ensuring water resilience through integrated, locally driven water management.
By combining horizontal enablers (governance, capacity and finance) with sector-specific recommendations, the paper demonstrates how empowering towns, cities and regions is essential to Europe’s overall resilience.
Towns, cities and regions at the frontline of adaptation policies
Ronan Dantec, CEMR spokesperson for Climate, underlines: “Today, it is urgent to recognise that adaptation to climate change is pivotal for municipalities and regions of all sizes. Investing in sustainable infrastructure and using our resources more efficiently is not just an option, but an imperative for securing a thriving future for all.”
Climate impacts are inherently local. Even within the same country, risks can differ significantly between urban and rural areas, coastal and inland regions, or northern and southern territories. Towns, cities and regions are therefore best placed to:
Assess local climate risks and vulnerabilities;
Protect vulnerable populations;
Plan and manage resilient infrastructure;
Ensure continuity of essential services such as water, transport and energy;
Deliver nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration.
Their proximity to citizens also allows them to integrate social resilience into adaptation policies, ensuring that no one is left behind as climate impacts intensify.
Preparing for the EU’s upcoming integrated framework on climate resilience
CEMR’s policy paper comes at a key political moment, as the new integrated framework for European ClimateResilience and Risk Management is expected to be adopted by the European Commission in the second half of 2026. It will aim to establish a comprehensive and coherent EU approach to climate resilience and preparedness.
The ongoing public consultation of the European Commission on the future integrated framework, includes a set of questions covering resilience-by-design across EU policies; harmonised and comparable climate risk assessments; funding for adaptation; support for local and regional level, consideration of climate-related health impacts.
CEMR is currently developing a response in cooperation with its expert group, requesting that towns, cities and regions are recognised not only as implementers, but as strategic partners in the design, financing and monitoring of this future framework. The consultation is open until 23 February 2026. CEMR encourages its members to participate and make their voices heard.
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), the largest network of local and regional governments in Europe, is recruiting a Policy Officer – Climate and Energy to contribute to its policy, advocacy, and project activities from its Brussels office. The position offers the opportunity to support Europe’s climate transition by ensuring that the priorities of cities and regions are reflected in European policymaking and initiatives.
A role at the intersection of policy and implementation
This position combines strategic policy analysis with practical project work. The Policy Officer will monitor EU developments related to climate and energy, draft position papers and advocacy materials, engage with EU institutions and stakeholders, and support the development and implementation of EU-funded projects.
Key responsibilities
The Policy Officer will:
Manage policy and legislative work on climate and energy
Engage with CEMR members and support expert groups
Deliver advocacy actions towards EU institutions
Draft policy documents and briefings
Contribute to EU-funded projects, including monitoring and reporting
Support communication, events, and partnerships
Ideal profile
CEMR seeks a candidate with a relevant master’s degree, two to three years of experience, a solid understanding of EU climate and energy policies, experience in advocacy and stakeholder engagement, and excellent English with strong French. Strong organisational skills and a collaborative mindset are essential.
Why join CEMR
Working at CEMR offers the chance to collaborate closely with local and regional governments across Europe and contribute to policies with tangible territorial impact. The organisation provides a multicultural environment and a competitive benefits package, including teleworking arrangements, vouchers, insurance, and transport coverage.
Location: Brussels Contract: One-year fixed-term contract, with possible conversion to open-ended Application deadline:27 February 2026 Apply:application@ccre-cemr.org
CEMR and EUI join forces to prepare leaders for future challenges
CEMR has teamed up with the European University Institute (EUI) to offer a dedicated training on Strategic Foresight, designed for professionals working across public institutions and local and regional government networks. The course will take place online on 22 April, 28 April and 5 May 2026, followed by a three-day in-person residential segment in Brussels on 11, 12 and 13 May 2026. Participants are expected to attend both the online sessions and the face-to-face training, which together include around 25 hours of interactive learning.
The course gives practical tools to better anticipate change, assess long-term risks and opportunities, and make more informed policy decisions in uncertain methods can support planning, governance and everyday strategic work.
The training offers public officials, NGO staff and professionals across sectors a practical opportunity to sharpen their strategic skills and exchange with peers from across Europe. It forms part of CEMR’s broader work to strengthen the capacity of local and regional governments and connect its network with leading European knowledge institutions such as the EUI.
More information and registration details are available on the EUI website.
Call for Proposals – Accounting, Tax and Management Control Services (2026–2028)
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has launched a call for proposals for the provision of accounting, tax, and management control services for the period 2026–2028.
CEMR is the largest organisation of local and regional authorities in Europe, representing nearly 130,000 local and regional governments through more than 50 national associations in 41 European countries.
The selected service provider will be responsible for, among others, VAT declarations and compliance, tax assistance, annual accounts filing, preparation of tax forms (281.50), and quarterly management control.
Candidates must be duly qualified (ITAA registration or equivalent), demonstrate relevant experience—ideally with AISBL/ASBL structures—and comply with independence and confidentiality requirements.
Call for proposals – external auditors (2026-2028)
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is launching a call for proposals for the appointment of external auditors for the period 2026–2028.
CEMR is the largest organisation of local and regional authorities in Europe, representing over 130,000 local and regional governments through more than 50 national associations from 41 European countries.
The selected auditor will be responsible for carrying out the statutory audit of CEMR’s accounts in accordance with Belgian law and applicable ISA standards. The assignment includes, among other tasks, the annual certification of accounts, the preparation of statutory audit reports in English and French, the verification of expenditure related to external grants (European Commission, GIZ, etc.), participation in statutory meetings, and ad-hoc advisory support in accounting, legal, fiscal and financial matters.
Interested candidates are invited to submit an offer including a presentation of the firm, proposed audit methodology, team composition, planning, a detailed financial offer, and a declaration of independence.
The EU’s place-based approach to policymaking — which recognises territorial diversity and builds on the role of local and regional governments — is under critical pressure. The European Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework risks weakening this approach by centralising investment decisions and blurring the distinct objectives of EU policies with very different territorial logics.
CEMR has therefore developed targeted amendment proposals to the regulation establishing the National and Regional Partnership Plans. These proposals aim to preserve place-based policymaking across EU investments, strengthen democratic and territorial governance, and ensure that policies designed in Brussels and capitals continue to deliver concrete, long-term benefits in cities, towns and regions.
The main messages driving CEMR amendments
1. Safeguarding cohesion as a core EU priority CEMR calls for a stronger budgetary commitment to economic, social and territorial cohesion. Reducing the relative weight of cohesion policy — while expanding access to funds to all private actors — risks undermining public services, increasing competition for limited resources, and weakening Europe’s capacity to deliver resilient territories and communities.
2. Putting territories and people back at the centre Cohesion policy must work across all regions and respond to territorial diversity. Our amendments reinforce the territorial dimension of EU investments, ensuring that no region or community is left behind and that the objectives of the EU Treaties are fully respected.
3. Making partnership and multilevel governance real While the Commission proposal refers to partnership and multilevel governance, it lacks strong guarantees. CEMR proposes clear obligations, monitoring mechanisms and consequences to ensure that local and regional governments are genuinely involved in the design, implementation and monitoring of national plans — not merely consulted in name.
4. Preventing over-centralisation of EU investments Recent experiences with the Recovery and Resilience Facility and other national plans have shown the risks of centralised approaches. CEMR therefore calls for mandatory regional and territorial chapters in national plans, ensuring place-based strategies and meaningful involvement of subnational governments throughout the programming period.
5. Strengthening integrated territorial development Integrated territorial approaches — in urban and non-urban areas — bring Europe closer to citizens and have proven their value on the ground. CEMR proposes a minimum 30% earmarking of national allocations for integrated territorial development, supported by higher EU co-financing and increased pre-financing to enable local authorities to participate fully.
6. Supporting rural areas, cities and functional territories Our amendments reinforce support for rural development, sustainable urban development, urban-rural linkages and functional areas. These approaches are essential to tackling demographic change, climate challenges and social inequalities in a coherent and coordinated way.
A call for a stronger, fairer cohesion policy
CEMR’s amendment proposals are guided by a clear conviction: Europe’s resilience, prosperity and democratic strength depend on strong local and regional governments and on cohesion policy that is ambitious, inclusive and place-based.
We call on the European Parliament and Member States to take these proposals seriously and ensure that the future EU cohesion policy delivers for all territories and all citizens.
👇 We invite you to consult the full set of CEMR amendment proposals for a detailed overview of our recommendations and legal changes to the Commission’s proposal.
Local democracy is often described as the closest level of government to people’s everyday lives. But across Europe, that closeness is increasingly being tested.
In the latest episode of Call Simone, we explore how power and democratic pressure are playing out at the local level — where politics is most visible, most accessible, and, increasingly, most exposed. Harassment, intimidation, disinformation campaigns, and threats are becoming part of the reality for many local elected representatives. The consequences go well beyond individual cases: when intimidation shapes who speak, who run, and who stay, representation shrinks and democracy weakens.
This episode brings together two voices who connect political experience with rigorous research:
Eider Inunciaga, City Councillor in Bilbao, Spain
Gianmarco Daniele, Executive Director of the CLEAN Unit, Bocconi University, Italy
Together, they unpack what harassment looks like in practice, why it is rising, who is most affected, and what local leaders — and European institutions — can do to respond with policies grounded in evidence.
When intimidation becomes a political filter
Harassment against local elected representatives is not only “bad behaviour” online — and the way humans respond to these attacks has little to do with personal resilience. As the episode shows, intimidation can work as a political filter: it discourages participation, pushes people out, and narrows the diversity of voices in local councils.
For Eider Inunciaga, the change became more tangible when she entered a public mandate in 2023. Local politics means proximity: you can be approached in the street, at community events, at school gates — and anger is often directed at local representatives precisely because they are the most reachable. As she puts it: “Local governments are the face of democracy.” And that visibility comes with exposure.
“Local governments are the face of democracy — and that makes us the most exposed.” – Eider Inunciaga, City Councillor Bilbao, Spain.
Who pays the highest price?
One recurring theme in the conversation is that harassment does not hit everyone equally. Those seen as “different” — women, minority representatives, LGBTQIA+ politicians — are often targeted more aggressively, with the implicit message: you don’t belong here.
Gianmarco Daniele shares research findings from Italy that put numbers to what many already sense. Using a carefully matched dataset to compare women and men in similar contexts, his work finds women are three times more likely to be targeted — and that almost one-quarter of female mayors experience an attack during their mandate. Importantly, these are offline attacks: assaults, burned cars, arson against property, threatening letters — not simply online hostility.
The timing is also revealing: attacks concentrate in the first year after election, consistent with a backlash against women’s visibility in power — and not explained by performance differences in office. The democratic cost is direct: women who are attacked are less likely to run again, turning progress on representation into a revolving door.
As Daniele notes, we often focus on how to get more diverse candidates into politics — and too rarely on why people leave.
“Without data, we’re fighting blind. Europe needs comparable evidence to spot risks early and respond.” – Gianmarco Daniele, Executive Director Clean Unit, Bocconi University, Italy.
Bilbao’s lesson: rebuild trust through participation and shared values
The episode also looks at the other side of the equation: how local governments can maintain trust and stay close to citizens in a polarised environment.
For Eider Inunciaga, the starting point is closeness and participation: democracy is not only elections and voting day. In Bilbao, she highlights the “Bilbao City of Values” process, where citizens helped define a set of shared values to create a common framework for community life. In her view, shared values and participation are also part of the response to misinformation: they strengthen belonging and reduce the space in which false narratives thrive.
Bilbao’s longer history adds perspective. The city’s transformation — shaped by industrial crisis, social hardship, terrorism and the 1983 floods — was driven by cooperation across institutions, partnerships with society, and long-term vision. The lesson is simple and demanding: coexistence is not inherited; it is cultivated — and democratic stability requires sustained investment.
From stories to evidence — and from evidence to action
This episode connects directly to the launch of the European Observatory for the Defence of Democracy at the Local Level: a new partnership bringing together local and regional governments (including Bilbao and Basque municipalities represented by EUDEL) and the research community at Bocconi, with the support of the Basque Country and CEMR.
The Observatory’s goal is to help Europe move from scattered stories to coordinated action by connecting the dots between:
what local elected leaders experience on the ground
what research and data can show about patterns, drivers and impact
what public authorities and institutions can do to prevent, protect and respond more effectively
A central message from the conversation is the data gap. Today, there is no comparable European-level dataset even on local politicians, let alone on attacks and threats. Without common data infrastructure, risks are harder to detect early and policy responses are harder to evaluate.
As Daniele explains, better data brings not only understanding — but visibility. In Italy, there is evidence of more than one attack per day on average, yet the issue often remains local news and rarely reaches broader political attention. Data can help turn a hidden pattern into a shared European priority.
About Call Simone
Call Simone is CEMR’s podcast on power and democracy in Europe — told through the lens of the local level. Each episode brings together local leaders, insiders and researchers to explore who gets to sit at the table, who is pushed out, and why it matters for Europe’s future.
