PLATFORMA55

Towards a new EU strategy for enlargement

The EU needs to step up the involvement of local and regional authorities of EU Member States and candidate countries in the accession process, states a European Parliament’s report on the new EU strategy for enlargement. It was presented by MEP Tonino Picula at the plenary session in Strasbourg on 22 November. 

During the debate, the Croatian MEP emphasised that in the situation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, expansion must gain new momentum, be predictable and believable, “as the single most effective EU instrument for securing peace, prosperity and fundamental values on the European continent.”

The rapporteur Mr Picula also added that each candidate for membership must be evaluated according to progress in reforms, especially when it comes to the rule of law, and the judiciary, and that EU support funds should be accessible to candidates for membership before they become full members of the Union.

Regarding Eastern Partnership countries, the Report welcomes the European Council’s exceptionally swift decision on the EU membership applications of Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia and calls upon the Commission and the Council to continue to provide them with political and technical support, while stepping up the involvement of local and regional authorities in the accession process.

Similarly, it invites the authorities of the three countries to unambiguously demonstrate their political determination to realise the European aspirations of their people by making significant progress on substantial reforms to effectively fulfil the criteria for EU membership as soon as possible. Focus is in particular on the independence of the judiciary, the fight against corruption, democratic oversight, human rights and “de-oligarchisation”.

Finally, it is stressed that the facilitation of these countries’ transitions from the Eastern Partnership to the enlargement framework would require the switchover from the NDICI – Global Europe instrument to the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). However, such a transition should be accompanied by a sufficient increase in the overall budget of IPA III in order to retain funding for current IPA III beneficiaries.

TONHAUSER Boris

Director – PLATFORMA

Local government leaders renew their partnerships with the EU to boost international development

The presidents of the five largest associations of local and regional governments met yesterday (September 12, 2022) in Brussels with Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, to renew their partnership with the European Union on international development.

The five local government leaders present were:

• Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris (France), President of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF)
• Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Italy) and President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) & PLATFORMA
• Innocent Uwimana, President of the Rwanda Association of Local Government Authorities (RALGA) and Board member of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF)
• Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague (Netherlands), Chair of the Board of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG)
• Fatimetou Abdel Malick, President of the Regional Council of Nouakchott (Mauritania), President of United Cities and Local Governments – Africa (UCLG-A)

The five presidents signed new framework partnership agreements with the European Union for a period of four years. These agreements notably include financial support to local and regional government associations in designing policies aimed at promoting sustainable development at the international level, with a budget of €50 million under the NDICI-Global Europe financial program.

The agreements also strengthen the associations’ role in coordinating the voices of all development partners at the local level. Beyond aid to associations, development efforts by local governments will also be supported “on the ground” with €500 million, Commissioner Urpilainen said. These funds directly help cities and regions to tackle global challenges such as climate change, rising energy prices, gender equality, and democracy at the local level.

“We believe decentralised cooperation is essential to keep communication channels open and mutually enrich our practices,” said CEMR President Stefano Bonaccini. “The European Union can count on us to implement reforms that contribute to the democratisation of our territories and the revitalisation of our economies.”

The five associations “are committed to strengthening local governments in Europe and in third countries,” notably to implement the Sustainable Development Goals aimed at “making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, and revitalising the global partnership for sustainable development.”

The first framework partnership agreements between these five associations and the European Union were signed seven years ago.

The presidents were accompanied by their associations’ respective secretaries-general and met other senior EU officials, including Koen Doens, Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA).

See all the photos from the event
Watch the video recording of the ceremony
Watch the interview with the Presidents of the local government associations

TONHAUSER Boris

Director – PLATFORMA

Youngest Mayor of Portugal: “Young people should be seen as change leaders”

It is essential to better involve young people in politics and decision-making, according to João Fortes, the mayor of the Portuguese city of Mourão and the youngest mayor of Portugal, during the Africities Summit organised by UCLG Africa in Kisumu (Kenya).

The Summit, which took place from 16 to 20 May, gathered local governments and communities, civil society organisations, and development actors from across Africa, as well as many international players. The participants discussed the high stakes involved in the implementation of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. A day dedicated to youth issues highlighted the crucial role that the next generations play in the development of their territories.

Speaking on behalf of PLATFORMA and CEMR’s Committee of Young European Elected Representatives, João Fortes took part in different sessions dealing with sustainable development and challenges faced by young people.

The young elected mayor presented some of the policies being implemented at the European and local levels to move towards a more inclusive and sustainable social model. According to him, young people must be considered “change leaders” in this process.

João Fortes participated in three Africities sessions:

• A meeting of the partners of the Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM SSA) on the issues related to sustainable development and climate change
• The General Assembly of the Network of Young Elected Local Officials of Africa (YELO)
• A “youth day”, notably dealing with urban policies aiming to better integrate young people

What role for young people in Africa and Europe’s mid-sized cities?

Whereas 2022 is the European Year of Youth, a Eurobarometer survey has found that a large segment of young Europeans consider that they are not sufficiently listened to by public authorities.

Young people face an increased risk of poverty, notably in the post-pandemic context, and there are reasons to fear the disengagement of young citizens from political life. To answer this, João Fortes stressed the need “to provide the conditions for young people to be genuinely involved in decision-making.”

The mayor of Mourão also highlighted several projects being undertaken in his municipality and in Portugal. Indeed, Portuguese youth are also being affected by the consequences of the health crisis and a difficult economic situation.

Mourão is taking numerous initiatives in these areas with the creation of a Local Assembly of Young People, a participatory budget, technical support for youth organisations, strengthened children’s access to medical and dental care, and the development of youth exchanges and volunteering opportunities.

The Summit was also an opportunity to bring together PLATFORMA and CEMR’s Committee of Young European Elected Representatives and YELO members. These two networks of African and European local leaders could soon undertake actions in cooperation to put into perspective the issues encountered in the development of their territories.

Check on Twitter with #Africities9

TONHAUSER Boris

Director – PLATFORMA

Our annual report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goes digital

Available for the first time in an online format, PLATFORMA and CEMR have just published their fifth annual study on the localisation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Released on the occasion of the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) in New York, discover this innovative publication today at local-sdgs.eu

This study gathers the most recent information on how and to what extent associations and networks of local and regional governments have been involved in the localisation of the SDGs, both in Europe and with their global peers, and in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s survey therefore included questions on the SDGs’ implementation since 2015 and the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. In the last two sections, there were also additional questions regarding Voluntary Subnational Reviews (VSR) and decentralised cooperation.

It gathers 63 answers from 28 European countries, 37 associations of local and regional governments and 18 municipalities and regions.

Main recommendations

Six main recommendations came out of this study, targeting EU institutions, national governments and local and regional governments and their national associations:

1. The European Commission should report regularly on any progress made in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)  at the EU level and indicate how the different levels of governance have contributed to this process.
2. We encourage associations of local and regional governments to actively take part in the Voluntary Subnational Reviews (VSR) process.
3. Local and regional governments (LRGs) are calling for the firm recognition and inclusion by national governments of the role of LRGs and their associations in the monitoring and reporting of progress in the implementation of SDGs at the national level.
4. European states and the EU need to strengthen their dialogue with the subnational levels and include them in any relevant high-level delegation meetings.
5. Strengthen international cooperation to achieve the 2030 Agenda at the local and regional levels.
6. There is still a need to localise and territorialise the SDGs through the deployment of appropriate funds and resources.

This study will be presented by a PLATFORMA-CEMR delegation at different events during the second week of the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) taking place in New York between 5 and 15 July 2022.
This delegation is composed of:

• Fabrizio Rossi, CEMR Secretary General
• José Hila, Mayor of Palma de Mallorca (Spain, FEMP)
• Hannah-Lea Braun, Member of Maichingen Council (Sindelfingen, Germany) and the CEMR Young Elected Officials Committee
• Luis Salaya, Mayor of Cáceres (Spain, FEMP)
• Valérie Dumontet, Vice-President of Aude Region (France, Cités Unies France)
• Pilar Díaz, Mayor of Espluges de Llobregat, Deputy to the Presidency, Delegate for International Relations at the Diputació de Barcelona (Spain, Barcelona Provincial Deputation – DIBA)
• Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague (Netherlands, VNG International)

Directors, advisers and technicians from CEMR, the City of Paris, DIBA, FEMP, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS), UCLG and VNG International are also attending HLPF this year.

TONHAUSER Boris

Director – PLATFORMA

Applications are open until 15 July!

Get ready for the third edition of the PLATFORMAwards! This exceptional event rewards excellence in the field of decentralised cooperation.

Local or regional governments have until 15 July to submit their projects and partnerships online. This year our international panel of experts and elected representatives will judge the projects based on their contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 

If you win, we’ll make a short film promoting your cooperation partnership!

For more info on how to take part, please visit PLATFORMA‘s website. 

TONHAUSER Boris

Director – PLATFORMA