Position papers Archives - Page 3 of 8

GAUDRON Marine In Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Cohesion, Press, Publications, Territorial development

Insights on cohesion policy funds

CEMR released in-depth study unveiling insights into European cohesion policy funds

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is pleased to announce the release of its comprehensive study on European Cohesion Policy funds. This illuminating study offers valuable insights into the management and implementation of European Structural and Investment Funds, a cornerstone of the European Union’s investment strategy.

Offers practitioners and policymakers a comprehensive overview of how Cohesion Policy Funds are implemented in different countries.

European Cohesion Policy funds, also known as European Structural and Investment Funds, are pivotal to the EU’s vision of a more prosperous and sustainable continent. These funds reach every corner of Europe, supporting critical initiatives such as job creation, economic growth, sustainable development, green and digital transitions, and the building of inclusive societies. In the funding period from 2021 to 2027, eight distinct funds play a key role:

European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)
Cohesion Fund (CF)
Just Transition Fund (JTF)
Asylum and Migration Fund (AMIF)
European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)
Internal Security Fund (ISF)
Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI)

However, to truly understand the impact of these funds and their operational dynamics, one must delve deeper. Questions emerge, such as who manages these funds, how Member States approach their administration, and how coordination is ensured to prevent overlap. Additionally, understanding their alignment with non-Cohesion Policy funds, like the Recovery and Resilience Facility, is crucial.

The Cohesion Policy Funds study delves into these fundamental questions. It offers a comprehensive exploration of Cohesion Policy funds for 2021-2027, shedding light on their management, coordination, and impact.
This pioneering study reveals critical insights into:

Centralised vs. Decentralised Management: Discover how Member States manage Cohesion Policy funds, whether through centralized, decentralized, or mixed models.
Sustainable Urban Development: Explore the rising emphasis on sustainable urban development, a core component of Cohesion Policy, with Member States committing an average of approximately 12%, surpassing the required 8% allocation for this purpose.

CEMR’s study is a valuable resource for policymakers, regional and local authorities, and all stakeholders invested in Europe’s advancement.
Unlock the potential of Cohesion Policy funds and their transformative role in shaping Europe’s future.

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GAUDRON Marine

Advisor – Territorial Cohesion & Local Finances

GRIFFON Axelle In Energy, Energy, Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Press, Publications

Electricity market design reforms

Reforming the European Electricity Market: Priorities and Challenges

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In March, the European Commission proposed a regulation to improve the EU’s electricity market. The reform is important for local and regional governments, since they play a central role as suppliers, distributers and consumers of electricity. While the current internal market for electricity has brought positive effects and lower prices, reforms are needed to address decarbonization of the electricity sector and gas shortages caused by Russia’s energy weaponization in the Ukraine conflict.

The past winter has made it clear for all Europeans that ensuring the security of supply and lower prices of electricity were top priorities for the years to come. The EU and Member States must increase both the production of electricity and their capacity in terms of energy storage. They also need to take strong measures to decarbonize the electricity sector in order to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. In other words, the European electricity market is at a crossroads: to move forward, the EU needs to take strong actions and work together with local and regional governments.

Facilitate local and regional governments’ work driving investments in renewable energy

Local and regional governments have important roles to play in changing the electricity sector. They are responsible for finding suitable locations for production, distribution and transmission; they also must speed up permitting, manage spatial planning, invest in energy companies, and enable consumers and energy communities.

Furthermore, they possess valuable insights due to their direct engagement with local communities, and are therefore essential in ensuring citizens’ acceptance of the rollout of renewable energy. Considering all these factors, local and regional governments must be key partners in the reform of an efficient, sustainable European electricity market.

Make electricity prices less reliant on short-term fossil fuel costs

It is important to offer the option of long-term contracts, including to individuals and smaller consumers. This helps protect them from high and unpredictable prices, especially until more renewable energy production at lower generation prices is available.

Keep emergency measures as permanent features of the Electricity Market Design

During periods of excessively high electricity prices, it is advisable to maintain certain emergency measures. These measures can include price caps, taxes on windfall profits, and reimbursements for consumers. However, they should only target fossil fuel and other phased-out energy sources to encourage investment in renewable energy. These measures should not discourage energy savings or flexibility.

Encourage better consumer empowerment and protection

Efforts should be made to empower and protect consumers, particularly vulnerable ones, when implementing renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures. Support schemes, loans, and technical assistance can help achieve this goal. Moreover, regional and municipal energy providers, acting as a “supplier of last resort,” should receive adequate financial compensation from national or European funding to support vulnerable households and enterprises.

Promote efficient multi-level governance solutions and financial support

Collaboration among different levels of governance, following the principles of subsidiarity and multilevel governance, is crucial for success. Platforms like the Covenant of Mayors facilitate cooperation, knowledge exchange, and the sharing of good practices at EU, national, and regional levels.

Finally, to successfully implement changes at local and regional levels, it is important to provide financial resources and supportive measures, while avoiding excessive regulations and administrative burdens.

In conclusion, the Commission’s proposed regulation offers an opportunity to address challenges in the European electricity market. To achieve climate neutrality and ensure a secure energy supply, increasing production and storage capacities, promoting renewable energy sources, and involving local and regional governments are crucial. Collaboration, financial support, and efficient governance will contribute to a sustainable European electricity market.

To learn more about the measures proposed by CEMR, read the full position paper.

For more information, contact:

GRIFFON Axelle

Advisor – Environment and mobility

GURI Durmish In Impact community Society, Impact community Society, IncluCities [closed project], Inclucities [closed project], Migration and inclusion, Migration and inclusion, Press, Projects and Programmes, Projects and programmes, Publications

Inclusion starts locally

Key lessons from IncluCities to improve migrant integration through multilevel cooperation

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The IncluCities project, led by CEMR and funded by the EU’s AMIF programme, has shown how local and regional governments (LRGs) can lead inclusive migration policies when equipped with the right tools and support. Over three years, eight cities and six national associations worked together in a mentoring scheme to improve local integration strategies for third-country nationals.

From needs assessments to action plans and training academies, IncluCities focused on real collaboration between cities and their associations, guided by CEMR. The project clearly demonstrated that peer exchange and coordinated support lead to more effective and sustainable policies.

Turning Practice into Policy

Based on the project experience, CEMR outlines seven key recommendations:

Adopt a Whole Community approach – Integration policies should benefit all residents, not just newcomers, and promote active local citizenship.

Promote inclusion over adaptation – Inclusion must be a two-way process involving the whole community, not just the integration of migrants.

Train entire ecosystems – Sustainable action requires collaboration across municipal services, civil society, and migrant communities.

Guarantee meaningful participation – Participation must be recognised as a basic right and embedded in local governance structures.

Support migrant women – Women play a key role in communities and should be at the centre of local inclusion efforts.

Improve multilevel governance – Stronger cooperation between EU, national, and local governments is vital, along with direct access to funding.

Create local support networks – Clustered partnerships help cities share knowledge and raise their voice in national discussions.

Conclusion

Local and regional governments are essential in managing integration, yet they remain underrepresented in EU policymaking. As the New Pact on Migration and Asylum moves forward, CEMR calls for the full inclusion of local voices in shaping migration policy, especially those of small and medium-sized cities, which are closest to the ground.

Read the position paper here

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GURI Durmish

Director – Projects & Programmes

GAUDRON Marine In EU budget, EU budget, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Cohesion, Press, Publications, Territorial development, Territorial development

Safeguarding local investments

Why EU economic governance reform must protect municipalities’ ability to invest

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The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has warned that the upcoming reform of the EU’s economic governance framework, including the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP), could risk undermining the investment capacity of municipalities and regions across Europe.

Local and regional governments are responsible for almost half of all public investments in the EU. These investments are essential to deliver on European priorities such as the green transition, digitalisation, and resilient infrastructure. However, the proposed introduction of net expenditure ceilings risks unintentionally penalising local governments, who generally borrow only for long-term investments in capital assets.

Reform and its implications

The European Commission has announced plans to simplify the SGP by replacing certain rules, including the medium-term objective (MTO), with a new system of net expenditure ceilings. While CEMR welcomes the move away from the MTO, which had previously constrained local investment through deficit limits and reduced transfers from central governments, it raises serious concerns about the impact of the new ceilings.

Applying net expenditure limits to municipalities would create three major risks:

Higher administrative burdens arise because local governments do not use the net expenditure concept in their accounting.
Political mismatches, since local electoral cycles rarely align with national fiscal programming.
Cuts in public investment, as postponing infrastructure projects, are often the only quick adjustment available under tight expenditure ceilings.

This is even though local government debt levels are prudent in every EU Member State, and are already strictly monitored under national rules.

The solution: exclude local expenditure

CEMR is therefore calling for the exclusion of local government expenditure from the definition of net expenditure ceilings in the reformed SGP. Much like cyclical unemployment spending is excluded, removing local investment from these calculations would ensure municipalities can continue to provide essential services, maintain infrastructure, and invest in the future without being penalised by centralised fiscal targets.

At a time when Europe urgently needs stronger local action to address climate, digital, and social challenges, weakening municipalities’ ability to invest would be counterproductive. Protecting local public investment within the EU’s economic governance reform is not just about budgets, it is about safeguarding Europe’s capacity to deliver on its ambitions.

Read the position paper here

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GAUDRON Marine

Advisor – Territorial Cohesion & Local Finances

BORDELOT Federica In Climate, Climate, Energy, Energy, Housing, Housing, Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, Press, Publications

Smarter building rules in Europe

EPBD revision: Local flexibility and long-term planning key to success, say CEMR and Housing Europe

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EPBD revision: Local flexibility and long-term planning key to success, say CEMR and Housing Europe

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and Housing Europe have joined forces to publish a set of recommendations on the European Commission’s proposal to recast the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). While both organisations fully support the ambition to decarbonise buildings across the EU, they warn that the proposal must better reflect the realities on the ground.

Local and regional governments, as well as providers of public, social, and cooperative housing, are critical actors in delivering the EU’s climate objectives. But a one-size-fits-all approach will not work.

The joint position paper outlines three key recommendations:

Respect local differences through subsidiarity and adaptability
The EPBD must allow member states and local authorities to tailor building codes to their own context. Setting EU-level definitions for zero-emission buildings without a clear methodology risks creating uncertainty and undermining national efforts. Other areas, such as fire safety and asbestos removal, should remain the competence of national or local governments.

Provide a stable and realistic framework for renovations
Renovating buildings is a long-term process that requires careful planning. The proposed EPBD introduces tight deadlines and shifting labelling systems, making it nearly impossible for local authorities and property owners to comply effectively. CEMR and Housing Europe argue for a more predictable timeline that reflects labour shortages, market dynamics, and tenant affordability.

Support zero-emission construction with energy system flexibility
While new buildings must meet high standards, member states should retain the freedom to choose their energy sources. That includes not only on-site renewables, but also low-carbon energy from the grid, waste heat, and energy recovery, all in line with the EU waste hierarchy.

Ultimately, the success of the EPBD will depend on how well it enables local and regional actors to deliver results. CEMR and Housing Europe are clear: the path to climate-neutral buildings must be ambitious but flexible, fair and grounded in local realities.

Read the full policy paper here

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BORDELOT Federica

Director – Policy & Impact

BANOS DE GUISASOLA Eva In Climate, Energy, Impact community Climate, Impact community Climate, PLATFORMA, PLATFORMA, Press, Publications

Territorial leaders in action at the COP 27

10 key points to prevent the inexorable march toward utter climate disaster

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It’s now or never. We must gear up for climate action and advance the Sustainable Development Goals on the ground. This is the core message that PLAFTORMA and CEMR will bring to the COP27 taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.

In a joint position, PLATFORMA and CEMR put forward 10 key points for delegates and representatives from the UN, the EU and national governments who will sit around the COP27 negotiation table. Among the important points raised in the position are the need for a supportive regulatory and governance framework to implement subnational climate action, and the need for sustainable subnational financing.

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BANOS DE GUISASOLA Eva

Senior Advisor – Global Agendas, SDGs & Climate

BORDELOT Federica In Gender equality, Gender equality, Impact community Society, Impact community Society, Migration and inclusion, Migration and inclusion, Press, Publications

EU directive on gender and domestic violence

CEMR urges multi-level coordination, victim support, and recognition of women politicians’ safety

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Violence against women and domestic violence remain among the most widespread violations of fundamental rights in Europe. In response to the European Commission’s proposed Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has published a position paper calling for a unified and multi-level approach to ensure effective implementation across the EU.

CEMR welcomes key elements of the Directive, including provisions on safeguarding victims, training professionals, tackling harmful gender stereotypes, and addressing sexual harassment at work. However, the organisation stresses that the Directive must go further to recognise the central role of local and regional governments (LRGs), who are on the frontline of prevention, victim support, and access to justice.

Among its recommendations, CEMR calls for:

Formal consultation with LRGs in policy design and coordination, ensuring that Article 39 on multi-level response explicitly requires their involvement.
Targeted EU funding for local authorities through programmes such as CERV, ERDF and ESF+, to strengthen prevention, awareness-raising and victim services.
Better data collection, disaggregated by sex, age and region (NUTS 2, NUTS 3, and local level), to tailor policies effectively.
Improved victim support systems, combining both “one-stop” online access and physical centres, with minimum geographic coverage standards.

The paper also highlights violence against women in politics, noting that harassment and threats against elected representatives undermine democracy itself. CEMR urges the addition of a specific clause under Article 13 on aggravating circumstances for violence against women in public office.

Finally, CEMR emphasises the importance of prevention, beginning with early education to challenge gender stereotypes, and extending to workplaces where women in public-facing professions are disproportionately exposed to third-party violence. The organisation recommends a dedicated article on cooperation between LRGs and social partners to strengthen workplace protections.

By adopting a truly coordinated, multi-level approach, the Directive could transform Europe’s fragmented response into a coherent framework that empowers governments at every level to protect women’s rights and safety.

Read the policy paper here

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BORDELOT Federica

Director – Policy & Impact

Empowering local Europe

CEMR unveils its vision for stronger, inclusive and sustainable territories across Europe

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The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has launched its political manifesto calling for a more inclusive, resilient, and citizen-driven European Union. With over 41 national associations of local and regional governments behind it, the manifesto sets out a roadmap to bring Europe closer to its citizens, starting from the ground up.

At its heart are six concrete proposals to reinvigorate European democracy: from establishing permanent citizen panels and annual Europe Day debates in schools, to relaunching town twinning and creating an Erasmus-style programme for civil servants.

CEMR also stresses that a strong Europe must leave no one and no place behind. It calls for renewed efforts to tackle territorial disparities, address depopulation, and ensure that public services, from education to health, are accessible to all citizens, no matter where they live.

The manifesto also focuses on key priorities for the coming decade, including:

Citizen participation through inclusive local democracy;
Empowered local climate action, as cities and regions lead Europe’s green transition;
Fair and coordinated migration policies, with strong local support for integration;
Digital transformation that bridges the urban–rural divide;
New forms of town-to-town partnerships, especially beyond the EU’s borders;
And financial means to invest in sustainable local infrastructure and innovation.

CEMR’s proposals emphasise the urgent need for deeper recognition of local and regional governments in European decision-making. This includes a stronger role for the Committee of the Regions, the creation of a local chamber, and systematic consultation of representative associations like CEMR when shaping EU legislation and strategies.

By calling for a Europe that is democratic, sustainable, and close to its people, the manifesto is a bold invitation to reimagine the Union from the local level up, with municipalities and regions playing a central role in shaping the continent’s future.

Read the position paper here

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BORDELOT Federica

Director – Policy & Impact

BENNIS Hamza In Digitalisation, Digitalisation, Impact community Labour, Impact community Labour, Press, Publications

Principles for a digital transition for all

Is the EU’s new approach in tune with local and residents’ needs?

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Digital services, online platforms and electronic devices have become part of our everyday life, bringing us countless new opportunities for professional and personal development. However, innovation can come at a cost. Continuous access to information and data can put our privacy at risk and expose us to misinformation, fraud and discrimination.

For this reason, the European Commission recently issued a “Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles for the Digital Decade” with guidelines to ensure a fair and inclusive digital transition. The document will shape future EU digital rules, such as the upcoming Data Act on sharing of information between businesses and governments.

CEMR provided its input during the Commission’s consultation preparing the digital decade declaration. In fact, we recently adopted our own position paper “Digital Services for All: Principles for a digital transition in European local and regional governments”. The paper outlines CEMR members’ views on the digital transition, a trend which is transforming the role and activities of local and regional governments.

Several of the principles put forward by CEMR members were also reflected in the Commission’s Declaration, notably on the importance of user-centred digital services, consultation between levels of government for setting standards and the upgrading of digital skills among citizens. Read our take on the declaration and what’s in store for local governement.

Interoperable and transparent data management

Digital Services for All outlines the conditions needed for local and regional governments to provide effective and inclusive digital services for all citizens.

These include the development of open international standards through dialogue between all levels of governments – European, national, regional and local – and between the public and private sectors. Only through dialogue with all stakeholders can solutions suitable to all be found.

Public and private actors must bear in mind that the interoperability of services and systems is crucial to ensuring smooth data exchange. Data management must be transparent. To this end, local and regional governments comply with GDPR and other regulations on accessing public-sector data.

Inclusive digital services

Digitalisation of public services is useless if the people concerned, our citizens and users, cannot access them. That is why CEMR strongly advocates a non-discriminatory approach for the deployment of digital public services, taking into account economic and social barriers.

Awareness of intersectionality – the interaction of these economic and social barriers – means always ensuring public services are accessible and usable by everyone, regardless of the conditions they face. Proactive actions are needed to make sure that elderly people, persons with disabilities, marginalised and vulnerable individuals are not excluded.

Finally, we can only reap the full fruits of digitalisation if people have the skills needed to participate. We need coordinated action to further develop digital skills and literacy among public officials, citizens and indeed all users. Only an informed society and a digitally literate public will be able to make the most out of digital services.

Read the position paper here

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BENNIS Hamza

Officer – Employment, Digitalisation and Public Services

BENNIS Hamza In Employment, Employment, EU budget, EU budget, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Cohesion, Impact community Labour, Impact community Labour, Local finances, Local finances, Press, Publications, Territorial development

Modernising working time rules

Balancing worker protection with flexibility and legal clarity in local public service delivery under the Working Time Directive

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The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has responded to the European Commission’s public consultation on the review of the Working Time Directive (WTD), urging the EU to prioritise legal certainty and respect for local autonomy in any future reform.

Unchanged since 2003, the current Directive no longer fully reflects today’s labour realities, especially for local and regional governments as major public employers. While modernisation is welcome, CEMR warns against overreach: the Directive should focus strictly on health and safety, without encroaching on broader employment issues that fall outside the EU’s remit, such as wages, work-life balance, or new working patterns.

In its response, CEMR reaffirms key positions first set out in its 2011 position paper, which remain relevant today. It calls for:

Flexibility for social dialogue: Local social partners are best placed to find tailored solutions through bargaining and agreements that balance worker protection with service continuity.
Clear limits to scope: The Directive must not expand into areas that are either outside EU competence or not directly related to health and safety.
Legal certainty: Any revision should result in simpler, clearer rules that avoid legal ambiguity and reduce the administrative burden on local authorities.

CEMR further stresses that the review must take full account of the impact on local and regional governments’ ability to provide uninterrupted public services, especially in sectors like emergency care and civil protection, where flexible working patterns are essential.

CEMR concludes that no legislative initiative should proceed before the publication of detailed impact assessments and a full analysis of the public consultation. In the meantime, it stands ready to engage in open and constructive dialogue with EU institutions to ensure a balanced approach that works for all levels of governance.

Read the position paper here

For more information, contact:

BENNIS Hamza

Officer – Employment, Digitalisation and Public Services

Position papers

Insights on cohesion policy funds

CEMR released in-depth study unveiling insights into European cohesion policy funds

Electricity market design reforms

Reforming the European Electricity Market: Priorities and Challenges

Inclusion starts locally

Key lessons from IncluCities to improve migrant integration through multilevel cooperation

Safeguarding local investments

Why EU economic governance reform must protect municipalities’ ability to invest

Smarter building rules in Europe

EPBD revision: Local flexibility and long-term planning key to success, say CEMR and Housing Europe

Territorial leaders in action at the COP 27

10 key points to prevent the inexorable march toward utter climate disaster

EU directive on gender and domestic violence

CEMR urges multi-level coordination, victim support, and recognition of women politicians’ safety

Empowering local Europe

CEMR unveils its vision for stronger, inclusive and sustainable territories across Europe

Principles for a digital transition for all

Is the EU’s new approach in tune with local and residents’ needs?

Modernising working time rules

Balancing worker protection with flexibility and legal clarity in local public service delivery under the Working Time Directive

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