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Future of Europe Conference - 19.04.2021

Help citizens make their voice heard
The future is yours! That's the motto of the European Union's Conference on the Future of Europe. Citizens and civil society organisations are encouraged to participate through the Conference's dedicated website.

The website allows users to share their ideas, find events close to them and organise their own events covering 10 different topics, from climate change and healthcare to migration and education, that are crucial to the future of our continent.

Go to the website to find out more, available in the 24 official languages of the EU: https://futureu.europa.eu/
Webinar - 16.03.2021

Activating citizens: how municipalities can make use of the European Solidarity Corps
This online event with about 25 municipalities from all over Europe will highlight the various possibilities of the European Solidarity Corps. This seminar, open to local governments and their organisations, will show how the Corps can help municipalities meet their local needs, activate their citizens and strengthen their networks, notably in the field of town twinning.

Date: 27-28 April 2021
Registration link
Draft programme
Information video
Emperor Maximilian Prize 2021 - 25.11.2020

Win €10,000 for your local project with European ambitions
Do you have a creative project in mind for your municipality or region? Do you live by the motto “act local, think European”? If so, you should compete for the Emperor Maximilian Prize, awarded by the City of Innsbruck and the State of Tyrol, rewarding excellent local or regional projects with a European dimension.

Individuals, private associations and public institutions are eligible for the €10,000-prize. Previous winners have included Swedish politician Anders Knape for his lifelong advocacy for local and regional government and the Tyrolean association “Rückenwind”, which enables underprivileged young people to go abroad for an international project.

For more information, please go on the Kaiser Maximilian Prize’s website. The public tender and prize information are available in multiple European languages.
Conditionality of funds - 13.11.2020

EU agrees compromise on cutting funding to governments violating European values
The European Parliament and the German Presidency of the EU Council have agreed a compromise on the conditionality of EU funds. In short, the European Union will be able to cut funding to any government – local, regional or national – found to be violating European values, such as respect for the rule of law and minority rights.

Significantly, the cuts will not affect final beneficiaries, but only the government concerned. If the EU blocks funding to a national government for example, the country's students, farmers, municipalities and regions would still be able to benefit from funds. Local and regional governments have long advocated for such a measure.

Under the new procedure, the funds will be cut on a proposal of the European Commission approved by a qualified majority of national governments in the Council. In the past, a single national government could veto such measures. The compromise must now be adopted formally by the Parliament and national ministers in Council.
Fit for the Future - 04.11.2020

CEMR expert appointed to top advisory group on improving EU legislation
CEMR’s Angela Poth-Mögele has been appointed to represent local governments on the European Commission’s Fit for the Future Platform (F4F). The Platform is a group of high-level experts that will help the Commission simplify EU laws and reduce related unnecessary costs. F4F will examine whether existing laws can achieve their objectives efficiently as Europe tackles new challenges such as digitalisation.

CEMR will participate in the Platform’s Stakeholder Group, which represents civil society. This will also be an opportunity for CEMR to be informed about and influence lawmaking at a very early stage. F4F’s first meeting is expected to take place in mid-November and will be chaired by EU Commission Vice-President for Inter-Institutional Relations Maroš Šefčovič.
Have your say - 11.09.2020

What do cities and regions think of EU trade policy?
The European Commission is investigating how well it engages civil society in EU trade policy and how national and local authorities organise trade dialogues at their level. The EU executive hopes to improve transparency and citizen dialogue in the making of trade policy.

This is an opportunity for cities and regions to have their say. Is EU trade policymaking sufficiently transparent? Are national and local concerns sufficiently taken into account by the European Commission? How can the process be improved?

To share your views, please complete the Commission’s brief survey, available in 22 languages.
Urban Security - 27.08.2020

Consultation: shape future policies on urban security
Is your local government working on urban security? Would you like to share good practices with your counterparts around Europe in the use of smart and safe technologies to secure cities?

The EU’s Urban Agenda Partnership on Security in Public Spaces is drafting its action plan and wants to collect concrete information coming from the ground.

Should you want to contribute, you have until 9 September to complete this public survey.
Competition - 19.08.2020

ARLEM Award 2021: calling all young local entrepreneurs in the Mediterranean!
Does your company work with local government? Does your municipality or region support entrepreneurs driving social change? If so, you can compete for the Committee of the Regions’ ARLEM Award, which rewards young entrepreneurs serving their communities in cooperation with local or regional governments.

Enterprises will be judged according to their positive social impact, job creation, innovation, percentage of women in the workforce and respect for workers’ rights. The Award is open to applicants from the South Mediterranean partner countries.

To find more information and apply, please consult the ARLEM Award's web page. Enterprises and local or regional governments have up to 31 August 2020 to apply.
Virtual workshops - 08.06.2020

The City Science Initiative invites you to a wide range of policy workshops
How can public policies and services take advantage of the results of scientific research and studies? The European Union’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) is organising a number of virtual workshops to answer this question as part of the City Science Initiative. These events bring together city representatives, researchers and policymakers to exchange on the latest science and practices.

The workshops cover a wide variety of topics from the circular economy and sustainable mobility, to information technology and mental health. Checkout the JRC’s website to find out more about the workshops and their dates.