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Governance - 20.02.2018

Will CEMR become a ‘permanent consultant of EU policies’?
The European Parliament’s Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO) has drafted a report on the role of cities in the EU’s institutional framework. The document states that CEMR should become a permanent consultant of EU policies. The report should be adopted in the Committee in June, and in plenary in September. To be continued...
Innovation - 14.02.2018

Discover the Smart Villages Portal
Browse through the Smart Villages Portal available in six languages to explore new ways to revitalise rural services through social and digital innovation.
Human rights - 12.02.2018

Danube cities against human trafficking
Cities in the Danube region are stepping up against human trafficking. They have released guidelines to help municipalities eradicate such exploitation.
CITYnvest - 09.02.2018

The power of innovative financing: the report
The CITYnvest project ended in style last year with its final conference on “The power of innovative financing: renovating buildings for energy-efficient cities”. You can now experience the event as if you were there, thanks to the report (photos, support documents, and summary included).
International - 08.02.2018

Water: a local issue
Water is a fundamental right, and guaranteeing access to drinking water and sanitation is crucial for many local and regional governments. At the World Water Forum, our global organisation UCLG is co-organising the “International Conference of Local and Regional Authorities on Water” on 20-21 March in Brasilia. You can register for the Forum until 28 February.
Healthcare - 07.02.2018

Workshop: digital solutions for your healthcare system
Ageing demographics can represent a real challenge for healthcare systems. Can shifting to a digital system help? To discuss this issue in more detail, come to the workshop on “Taking up the digital shift in healthcare” on 26 February in Brussels.
Twinning - 06.02.2018

Turkey - EU town twinning opportunities
A new grant scheme has been launched to develop town twinning between local governments in the EU and in Turkey. An information meeting will take place on 8 February in Brussels.
Cohesion policy - 31.01.2018

Our Greek association joined the Cohesion Alliance
Greek towns and regions called for a strong cohesion policy beyond 2020. On their behalf, the Mayor of Mayor of Amaroussi and President of CEMR’s Greek association (KEDE), Giorgios Patoulis, joined the Cohesion Alliance in the presence of the President of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), Karl Heinz Lambertz.

The Cohesion Alliance (#CohesionAlliance) is a coalition of those who believe that EU cohesion policy must continue to be a pillar of the EU's future. The Alliance was created through cooperation between the leading European associations of towns, cities and regions, including CEMR, and the CoR.
EU affairs - 17.01.2018

Irish Taoiseach speaks up for devolution at the European Parliament
In his official address to the European Parliament on 17 January, the Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, spoke up for devolution. He stated: "The Europe of the future, I believe, must (...) where appopriate, devolve some powers back to member states, municipalities and regions". He then added: "I also support the Subsidiarity and Proportionality Taskforce. It is interesting that, on many matters, US states and Canadian provinces, even counties and municipalities, have greater autonomy and greater variation among them than EU member states currently have. Do we have the balance right? And does everything have to be harmonised and standardised?"