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2014 World Mayor Prize - 03.02.2015

Congratulations to the mayor of Ghent for being named the second most outstanding mayor of 2014
The mayor Ghent (Belgium), Daniël Termont, has been named the second most outstanding mayor of 2014 and awarded the World Mayor Commendation for services to European cities.

Termont has been mayor of Ghent since 2007 and a member of the City Council since 1977, where he has over the years promoted diversity in the city. He has also set many city ambitious environmental, social and economic targets.

The City of Ghent is a member of the Association of Flemish Cities and Municipalities (VVSG), which is one of the CEMR's Belgian sections.
Local autonomy - 01.02.2015

Happy Day of Local Autonomy to Moldova
On 1 February of each year, Moldova celebrates its national Day of Local Autonomy. This official holiday was introduced in 2013 on the initiative of the Congress of Local Authorities from Moldova (CALM), CEMR member association, and represents the occasion for local elected representatives to meet and exchange on best practices or to raise the main challenges linked to local governance.

Moldova is a member of the Council of Europe and signatory of the European Charter of Local Self-Government since 1997.
Transparency Register - 27.01.2015

EU Commission and Parliament implement new rules on Transparency Register
A new, improved EU Transparency Register was launched on Tuesday with the aim of "making EU-decision-making and the activities of lobbyists more transparent and more accountable while also giving lobbyists more incentives to register and making the database easier for lobbyists and the public to access."

The new system brings changes to the way human resources invested in lobbying are declared, requires additional information about involvement in EU committees, forums, intergroups or similar structures, and legislative files currently followed; it also extends the requirement to declare estimated costs related to lobbying to all registrants.
Publication - 21.01.2015

Take a minute to discover more about the CEMR and its action on the ground
A minute. This is the time you will need to look through the new CEMR presentation brochure and to get a better idea of who we are, who are our member associations and what is our action on the ground. The publication provides you with examples of activities in the five thematic areas, which affect all aspects of the lives of European citizens as well as the local and regional governments that represent them.

"CEMR - For a Europe of municipalities, cities and regions" is available in English, French and Italian.
Local finances - 16.01.2015

Participate in the conference "Making Financial Instruments Work for Cities"
Let´s rethink the ways of financing urban development. This is the motto behind CSI EUROPE final conference, to take place in Lille (France), on 5 February 2015.

The conference will present the findings of the network and will introduce its toolkit for establishing an urban development fund in cities. It will focus on future models for investment, demonstrate how cities across Europe have made these funds work and set out a clear route map with supporting guidance which other cities can follow to establish their own investment funds.

The conference is free of charge. More information is available on the CSI EUROPE’s website.
European Movement - 01.12.2014

Congratulations to our Secretary General for his election as Vice President of the European Movement International
With a majority of votes, Frédéric Vallier became one of the three vice presidents of the European Movement International (EMI)*. For the next trois years, he will share this position with a representative of the Union of European Federalists, Ugo Ferruta and Eva Paunova, member of the European Parliament. His election took place during EMI’s Federal Assembly on 28 and 29 November in Rome.

*CEMR is a member of the European Movement International, a nonpartisan organisation promoting European integration.
Council of Europe - 15.10.2014

Council of Europe Congress elects new leadership
The Congress has a renewed leadership voted in at its 27th session, on 15 October. Congress members elected Jean-Claude Frécon as President of the Congress. For its part, CEMR executive president, Anders Knape, was appointed President of the Chamber of Local Authorities. The term of office for leadership positions is 2 years.

For more information, we invite you to view the list of the Council of Europe Congress leadership.
Hungarian municipal elections - 13.10.2014

Prime Minister‘s party won the mayor‘s post of Hungary‘s largest cities
Prime Minister Viktor Orban‘s Fidesz party was the main winner in Sunday‘s nationwide municipal elections. The Fidesz–Hungarian Civic Alliance party won the mayor‘s post in Budapest and in 20 of Hungary‘s 23 largest cities.
Governance - 10.10.2014

9th edition of the distinction "Best Practice in Citizen Participation"

The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (IOPD) invites local government to participate to its 9th Distinction Distinction of “Best Practice in Citizen Participation”. With this distinction, the IOPD recognises projects aiming, for instance, leading to better results in the domain of gender equality or at promoting transparency in the decision-making process.

Candidates are free to apply until 29 November. The ceremony to deliver the distinction will take place in March 2015.

Further information and the necessary application form are available on the IODP website.