On the occasion of the one-year anniversary of the beginning of the Russian aggression in Ukraine, the Council of European Cities and Regions (CEMR) demands the release of five abducted Ukrainian mayors. 

In a statement released by CEMR’s Secretariat, the CEMR president Gunn Marit Helgesen strongly condemns the violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty: “One year after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, let me reiterate my steadfast support for our Ukrainian peers, especially for the detained local leaders.” 

Gunn Marit Helgesen reminds us of the abduction of Ukrainian local government representatives: “Over the past year, 35 Ukrainian mayors have been abducted and five are still being held by Russian forces. Targeting local elected representatives is an attack on the very foundations of our Europe, a Europe rooted in the respect for the rule of law and freedom. There can be no free Europe without a free Ukraine”.

After three years of exchanging knowledge, IncluCities will reach its finishing line. To celebrate the achievements and new partnerships, the IncluCities cohort will meet in Brussels for the very last time on March 28 and 29.

The event will present many inspirational speakers on several topics touching upon migrant integration as a central point of the IncluCities project. For the last three years, it has focused on facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices between eight cities from all around Europe. The main goal has been to improve the integration and inclusion of third-co untry nationals into small and middle-sized cities. To achieve that, it worked on capacity building of local and regional government associations and advocated for cities to be placed at the heart of future EU policies on integration in order for their needs to be better addressed.

European city-to-city cooperation, including town twinning, is increasingly viewed as a possible solution to current challenges of sustainability as well as a way to promote best practice exchanges at the local level.

City pairings are receiving renewed attention and resources at local, national and European levels as innovative ways to tackle current challenges, boost sustainable development and promote cultural exchanges.

Earlier in January, Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier announced the second edition of an award for city cooperation between the two countries. The prize, first launched in 2020, will reward municipalities cooperating on civic engagement, culture, inclusion and sustainability.

“Twinnings between Italian and German municipalities represent a fundamental instrument to consolidate the friendship between Germany and Italy, deepen our relationship and to face together our current and future challenges,” Mattarella said.

What is the common feature between the trolleybuses in Otsravian metropolitan area (Czech Republic), the local food businesses in Ljubljana Urban Region (Slovenia) and the traditional danse festival in Saint-Gervais-d’Auvergne (France)? They all benefited from the European Cohesion Policy through integrated territorial investments (ITI) or community-led-local development (CLLD).
 
Behind the term “EU Cohesion Policy” we can find a variety of programmes and fundings such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), the European Social Fund (ESF) or the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) although the latter is now directly attached to the Common Agricultural Policy.
 
In practice, these funds reach thousands of  towns, cities and  regions, as well as other beneficiaries through the intermediation of “Managing Authorities” which can be national Ministries or Regions. But there are two lesser-known dimensions of these funds which are directly  implemented on the ground: the so-called ‘ITI’ and ‘CLLD’.

The President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Gunn Marit Helgesen, expresses strong support for Ekrem İmamoğlu, Mayor of Istanbul, sentenced to two years and seven months in prison.

"The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is deeply concerned to learn that a Turkish court has sentenced the Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu of Istanbul to more than two and half years in prison on charges of insulting members of Turkey’s Supreme Electoral Council as widely reported in the international press.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms this conviction handed down to our colleague and furthermore, we denounce the political ban that may lead to his removal from office. Mayor Imamoglu is an elected official whose actions do not warrant this repressive and disproportionate verdict.

“I am driven by de facto local democracy!” These were the words of the new President of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Gunn Marit Helgesen, addressing CEMR’s Policy Committee members holding their constitutive meeting in Paris, on 5 and 6 December 2022.
 
Ms Helgesen is also Chair of the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) and member of Vestfold og Telemark County Council, located in the south-east of the country. She succeeds Stefano Bonaccini, President of our Italian association (AICCRE) and of the Emilia Romagna Region.
 
Commenting on her appointment, Gunn Marit Helgesen said: “Our network of local and regional authorities acts as a powerful driver to uphold the European values of freedom and democracy founded on local self-government, respect for the principle of subsidiarity and the participation of citizens.”

Local municipalities in the EU and third countries are partnering up to boost local economic and social development, exchange best practices and promote civic participation.

Marsassoum, a small town on the Soungrougrou river in Senegal, has worked with the Belgian municipality of Anderlecht since 2018.

“The partnership responds to our needs at the local level,” Sény Mandiang, mayor of Marsassoum, told EURACTIV, explaining how Anderlecht has provided support to review the town’s planning documents and initiate local projects.

Under the partnership with the Belgian municipality, Marsassoum has set up a shared space called ‘Le Marsa’ to process and sell local products and a municipal fund to finance regional projects, aimed at improving the inhabitants’ living conditions, especially among those marginalised or more vulnerable.