Congress prepares the 2010 edition of the European Local Democracy Week
Strasbourg, 18.10.2009 - The fourth edition of the initiative launched in 2007 will take place from 11 to 17 October 2010. Municipalities and local authorities who are willing to join it can fill in the registration form and send it back electronically for a first enrolment. During the first week of February more detailed instructions will be published on the website concerning the participation, as well as guidelines and examples of activities.
The third edition last October was a success. Thousands of activities in communities of the 47 member countries brought local authorities closer to citizens, to hear their needs and concerns. A large number of common projects and activities are ongoing since then.
“Involving people to the community life is a key element to increase the transparency at local level, improve good governance and boost a democratic European citizenship,” Keith Whitmore, President of the Congress’ Institutional Committee and political coordinator of the ELDW, stated on the fringe of the Utrecht ministerial conference last November.
“The new cooperation agreement between the Congress and the Committee of the Regions will contribute to strengthening the European dimension of the ELDW and to making it one of the major events of municipalities and communities across our continent,” acting President of the Congress Ian Micallef said on the occasion of the signing of the agreement last November in Brussels.
Improving local democracy is at the core of the Council of Europe’s commitment and one of the main tasks of the Congress as a major reference point of local self-governments.