31st Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities – 19-21 October 2016, Strasbourg, France
The Congress adopts its priorities for 2017-2020
The Congress members, meeting at their 31st Session on 21 October 2016, in Strasbourg, adopted the new priorities for 2017-2020. Presented by the co-rapporteurs Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC) and Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP/CCE), the priorities focus on two main areas: strengthening the quality of local and regional democracy and building secure societies that are respectful, inclusive and closer to citizens.
“The first area covers the good functioning of local and regional communities as well as their level of autonomy and resources. It includes the regular monitoring of the situation in member States and their implementation of the European Charter of local self-government,” explained Gudrun Mosler-Törnström. “The second area will cover the current challenges which communities face, in particular, combating radicalisation and violent extremism, integrating refugees and migrants, promoting intercultural and interreligious dialogue and citizen’s participation, as well as protecting the most vulnerable ones and empowering rural zones,” she added.
Anders Knape highlighted that the “priorities are a framework and within this framework, the Congress will give itself a margin to decide on when and how to implement the activities”. “The full implementation of the priorities will depend on the means and resources the Congress will have at its disposal,” he stressed.” We, elected representatives, know how difficult it is to set priorities because we always want to deliver more and better services. But often we lack of resources to do so. We will carefully look into how to manage this when deciding on the future activities of the Congress” he underlined.