European Development Platform

The aim of our project is to set up a platform bringing together a large number of European networks and national associations representing the vast majority of European local/regional authorities. 

Local/regional authorities, and often their national associations, have long been the source of numerous international initiatives and projects for development aid. Their involvement in international co-operation activities is increasingly significant.  However, this role, until very recently, had not been recognised by the European Union, and few of these projects received EU funding (except networks such as Asia-Urbs or URB-AL, or micro-projects under budgetary lines for decentralised co-operation). The role of local/regional authorities in development co-operation has not had much visibility due to the lack of information and examples circulated, as well as a lack of co-ordination and representation at European level. 

The new thematic programme for non state actors and local authorities recognises this role, and allows local/regional authorities to show their role in development aid.  We have welcomed with much interest this programme, and particularly its objective 3, which allows European local/regional authorities’ actions in this area to have higher effectiveness and visibility.

In this new context, the Council of European Municipalities and Regions has taken the initiative to bring together in a platform the European organisations, the most active national associations, as well as cities that have particular experience in international co-operation, so as to give a structured voice to European local and regional authorities concerning development co-operation.
This platform aims to:

•      facilitate the networking of information, exchange of experiences and best practice between the members, and to prepare common positions concerning the role of local/regional authorities in development aid and the importance of a ‘territorial’ approach to this aid;
•      facilitate dialogue with the local/regional authorities and the other partners of the programme, including nongovernmental organisations, represented at European level in the Concord network;
•      provide a co-ordinated voice for local/regional authorities vis-à-vis the institutions and in particular the European Commission, for example in consultation procedures.

The stakeholders in this project– the networks and associations of European local/regional authorities, as well as cities – have a great potential to realise these objectives given the vast and representative network they cover, as will be demonstrated in more detail in the section on the description of the stakeholders.

•  Overall objective of the action,  outputs and expected results

The overall objective of the action is to set up a platform for European local/regional authorities which are active in this field, and their associations, in order to facilitate networking, co-ordination of positions, the circulation of information, the exchange of experiences and best practice, as well as the co-ordination of their initiatives and positions. The creation of regular dialogue with the European Commission will help the transfer of information and messages from the Commission, and facilitate the Commission’s taking into account of the role and positions of local/regional authorities in the main current areas of European development policy, such as decentralisation assistance, the Euro-Africa partnership or the achievement of the MDGs.
The expected results are as follows:

• A structured co-ordination of European local/regional authorities’ activities and initiatives
• A better transmission of information and best practice between the actors of the project – the European local/regional authorities and their associations;
• An organised co-ordination with NGO’s (CONCORD)
• An increased and structured dialogue with the Commission and European institutions

•  Description of the proposed activities and their effectiveness   

Our proposal covers two areas:

• A “co-ordination platform” bringing together as partners European networks, national associations and cities that have particular experience in international co-operation.  This forum will allow local/regional authorities to come together around the same table, to ensure the co-ordination of their positions, and to make their voice be heard, creating an effective dialogue partner for the institutions and other actors in development co-operation.
• The networking and co-operation of European elected representatives and experts, members of European and national organisations and local/regional authorities, which will take the form of meetings, seminars and conferences, and through electronic means, facilitating the exchange of experiences and best practice as well as the circulation of information and opinions.

• The activities foreseen are as follows:

Each year, in 2009 and 2010:

- 3 meetings of a restricted co-ordination committee (representative of each category of partner) which will ensure the follow-up and coherence of activities, and constant exchange and consultation on relevant questions;
- 2 meetings of representatives of all partner organisations of the platform, in order to allow the exchange of experiences and information, and also to co-ordinate the platform partners’ positions. The CONCORD network will be invited to these meetings in order to facilitate exchange with the NGO’s.
In 2009, 2 seminars and a mini-conference will also be organised for the exchange of experience and best practice with local/regional authorities, involving the participation of elected representatives and experts.

In 2010:

- One seminar and one mini-conference for the exchange of experience and best practice with local/regional authorities, involving the participation of elected representatives and experts;
- A final conference in Brussels, in the Committee of the Regions’ premises, of some 150 elected representatives and experts in the field, as well as representatives of nongovernmental organisations and European institutions, to assess the role of European local/regional authorities in development co-operation. This will allow for a new phase to begin for the platform, adapted to the needs at that point.