South-East Europe: meet the challenges conference
Over 100 representatives of local governments and associations from over 20 countries attended the “South-East Europe – Meeting the challenges” conference, on 6-7 November 2008 in Vienna.
The conference was organised by the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) with the support of the Austrian Städtebund and NALAS (Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe). It addressed a range of priority issues for local government in South-East Europe, such as municipal finances, urban planning, energy and the environment, twinning and preparations for EU accession. A final declaration was unanimously adopted stressing the participants' commitment to “building stronger links with and between local and regional governments in the countries of South-East Europe, enabling the exchange of experience and good practice” since these “constitute the necessary and vital path to overcoming past differences”. It also stresses that the process of EU integration and reunification must proceed. It calls on the EU institutions to pay more attention to the key role of local and regional authorities in this process. Furthermore, the final declaration calls for granting more competences to local authorities in South-East Europe, especially in areas such as transport, education, health and social services. Local governments in South-East Europe will also feature as one of the topics at the general assembly of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) in Malmö, from 22 to 24 April 2009. Soruce: ***http://www.ccre.org/news_detail_en.htm?ID=1467*www.ccre.org***