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The capacity building of Eastern Partnership’s local authorities at the center of CORLEAP meeting

On 21 January in Rzeszów, Poland, at a meeting dedicated to the Eastern Partnership, Ms Karīna Miķelsone, representative of the Latvian delegation to the European Committee of the Regions, emphasized the role of municipalities in the accession process of the Eastern Partnership countries to the European Union.

Ms Miķelsone, who at the 13th Annual meeting of the Conference of the Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) represented also the PLATFORMA - coalition of municipalities active in the field of development cooperation – during the discussion on the new European Commission's political priorities in relation to the Eastern Partnership stated that strengthening the capacity of these countries’ municipalities and, in particular, involving young people in the local decision-making process would form a strong foundation for the integration of these countries into the European Union (EU).

“The European Commission’s new Eastern Partnership vision should recognise that local authorities are more than just another stakeholder or an addition to central government. The European Committee of the Regions has repeatedly stressed that local governments are responsible for implementing at least 70% of the European Union acquis. Similarly, around half of the issues that local governments deal with on a daily basis are related to the European Union issues. If local authorities lack the capacity and knowledge to ensure higher standards or implement EU funded projects, there is a risk that this could lead to the centralisation of certain functions, thus also jeopardising democracy and citizen engagement,” Ms Karīna Miķelsone pointed out at the meeting.

For the Eastern Partnership countries intending to join the EU and whose local authorities will have to apply at least 70% of the EU acquis after accession, functional and fiscal decentralisation and knowledgeable local authorities are essential for the successful achievement of this goal. Therefore, in order to promote the capacity of local authorities in the Eastern Partnership countries, especially in countries that have started the process of accession to the EU, the European Committee of the Regions and CORLEAP propose the establishment of the Eastern Partnership Academy for Public Administration for local and regional public administrations. Instead of a single institution or even a centralised, comprehensive programme, it is recommended to start work on identifying the most pressing needs and on how to best cooperate between different educational institutions (including universities in EU Member States), programmes, projects and EU programmes. The European Committee of the Regions and CORLEAP could act as a platform that compiles the educational offer and can evolve taking into account new needs and requirements. It is planned to agree on further action by the end of June and to start implementing the envisaged projects by the end of the year.

Additional information about the CORLEAP meeting can be found on the website of the European Committee of the Regions.