Proximity brings the EU closer to citizens by empowering local and regional governments to meet community needs. The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) stresses that trust in the EU is built locally, where institutions are closest to daily life. Stronger local governance helps tackle demographic change while promoting youth engagement, gender equality and democracy.
With the For more women in politics initiative, the European Committee of the Regions calls for better gender balance in politics at all levels of government, including at local and regional level.
The EU Local Councillors Network brings together local and regional elected representatives in an innovative alliance with the EU institutions to communicate about the work of the European Union.
The Young Elected Politicians programme (YEPs) is a network of politicians who are no older than 35 and hold a mandate at regional or local level in the EU and candidate countries.
The CoR aims to strengthen the connection between the EU and its citizens by empowering local and regional authorities to respond to real community needs. By reinforcing democratic institutions at the local level, we help build trust in the EU, foster active citizenship, and ensure that policies reflect the diversity of Europe’s regions.
Local and regional governments are uniquely positioned to meet citizens’ evolving needs, while safeguarding local democracy, advancing gender equality in all EU policies, and promoting youth participation.
Our key priorities include matters on the following four topics:
Strengthening local and regional authorities’ capacity to counter threats to democracy and to bridge the gap with citizens is imperative for a representative European Union where citizens have a say.
Members of the CoR organise EU Local Dialogues in order to directly engage with the citizens and discuss how EU policies can translate to local realities. Each year, more than 20 local dialogues are organised to engage thousands of citizens across the EU. The CoR supports its Members in reaching out to the citizens by ensuring that the most relevant methods of participatory democracy are available to them.
Through initiatives like the EU Local Councillors Network, the CoR helps bring Europe closer to citizens. The network is open to local and regional elected representatives from across Europe who commit to sharing with their constituents what the EU is doing for them and to encouraging citizens to engage with the European project.
The CoR promotes the importance of strengthening local democracy both in the EU and its neighbourhood. Dialogue between the CoR and enlargement countries is conducted through Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs) and Working Groups (WGs) to provide a consistent and stable form of cooperation with the local and regional authorities of countries seeking to join the EU.
Active participation and better opportunities for young people to learn and work go hand in hand with economic and social development. In the context of the European Year of Youth and the Conference on the Future of Europe, the CoR has joined forces with the European Youth Forum in a co-creation process of a Charter on Youth and Democracy. The Charter lays out the path towards building a more youth-friendly democratic space to ensure the voices of young people are formally, continuously and permanently represented in the EU.
The CoR also promotes effective inclusion of youth into local and regional politics. Running from 2019, the Young Elected Politicians (YEP) network has become a flagship initiative in meaningful youth engagement. Counting more than 1.000 YEPs, the network gives young elected politicians a chance to become part of the EU decision-making process and bridge the gap between the EU and the citizens.
Gender equality is a key priority for the CoR in 2025–2030. Working with local and regional leaders, the CoR aims to turn EU commitments into real change: equal pay, better childcare, quality healthcare, work-life balance, and fair job opportunities for all. The CoR its commitment to these goals through a Gender Equality Action Plan that promotes gender equality in its activities, initiatives and networks.
Initiatives like For more women in politics represent a crucial cornerstone for the CoR in promoting real advancement on these commitments. The initiative calls for better gender balance in politics at all levels of government, including at local and regional level. The full political participation of women, both as citizens and in public office, is essential for strong democracy, good governance and effective policy-making.
Demographic change – marked by ageing, brain drain and shrinking populations – worsens inequalities between regions and threatens cohesion. Cohesion policy plays a key role in addressing these challenges by supporting disadvantaged areas, pro
With the For more women in politics initiative, the European Committee of the Regions calls for better gender balance in politics at all levels of government, including at local and regional level.
The EU Local Councillors Network brings together local and regional elected representatives in an innovative alliance with the EU institutions to communicate about the work of the European Union.
The Young Elected Politicians programme (YEPs) is a network of politicians who are no older than 35 and hold a mandate at regional or local level in the EU and candidate countries.
The CoR aims to strengthen the connection between the EU and its citizens by empowering local and regional authorities to respond to real community needs. By reinforcing democratic institutions at the local level, we help build trust in the EU, foster active citizenship, and ensure that policies reflect the diversity of Europe’s regions.
Local and regional governments are uniquely positioned to meet citizens’ evolving needs, while safeguarding local democracy, advancing gender equality in all EU policies, and promoting youth participation.
Our key priorities include matters on the following four topics:
Strengthening local and regional authorities’ capacity to counter threats to democracy and to bridge the gap with citizens is imperative for a representative European Union where citizens have a say.
Members of the CoR organise EU Local Dialogues in order to directly engage with the citizens and discuss how EU policies can translate to local realities. Each year, more than 20 local dialogues are organised to engage thousands of citizens across the EU. The CoR supports its Members in reaching out to the citizens by ensuring that the most relevant methods of participatory democracy are available to them.
Through initiatives like the EU Local Councillors Network, the CoR helps bring Europe closer to citizens. The network is open to local and regional elected representatives from across Europe who commit to sharing with their constituents what the EU is doing for them and to encouraging citizens to engage with the European project.
The CoR promotes the importance of strengthening local democracy both in the EU and its neighbourhood. Dialogue between the CoR and enlargement countries is conducted through Joint Consultative Committees (JCCs) and Working Groups (WGs) to provide a consistent and stable form of cooperation with the local and regional authorities of countries seeking to join the EU.
Active participation and better opportunities for young people to learn and work go hand in hand with economic and social development. In the context of the European Year of Youth and the Conference on the Future of Europe, the CoR has joined forces with the European Youth Forum in a co-creation process of a Charter on Youth and Democracy. The Charter lays out the path towards building a more youth-friendly democratic space to ensure the voices of young people are formally, continuously and permanently represented in the EU.
The CoR also promotes effective inclusion of youth into local and regional politics. Running from 2019, the Young Elected Politicians (YEP) network has become a flagship initiative in meaningful youth engagement. Counting more than 1.000 YEPs, the network gives young elected politicians a chance to become part of the EU decision-making process and bridge the gap between the EU and the citizens.
Gender equality is a key priority for the CoR in 2025–2030. Working with local and regional leaders, the CoR aims to turn EU commitments into real change: equal pay, better childcare, quality healthcare, work-life balance, and fair job opportunities for all. The CoR its commitment to these goals through a Gender Equality Action Plan that promotes gender equality in its activities, initiatives and networks.
Initiatives like For more women in politics represent a crucial cornerstone for the CoR in promoting real advancement on these commitments. The initiative calls for better gender balance in politics at all levels of government, including at local and regional level. The full political participation of women, both as citizens and in public office, is essential for strong democracy, good governance and effective policy-making.
Demographic change – marked by ageing, brain drain and shrinking populations – worsens inequalities between regions and threatens cohesion. Cohesion policy plays a key role in addressing these challenges by supporting disadvantaged areas, pro