Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

The Council of Europe has always stressed the significance of strong and independent local and regional authorities for freedom and democracy in Europe. With the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (Congress), it has established its own organ to represent the interests of the local and regional authorities.

The Congress deals with current political matters affecting local and regional bodies and issues resolutions and statements that are passed on to the member states of the Council of Europe and recommendations to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. The Congress also organises conferences and symposiums on a Europe-wide level to deal with local and regional issues. The Congress takes a special interest in helping the new member states from Central and Eastern Europe build democratic structures. On the background of the Covid-19-Pandemic, a focus of the Congress' activities is the upholding of democracy, the rule of law and human rights in times of crisis.

The Congress has 648 delegates from the local and regional authorities in the member states. It comprises two chambers: the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions.Sonja Ledl-Rossmann represents the Tyrol in the Congress In addition, Tyrolean experts are involved in various statutory committees and working groups.