The Council of the European Union highlights the importance of decentralised cooperation

On June 25th, the Council of Foreign Affairs of the European Union met in Luxembourg to discuss, among other issues, the EU's cooperation with cities and local authorities from third countries. At this meeting, the Member States encouraged the European Commission and the European External Action Service (SEAE) to deepen their dialogues with cities and local entities, highlighting the importance of decentralised cooperation.

The position of the Council follows that presented in the working document on this issue published in May by the Commission. The text discusses how EU external and cooperation policies contribute to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda.

In addition, member states also called on the European executive to create measures to improve multilevel cooperation, as a key element of future urban development programs. The conclusions of the Council recognize the importance of promoting links between people at the local level and point out that tools such as decentralised cooperation or the association between cities and local entities, contribute to strengthen the capacities of these subnational actors.

To read the complete conclusions:

http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10319-2018-INIT/en/pdf