EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - European Local Democracy Week

European Local Democracy Week

Introduction

The European Local Democracy Week (ELDW) is a new annual European event where national and local activities are organised concurrently by participating local authorities in all Member States. The goal of the week is to foster the knowledge of local democracy and promote the idea of democratic participation at a local level. The week around 15 October has been chosen for holding the event, as a tribute to the European Charter of Local Self-Government, adopted on that date in 1985. Local authorities in Europe are invited to organise their own activities and events for the 2008 edition of the Local Democracy Week.

Description

The 'European Local Democracy Week' has several aims. Its purpose is to raise European citizens' awareness of how local authorities operate, to inform them of the opportunities available for taking part in decision-making at local level and, as a result, draw their attention to how crucial their participation in local affairs is for maintaining the vitality of local democracy. The initiative also serves as an occasion for raising local councillors' and local civil servants' awareness of democratic participation. It should enable them to meet citizens in an informal and entertaining setting. Furthermore, the week should also create the opportunity to stress that local democracy is one of the common components for constructing a democratic Europe and to inform the public and elected representatives about the Council of Europe's role in this field.

Local authorities are still invited to organise their own activities for the 2008 edition of the European Local Democracy Week.

Target group

The European Local Democracy Week is intended for first level local authorities (local communities, cities, municipalities) responsible for its organisation, as well as for citizens.

Results

The first European Local Democracy Week was launched on the occasion of the 15th session of the Minsterial Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local and Regional Government in Valencia.

It is hoped that a substantial number of partners will adopt the week around 15 October as a 'European Local Democracy Week' because of the symbolic nature of this date.

After the kick-off in Valencia and other European cities and towns, the week continued to be promoted as a 'pan-European' event, with the aim of encouraging more and more local authorities to join.

EU involvement

The two Council of Europe bodies in charge of local and regional democracy issues, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the European Committee on Local and Regional Democracy, have initiated this project and jointly support its implementation.

Contact info

Council of Europe
Strasbourg
democracy.week@coe.int

Project start date

//2007

Links

For more information, please visit the ELDW website

Download the ELDW start-up kit (PDF, Eng, 259 kB)

Download the ELDW start-up kit (PDF, Es, 588 kB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords