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Introducing CEMR
Introducing CEMR
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is the broadest European association of local and regional governments. We are the only organisation that brings together one million democratically elected European politicians, in 60 member associations from 40 countries since 1951.
Since its creation in 1951, CEMR has been promoting the construction of a united, peaceful and democratic Europe founded on local self-government, respect for the principle of subsidiarity and the participation of citizens. Our work is organised around two main pillars:
1. Influencing European policy and legislation in all areas having an impact on municipalities and regions;
2. Providing a forum for debate between local and regional governments via their national representative associations.
CEMR is also the European section of the world organisation United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), through which we represent European local and regional governments on the international stage.
What we do
CEMR’s work focuses on five thematic areas, which affect all aspects of the lives of European citizens as well as the local and regional governments that represent them:
- Governance, democracy and citizenship
- Environment, climate and energy
- International engagement and cooperation
- Economic, social and territorial cohesion
- Local and regional public services management
- CEMR statutory affairs, general CEMR affairs
CEMR in figures
- 60 member associations
- 100,000 local governments
- 40 countries
- 71 years of practice