In recent years, Europe, our home, has faced major challenges corresponding to vital issues for current and future generations in our territories. While the world is changing at an ever increasing pace and in an irreversible fashion, intermediate local authorities remain a strong and trusted point of reference for citizens.
They play an increasingly important role through their ability to understand the needs of the population and to constantly act to meet them. Our concrete interventions represent a real added value to guarantee economic, social and territorial cohesion.
Nowadays, citizens and their territories are directly impacted by the various upheavals that are disrupting the sustainable development of our societies: climate and demographic change, inequality and poverty, systemic economic risks, governance deficits, rising extremism and the migration crisis.
In this context, the guidelines that must be adopted for the future of Europe and its territories, particularly in terms of territorial reforms, must safeguard the current competences of local intermediate authorities as they constitute a safety net for the population.
Download: Programme Download: CONFERENCE POLITIQUE de la CEPLI – « Réforme territoriale en Europe, au service “public” des territoires » – Intervenants Download: Political Declaration Download: Déclaration de Toulouse Pour une Europe plus proche des territoires et des citoyens Download: Study of the Assembly of the French departments (ADF) « L’institution départementale à l’heure métropolitaine: quelles perspectives ? » Download: The Provinces in Flanders: between the hammer and the anvil – Herwig Reynaert (website) Download: Political Conference 2019, Toulouse – Report
European seminar “Territorial reforms in Europe, in the public service of the territories”
The European Confederation of Local Intermediate Authorities (CEPLI), the Assembly of French Departments (ADF), the Research Group on Local Government in Europe (GRALE) and the University of Toulouse (UTC), organize on 14 and 15 November, an important seminar dedicated to the future of intermediate territorial collectivities in Europe.
This European Seminar “Territorial reforms in Europe, in the public service of the territories” will associate researchers, academics from France and Europe, elected officials from the departments and intermediate collectivities in Europe, national associations and CEPLI members.
In a comparative approach, the subject of the debate will be the historical anchoring of the territorial collectivities of intermediate level, the Polish powiats, passing through the Italian, Belgian, Italian provinces or the Spanish diputacións.
Are there any similarities in the historical, political and administrative contexts of the birth certificate, for the most part, at the end of the 18th century, beginning of the 19th century, of these intermediate echelons of proximity, in terms of standardization, rationalization and centralization of power, with the image of the Napoleonic department?
And what are the territorial realities of these territories today, in a context of institutional complexity, changes in Europe, regionalization and urban concentration. In a Europe of regions and large competitive metropolises, are the intermediate territorial collectivities – confronted with the issues of the overscaled echelon – threatened, or on the contrary, are they, in these large groups, the echelon of democratic and social innovation, of proximity and solidarity of the 21st century?
In other words, do the intermediate territorial collectivities in Europe have a future in every state territorial mille-feuille?
Download: Programme Download: IGPDE and CNFPT study – « L’avenir des autorités locale en Europe » Download: ADF study – « Pour un budget européen au service des territoires » Download: ADF study – « Plateforme – New deal départemental” Download: « Pouvoirs Locaux » – la Revue de la gouvernance publique, n°116 IV/2019