9th CSPF Meeting tackles affordable housing

The latest Cities for Sustainable Public Finance meeting was dedicated to the pressing issue of affordable housing in Europe and related topics such as the management of homeless shelters. From Vienna to Bourdeaux to Porto, we looked at how city governments manage social housing and were joined by Eurocities for the European perspective. Our members and experts discussed a range of strategies focused on cost-sharing with the private sector in an environment of subsidy volatility, and the need to balance the demands of investors with compliance with national regulations.

The European Semester and its impact on local governments

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has analysed the impact of the European Semester on local government in a new study. KDZ Director Thomas Prorok took part in a discussion in Brussels to discuss the findings: "The European Semester will become even more important in the future. It has a huge impact on local governments, but they have no say in it. This must change! You can access the study and a short video via 'Read more'.

Bringing local authorities to the EU table: Seminar highlights integration efforts

On 28 November 2024, representatives from local government associations (LGAs), EU institutions, think tanks, NGOs, and senior national officials convened in Brussels to discuss the role of local authorities in EU integration. The seminar spotlighted Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine as these countries transition from the EU’s ‘Neighbourhood’ to the ‘Enlargement’ zone. Invited from SALAR International and CEMR/Platforma, Alexandra Schantl from KDZ shared insights from Austria’s 30 years of EU membership and highlighted the impactful LOGON initiative (1998–2008) and the ongoing BACID project, both of which support local governments on their path to EU integration.

CAF workshop in the Republic of Moldova

Philip Parzer, Head of the CAF Centre at the KDZ, recently conducted a CAF Consensus Workshop at the National Accreditation Centre of the Republic of Moldova. The workshop delved into the organisational and procedural structures of the organisation and used the CAF process as a guide to develop improvement actions within the team.