The European Neighbourhood Policy, and in particular its Eastern dimension known as the Eastern Partnership Initiative, has found itself at the crossroads. Following the Riga Eastern Partnership Summit of May 2015, where the EU reiterated its commitment to supporting the 6 Eastern partners as far as democratic reforms are concerned, it became apparent that a tailored-made approach is needed to better support those partners that chose to associate themselves closer with the EU. The Summit underlined the following areas of cooperation: strengthening democratic institutions, enabling functioning market economies, improving macroeconomic stability and the business environment, as well as enhancing interconnectivity, mobility and people-to-people contacts open up new opportunities for cooperation and also contribute to trade, growth and competitiveness.

The Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (hereinafter referred to as “CORLEAP”) is the political forum of discussion, consultation, supervision and monitoring in respect of all questions relating to the Eastern Partnership at the local and regional levels. CORLEAP will continue to pursue the common goal of the EU and Eastern partners, i.e. the establishment of a successful and prosperous neighbourhood based on the recognition of common values such as democracy, rule of law, good governance, the principles of market economy and sustainable development at all levels of governance and will therefore actively support the priorities set out during the Riga summit.

ALDA fully shares this mission and it’s deeply engaged in the Eastern Partnership countries with a handful of its projects and activities to support the cooperation between local authorities and civil society. ALDA has been cooperating closely with CORLEAP for several years and is at present coordinating its activities in an even closer manner to reach the common objectives. As set out in the CORLEAP’s Action Plan for 2016-2017, there are several synergies and undertakings that have been identified where the two could work hand in hand. ALDA has visibly become an important partner of CORLEAP as far as the implementation of its objectives is concerned and ALDA shares its take on joining the forces for a number of activities such as for instance the LADDER Special Initiative for the Eastern Partnership in Tbilisi on 1-4 December 2015 to begin with. Furthermore, ALDA is keen to support CORLEAP’s activities in the field of decentralisation and best practices sharing, but also actively participate in the series of Platforms under the “Democracy, good governance and stability” theme.

Altogether, ALDA has also participated actively in the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum since its beginning in 2009, and encourages closer ties and cooperation between the Forum and CORLEAP and other stakeholders, such as CONCORD in its capacity of the coordinator of the Subgroup on Public Administration Reform (LGPAR). A specific area for further cooperation is the development of local self-governance. The activities of the Civil Society Forum, and the LGPAR in particular, are therefore welcomed and in line with the priorities and mission of CORLEAP. Most recently, the joint work focused on the fiscal decentralisation and will continue and expand into other important areas. CORLEAP encourages equally a multi-stakeholder approach to local and regional development within the EaP region, based on the close cooperation between local and regional authorities, civil society organisations and citizens. The involvement of civil society is of crucial importance for the successful reform process. Local authorities associations are one of the strongest constituency-based actors in the society. Consolidating them further and strengthening their capacities will effectively support the decentralisation, democratisation and public administration reforms.

Furthermore, CORLEAP expressed the interest to cooperate in Moldova in the 2016-2017 time period, and also here the cooperation with ALDA would be hopefully fruitful and effective, considering that ALDA is in the process of opening a Local Democracy Agency in Moldova, and it’s at the moment looking for partners from the EU regions to come on board and joint this partnership and cooperation mechanism in cooperation with its local member CALM-The Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova.

The European Neighbourhood Policy, and in particular its Eastern dimension known as the Eastern Partnership Initiative, has found itself at the crossroads. Following the Riga Eastern Partnership Summit of May 2015, where the EU reiterated its commitment to supporting the 6 Eastern partners as far as democratic reforms are concerned, it became apparent that a tailored-made approach is needed to better support those partners that chose to associate themselves closer with the EU. The Summit underlined the following areas of cooperation: strengthening democratic institutions, enabling functioning market economies, improving macroeconomic stability and the business environment, as well as enhancing interconnectivity, mobility and people-to-people contacts open up new opportunities for cooperation and also contribute to trade, growth and competitiveness.

The Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (hereinafter referred to as “CORLEAP”) is the political forum of discussion, consultation, supervision and monitoring in respect of all questions relating to the Eastern Partnership at the local and regional levels. CORLEAP will continue to pursue the common goal of the EU and Eastern partners, i.e. the establishment of a successful and prosperous neighbourhood based on the recognition of common values such as democracy, rule of law, good governance, the principles of market economy and sustainable development at all levels of governance and will therefore actively support the priorities set out during the Riga summit.

ALDA fully shares this mission and it’s deeply engaged in the Eastern Partnership countries with a handful of its projects and activities to support the cooperation between local authorities and civil society. ALDA has been cooperating closely with CORLEAP for several years and is at present coordinating its activities in an even closer manner to reach the common objectives. As set out in the CORLEAP’s Action Plan for 2016-2017, there are several synergies and undertakings that have been identified where the two could work hand in hand. ALDA has visibly become an important partner of CORLEAP as far as the implementation of its objectives is concerned and ALDA shares its take on joining the forces for a number of activities such as for instance the LADDER Special Initiative for the Eastern Partnership in Tbilisi on 1-4 December 2015 to begin with. Furthermore, ALDA is keen to support CORLEAP’s activities in the field of decentralisation and best practices sharing, but also actively participate in the series of Platforms under the “Democracy, good governance and stability” theme.

Altogether, ALDA has also participated actively in the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum since its beginning in 2009, and encourages closer ties and cooperation between the Forum and CORLEAP and other stakeholders, such as CONCORD in its capacity of the coordinator of the Subgroup on Public Administration Reform (LGPAR). A specific area for further cooperation is the development of local self-governance. The activities of the Civil Society Forum, and the LGPAR in particular, are therefore welcomed and in line with the priorities and mission of CORLEAP. Most recently, the joint work focused on the fiscal decentralisation and will continue and expand into other important areas. CORLEAP encourages equally a multi-stakeholder approach to local and regional development within the EaP region, based on the close cooperation between local and regional authorities, civil society organisations and citizens. The involvement of civil society is of crucial importance for the successful reform process. Local authorities associations are one of the strongest constituency-based actors in the society. Consolidating them further and strengthening their capacities will effectively support the decentralisation, democratisation and public administration reforms.

Furthermore, CORLEAP expressed the interest to cooperate in Moldova in the 2016-2017 time period, and also here the cooperation with ALDA would be hopefully fruitful and effective, considering that ALDA is in the process of opening a Local Democracy Agency in Moldova, and it’s at the moment looking for partners from the EU regions to come on board and joint this partnership and cooperation mechanism in cooperation with its local member CALM-The Congress of Local Authorities of Moldova.