ALDA at the 16th CIVEX Commission: where EU priority issues meet civil society

Possibly defined as the operational branch of the Committee of the Regions (CoR), the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX) oversees the coordination of the institutional policies on local democracy, future of Europe and law-making; just to name a few.

Taking place on 1^st February 2023 and chaired by Mr. Bianco; the 16^th CIVEX Commission fully addresses the Eastern Partnership, with special reference to the local and regional perspective; together with the Enlargement Package and the Media Freedom Act while discussing the involvement of local and regional Authorities to strengthen the European Democracy.

Being the CIVEX addressed to European civil society actors, ALDA is a key player in the discussion, representing in turn a network of 300 stakeholders

The latter represents a key milestone in the conduct of ALDA, stressing once again the crucial position of the Association: bridging people and networking with institution to achieve a common goal: building a democratic society in Europe and beyond.

Thus, in light of a long-lasting partnership and in line with the mission of ALDA, our Secretary General Antonella Valmorbida was present at the CIVEX Commission. Indeed, being the CIVEX addressed to European civil society actors, from local and regional authorities to NGOs and civil society organisations, ALDA represents a key player in the discussion, representing in turn a network of 300 stakeholders among local authorities and associations across the Enlarged Europe.

On this note, Ms. Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdanks (Poland) and member of ALDA, was also present as CIVEX as Chair of the CoR Working Group on Ukraine, underlying in her speech the essential role of ALDA as a change maker, driving policies into actions.

Overall, considering the multiple stimuli and challenges that Europe is now facing, this 16^th CIVEX Commission represents a high moment within ALDA’s agenda, allowing the Association to further increase its expertise and addressing its activities to meet the European priorities as well as the civil society necessitates.