Local Authorities and Infrastructures

Local Authorities play a crucial role in achieving the 2030 Policy Agenda for Sustainable Development and European Consensus on Development. For example, the EU provides funding support to local authorities because they are closest to citizens in providing essential services, ensuring inclusive policy-making and inducing sustainable development. Local authorities offer viable solutions to the challenges faced in communities, including climate change, growing inequalities, migration, and urbanisation.

EU support to local authorities may take the form of bilateral programmes which tackle for example; decentralisation reforms, capacity-development, local rural and urban development, service delivery and the strengthening of accountability mechanisms. To assist local authorities to become empowered with support for more effective development outcomes;
  • We advise local authorities on EU policies on infrastructures, including transport, energy, water and sanitation, project developments, decentralisation, environment and climate change.
  • We monitor EU development cooperation and advise local authorities on the management of relevant actions.
  • We promote the visibility of local authorities in EU action plans with a view to strengthening EU support activities.
  • We promote dialogue and coordination between local authorities and relevant EU authorities to ensure complementarities and joint approaches.

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