Europe Day is celebrated annually on 9 May. The date marks the anniversary of French foreign minister Robert Schuman’s declaration in 1950, which laid the foundation for European cooperation. The ‘Schuman Declaration’ was made against the backdrop of the devastating World War II and cooperation was
What is a sustainable city or municipality like? What measures can local authorities take to contribute to sustainability? The Association of Finnish
Image source: The Council of Europe The war in Ukraine prompted an emotional debate among municipal decision-makers at the plenary session of the
The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (AFLRA) will donate EUR 50,000 to the Finnish Red Cross to support Ukraine. The AFLRA Board
The new Finnish representatives have been elected to the delegations of international bodies for the term 2021–2026. The appointments reflect the
We, the City of Oulu, the City of Tampere, and the City of Lahti in Finland, together with the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities
The Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (AFLRA) is a national lobbying organisation with expertise in almost all areas of life. We protect the interests of Finnish cities and municipalities, and an important part of that work is EU lobbying. Whenever I have a chance, I wish to
In early November, the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities (AFLRA) organised a remote meeting for the Finnish delegations of the European Committee of the Regions, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and CEMR, the umbrella body of local
Hate speech against municipal decision-makers and fake news in the member states were the main topics discussed by the Congress of Local and Regional
Procedural errors in public procurement processes have decreased in light of the case-law, according to a report released by the Public Procurement
The EU Commission aims at making Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. In December 2019 the communication and time-line for the European Green Deal was issued, outlining actions in a wide range of fields. Did you know that local governments - cities and municipalities that is -
In a world full of complex challenges, solutions born on the designer’s table alone will not work. That is why we increasingly need to take swift
The extension of women’s suffrage and eligibility for election cannot be analysed separately from the fight for universal and equal suffrage in the Finnish national elections, for a unicameral Parliament and for Finland’s independence. The Finnish Parliament adopted the municipal laws granting women
The European Commission held its promise and published a proposal for the EU budget 2021–2027 in early May. Commission President Juncker has said that the negotiations were exceptionally difficult, as Brexit will leave the EU with a financial hole, and there are continuous demands for the EU to take
(Press release 23 March 2018) Key lobbying priorities of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities for 2018 are the EU’s Multiannual
Non-discriminatory local government excludes no one We in Finland live in two different realities. One the one hand, this is one of the world's best countries for gender equality and non-discrimination. Yet at the same time, many of us are subjected to continuous hate speech, gender violence or