Local authorities play a major role in ensuring that the European Union (EU) delivers practical benefits for Welsh citizens. The EU affects every individual, family, business and organisation in Wales. As much as 70% of domestic law impacting on local authorities has its origins in EU legislation, making it critical to engage at an early stage in Brussels when the European Commission in initiating new proposals or amending existing texts with implications for local authorities.
Since April 2003, the Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) European Office, collocated in Wales House at the heart of Brussels with the Welsh Government, the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Higher Education Brussels Office, provides a dedicated resource for the WLGA and its member authorities on European issues and promotes the role of Welsh local government in European affairs.
As Brussels is the source of a considerable amount of legislation, policy and funding opportunities, the Office seeks to provide timely, accurate information to its members. The Office supports partnerships between Welsh local government and other representative bodies in Europe and makes the case for legislative and policy decisions that address the needs of local citizens and communities in Wales.
The WLGA European Office:
- Provides strategic advice on the future involvement in European programmes and priorities;
- Lobbies and promotes policy with European institutions and key decision-makers;
- Works closely with other Welsh representatives in Brussels such as the Welsh Government, the National Assembly for Wales, Welsh Higher Education and the Welsh MEPs in the European Parliament on issues of common interest;
- Provides information on funding schemes, gathers intelligence on legislation and the policymaking process;
- Supports partnership working across European local government including organising delegations and study visits for Welsh local authorities;
- Supports Welsh local authority members of the Committee of the Regions and Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in the Council of Europe;
- Works with Brussels offices of other national local government associations on issues of common interest, particularly through the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and the European Local Authority Network (ELAN).
For more information contact: Iwan Williams