LPSA’s Expert Working Group (EWG) on Europe & Central Asia (ECA) aims to bring together government officials, policy practitioners, scholars, civil society organizations, and citizens who share an interest and expertise on decentralization, multilevel governance, intergovernmental relations, local governance and local development in ECA.
The next public meeting of the ECA Expert Working Group is scheduled to take place on March 12, 2025 (11:00 EST/ 15:00 GMT/ 16:00 CET/ 20:00 UZT).
Registration is required for this meeting – Register here!
The focus of the upcoming meeting will be on: Regional Development Approaches for European Union Accession.
The European Union’s development policies play a crucial role in shaping economic growth and convergence, social cohesion, and territorial balance across its member states and accession countries. Regional development strategies evolve in response to shifting priorities, aiming to reduce disparities, foster innovation, and enhance competitiveness. These policies significantly impact both EU members and candidate countries, influencing development policies, governance models, institutional structures, and funding mechanisms.
Local and regional governments are key players in this process, receiving an important role in the practical implementation of EU Acquis and public investments, actively engaging in regional development planning, and finding solutions for accessing EU funding. The workshop will explore and compare the experience of new EU members and candidate countries, illustrating diverse approaches to leveraging EU support, managing structural adjustments, and addressing challenges in governance, capacity building, and long-term sustainability. This workshop will further explore these dynamics, providing insights into best practices, institutional options, and the evolving role of regional development in the broader European integration process.
| Agenda Item | Contributor |
| 1. Welcome and Introduction | Adrian Ionescu ECA Working Group Co-Chair Chief Technical Advisor, Public Administration UNDP Moldova |
| 2. Local Governments in the EU Budget | Thomas Prorok Managing Director at the KDZ Centre for Public Administration Research |
| 3. Discussant | Biljana Cvetanovska Gugoska Programme Specialist on Local Governance and Integrated Local/Urban Development Governance and Peace Building, UNDP Regional Bureau for Europe and the CIS (RBEC), Istanbul Regional Hub, Türkiye |
| 4. Territorial Governance Patterns of Croatia, Hungary and Slovenia: Comparative Analysis Based on Interreg Cross-Border Cooperation Data 2014-2020 | Zoltán Pámer Research Fellow, PhD, HUN-REN Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Institute of Regional Studies |
| 5. Territorial & Administrative Reform and the Impact on the Organizational & Management Capacity in Albania | Agron Haxhimali Executive Director of Institute for Albanian Municipalities Lecturer of Local Government and Urban Planning at Polis University, Tirana-Albania |
| 6. Q&A | Participants Facilitation: Adrian Ionescu |
| 7. Closing Remarks & Next Steps for the Working Group | Adrian Ionescu |
We need your help to make this meeting a success: If you have any updates about decentralization or local governance reforms in your country; updates about new research; or information about local government projects that you would like mentioned during the open meeting, please email the Working Group co-chairs at eca@decentralization.net so that a brief announcement can be made at the beginning of the meeting.
Reminder: You can join any LPSA Expert Working Group free of cost and receive reminders and updates by opting-in to one or more working groups as part of your LPSA Membership registration.
