CEMR highlights Financial Crisis

Top of the agenda at the general assembly of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) will be how the current financial crisis is affecting local and regional government.

The decision to focus on the subject at the assembly in Malmo on 22-24 April was taken after report was compiled by CEMR members revealing country per country how the economic crisis was affecting their towns, cities and regions of Europe.

“The contributions that we received showed that many local and regional authorities are faced to a greater extent than was thought with increasing problems, including small and medium enterprises closing down, rising unemployment rate and budgetary difficulties,” said CEMR Secretary General Jeremy Smith.

He added that local and regional authorities are the ‘engine that drives economic recovery’ and can set up and implement measures much quicker than national or European authorities by devising local recovery packages that have a ‘direct impact’.

For more information on the assembly click here. 

Last Updated: 06-03-2009 13:22:22 By Charlotte Jacques