“Europe was made from the top down but it is now being shaped, more and more, by local and regional authorities. And in terms of proximity, there is nothing closer than the local ‘intermediate’ authorities.” It is by following such a principle that Claudi Lebreton intends to preside over the Confederation of European Local Intermediate Authorities (CEPLI). Created in 2008, following an initiative led by the Association of French Departments and recognised by the EU institutions, this non-institutionalised cooperation serves, above all, to meet “a strong demand from members hoping to have their distinctive territorial features recognised on a European scale. This is due to the emergence of new types of living areas between agglomerations and regions,” explains the CEPLI.

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) for regional authorities and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) for local authorities have already existed since 1985 and 1951, respectively. Now, the CEPLI will join them. The network includes 11 countries and brings together 8,596 local ‘intermediate’ authorities, such as Greece’s nomoi, Spain’s provincias, Germany’s landkreis, the UK’s counties and France’s departments.

Over and above its European identity, the CEPLI has created an echo on a much larger scale in the debate on the growing momentum of territorial considerations on the global scene. “If the CEPLI exists, it is also because there is a world-wide organisation of local and regional authorities in the making. In fact, this is encouraged by countries themselves,” says Claudi Lebreton.

ANSWER TO CRISIS

Confronted with multiple challenges, such as unemployment or the drastic reduction in public spending, ‘intermediate’ authorities have a role to play in ending the crisis. At a time when the territorial aspect is making itself known on the European scene, the stakes are high and provide an unexpected opportunity to build local policies so as to answer more efficiently to constituents’ increasingly pressing demands. Lebreton is convinced of this. “As you know, our fellow citizens recognise those locally elected first. And when one comes face to face with the explosion of borders, the current crisis and the weight of state administration, local authorities seem to be more efficient when dealing with daily affairs. The CEPLI, in full boom, also has an important role to play in limiting the crisis,” he says.

The CEPLI was created as a way to enter important European debates, as much by participating in the Commission’s consultations as by creating links with the European social movement. However, in these times of crisis, its added value can be found elsewhere, in its will to be a necessary instrument in achieving European territorial cohesion. The organisation wishes to promote the sharing and encouraging of cooperation experiences, and ultimately, of learning to work together. It considers itself to be a way to promote the exchange of best practices and the sharing of competencies and resources.

European local ‘intermediate’ authorities possess similar powers in areas as important as economic intervention and employment protection, the fight against exclusion and poverty, land settlement and European Social Fund management. For example, 70% of European public investments are decided locally. This places local authorities in the frontline when it comes to determining priorities and coming up with concrete and efficient solutions. “Our policies maintain jobs on the territory and therefore can be considered as a sort of barrier to the crisis. They guarantee the preservation of the economic fabric,” says Lebreton.

“This is due to the emergence of new types of living areas between agglomerations and regions,” explains the CEPLI