Council of Europe Congress to examine the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Armenia
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe is the political assembly representing local and regional governments across the 46 member States, responsible for promoting and monitoring local democracy.
Strasbourg, 09.04.2026 – A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, composed of rapporteurs Jonathan Denis (United Kingdom, SOC/G/PD) and Katrien Partyka (Belgium, EPP/CCE), will carry out a monitoring visit to Armenia (Yerevan, Vedi, Parakar) from 14 to 15 April 2026, to assess the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government since the previous monitoring report adopted by the Congress in 2021. They will be accompanied by Professor Tania Groppi, Vice-President of the Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Italy).
The objective of the visit is to evaluate the progress made in implementing the 2021 recommendation of the Congress in Armenia. In particular, the delegation will examine whether authorities have strengthened local self-government by ensuring effective decentralisation of competences, meaningful consultation of local authorities, clearer definition of municipal competences with limited State supervision and improved working conditions at the municipal level. The delegation will also assess whether local authorities have access to adequate and fairly distributed financial resources, including for delegated tasks and through a more equalised system.
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During the visit, the rapporteurs will meet with members of the national delegation of Armenia to the Congress, representatives of the national association of local authorities, independent experts and the youth delegate. Meetings have also been scheduled with the Mayor of Yerevan, the President of the Audit Chamber, the Human Rights Defender, the President of the Constitutional Court and the Heads of Community of Vedi and Parakar, respectively. A second part of the monitoring visit will take place at a later stage to meet with the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the Ministry of Finance and the National Assembly.
Composed of two chambers – the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions – and three committees, the Congress brings together 612 elected officials representing more than 130 000 local and regional authorities.
President of the Congress: Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Konstantinos Koukas (Greece, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD).
Political groups: Group of Socialists, Greens and Progressive Democrats (SOC/G/PD), Group of the European Peoples Party (EPP/CCE), Independent Liberal and Democratic Group (ILDG), European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR), Patriots for Europe (PfE).
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