co-organisers

The Assembly of European Regions (AER) is the largest independent network of regions in wider Europe.

Bringing together more than 260 regions from 33 countries and 13 interregional organizations, AER is the political voice of its members and a forum for interregional co-operation. contacts

The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) is the broadest association of local and regional in Europe.

Its members are 48 national associations of local and regional governments covering thirty-six European countries.

The main aim of CEMR is to promote a strong, united Europe based on local and regional self-government and democracy; a Europe in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to its citizens, in line with the principle of subsidiarity.

CEMR’s work covers a wide range of themes, including public services, transport, regional policy, town twinning, the environment, equal opportunities... Its president is the mayor and governor of Vienna, Michael Häupl.

CEMR is also active on the international stage. It is the European section of the world organisation of cities and municipalities, United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG).contacts

ENSA is a network of cities and European Regions that has the aim of promoting international cooperation in the social field. ENSA was established by the Veneto Region in 1999. Since then the network has developed and supported solid partnerships between a wide range of European Regions from 13 different countries.

The network organises its work in five subject areas of intervention. Each has its own “thematic network”: elderly, youth, child issues, disability and social inclusion (the letter promoter of this event). The thematic networks work in an independent way according to the wishes and needs of members and in order to carry out activities in line with EU policies.

ERLAI is a Brussels-based network made up by approximately 30 regions, cities and local authorities from 8 EU member states with an interest in immigration and asylum.

ERLAI brings together Brussels-based officers working on justice and home affairs for their respective regions and localities. Over the last years, members have met regularly to share good practice from the regions and to liaise with the EU institutions and other relevant organisations on legislative developments and funding opportunities.

On asylum and immigration, ERLAI works to ensure that the European policy development takes proper account of the regional, city and local dimension; it promotes awareness of good policy and practice in other regions, cities and localities; and explores possibilities for joint projects and operates to facilitate funding bids.

ERLAI’s activities have been strengthened thanks to the EC co-financing of the ERLAIM project in the framework of the INTI programme 2005.  contacts

For more information on the ERLAIM project: www.erlaim.eu

IMISCOE (International Migration, Integration and Social Cohesion in Europe) is a Network of Excellence funded in the Sixth Framework Programme for Research of the European Commission (a grant of €4.5 million for the period 1 April 2004-1 April 2009).

With over 500 researchers from 23 European institutes, IMISCOE has developed a research programme, a system of training and a world-wide infrastructure for communication. contacts

Reves is a unique European network that brings together Local Authorities and Social Economy Actors in order to create stable partnerships and common policies for a socially sustainable local development and social inclusion.

It was officially created in September 1997 as an international non-profit association, by a group of cities such as Östersund (Sweden) and Reggio Calabria (IT) in collaboration with the European Confederation of workers co-operatives, social co-operatives, participative enterprises (CECOP).

The Reggio Declaration was written. It became the REVES Charter defining the targets and development lines of local and international co-operation within REVES.

In 9 years of REVES' existence, its key concepts - partnership, participation, social cohesion and new quality employment for the creation of a new pluralistic local welfare - have gone through a period of analysis and joint development in different local realities within 13 EU member states, Morocco and Russia. contacts