Das Europabüro der baden-württembergischen Kommunen
Europe's future is made on the ground: in the municipalities, cities and districts. Thereby, the municipalities of Baden-Württemberg support the European institutions in a creative and cooperative manner. For more than two decades, the European Office of the municipalities of Baden-Württemberg has been representing the interests of 1.101 municipalities and cities as well as 44 rural and urban districts from Baden-Württemberg in Brussels.
Our joint European Office: Dr. Peter Kurz, Lord Mayor and President of the Association of Cities of Baden-Württemberg
„Sustainable climate protection is made in Europe's cities. Thereby it is important to tackle the European Green Deal concretely on the ground. One key to success in this regard is our municipal utilities, with which we are actively preparing our cities for a climate-neutral future: among other things, by using green energy, offering public mobility services and providing leisure infrastructure for livable neighborhoods. The experience of practitioners on the ground is indispensable for the European institutions to make the European Green Deal a success. Thereby, we as cities in Baden-Württemberg use the European Office to make our solutions visible in Brussels and to network further."
Our joint European Office: Steffen Jäger, President and Chief Executive Officer of Gemeindetag Baden-Württemberg
"Europe becomes tangible in the cities and communities. Numerous town twinning schemes and other international connections make this clear. But European policy also becomes tangible in the municipalities. After all, local public services are the decisive basis for social cohesion in the cities and municipalities. European policy must therefore strengthen local self-government through a genuine subsidiarity policy. With the European Office of Baden-Württemberg's municipalities in Brussels, we are drawing attention to the special features of our municipalities when it comes to public services for the benefit of citizens."
Our joint European Office: Joachim Walter, District Administrator and President of Landkreistag Baden-Württemberg
"The future of Europe is our future. That is why Baden-Württemberg's districts are networked in many ways in Europe - exemplified by the many district partnerships in the state. Thereby it is important to stand up for the interests of our districts in Brussels, especially when it comes to regional development issues. With the European Office of the municipalities of Baden-Württemberg, we are clearly committed to an active role for municipalities in the European Union."
The central tasks of the European Office include representing interests towards the EU institutions, providing informationon developments relevant to municipalities in Brussels and consulting the members of the sponsoring associations on EU and funding issues. Furthermore, we are part of an office community with the European offices of the Bavarian and Saxon municipalities.
It is estimated that up to 80 percent of EU requirements have a direct or indirect impact on the municipal level. It is therefore important to prepare for this in good time and to ensure a community-friendly framework at an early stage. Because it is true: Europe's future is made locally.