Congress of the Council of Europe Congress of the Council of Europe The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (CLRA) is the pan-European political assembly representing local and regional authorities from the forty-seven member states of the Council of Europe. Its role is to promote local and regional democracy, improve local and regional governance and strengthen authorities' self-government, according to the principles laid down in the European Charter of Local Self-Government. It is made up of two chambers, the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions and holds its plenary sessions twice a year at the Palace of Europe in Strasbourg, where its permanent
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 2005 in order to enhance cooperation with other European liberal and democratic bodies, in particular the ALDE of the European Parliament. Daniel Tarschys (Sweden) was Secretary General of the Council of Europe from 1994 - 1999. The permanent secretariat of the Group operates since 1978, when Mr Peter Kallenberger was appointed Secretary of the Group. After he retired in 2010, Ms Maria Bigday took up the position of the Secretary. The ALDE-PACE Group regularly holds conferences, hearings, seminars and round tables in the framework of the Council of Europe scope of interest. It also co-organises joint events with other European