Call for Applications - Renewal of the Congress Group of Independent Experts 2023

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities (the Congress) is a political organ of the Council of Europe promoting local and regional democracy in the 46 member States and, in particular, ensuring the implementation of the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and observing local and regional elections.

In the frame of the 2023 renewal of its Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self-Government (the Group) and in line with the Revised Statute of 17 October 2017, the Congress is issuing a call for applications for membership of the Group, on the basis of the following criteria:

• Candidates should be academics, researchers or specialists with an established reputation regarding local and regional self-government and grassroots’ democracy and competences extending to the political, legal, administrative and financial fields;
• Candidates should take no instructions from any government, organisation, or person on how to perform their duties as experts (in accordance with Article 3 of the above-mentioned statute);
• Members of the Group will be chosen, principally, from amongst university teachers and experts of research centers with recognized knowledge in the described fields of activity;
• Non-academics with recognised skills and experiences in the described fields of activity, who have distinguished themselves through relevant works or publications, may also be chosen;
• All members of the Group must have an excellent knowledge – in writing and orally – of at least one of the two Council of Europe official languages (English and French);
• Travel and subsistence expenses for attending the yearly meeting of the Group, where appropriate for participating in other meetings and missions (monitoring, election observation, conferences etc.), are defrayed by the Council of Europe in the manner prescribed by the regulatory texts in force;
• Work activities carried out by members of the Group for the Congress (in particular the preparation of reports) are performed under a contract signed between the Council of Europe and the expert (in accordance with Article 8 of the above-mentioned statute).
  
  Applications including a motivation letter, a CV and a list of publications should be submitted by e-mail to the Congress Secretariat: martine.roudolff@coe.int by 31 January 2023 at the latest.
  
  In accordance with the procedure established by the Revised Statute, the new members of the Group will be selected by the Secretary General of the Congress in consultation with the Chair of the Group and the Chairs of the Committees. Successful candidates will be informed by 31 May 2023.
  
  The first meeting of the Group in its new composition will take place in Strasbourg (France) on 21 and 22 September 2023.