In his communication to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on 10 September 2015, Congress President Jean-Claude Frécon gave an overview of current Congress activities, focusing on three important areas of work: the refugee and migrant crisis, radicalisation leading to terrorism, and the decentralisation process in Ukraine. He called on Europe governments to show solidarity in the face of the massive arrival of refugees on the continent and emphasized the essential role of local authorities in the reception of refugees. He announced that at its October session the Congress would set in motion a reflection on setting up reception and integration mechanisms at the local level. He pointed out that a post-monitoring roadmap had just been signed by the Portuguese Government, on 9 September, after the signature of the roadmap by Ukraine in May 2015. Highlighting that the governments of Armenia, Georgia and Moldova had also opened a post-monitoring dialogue with the Congress, he stated that “The growing desire of governments to establish such dialogue is a very positive sign of the importance that member states attach to the good health of their local and regional democracy”.
