During September 2017, the Municipalities for Europe project team, as well as Mr. Orlando Fusco, Program Manager for Good Governance at the European Union Delegation in Albania, are carrying out several meetings in most of the Albanian Municipalities, with focus at introduction of the project to the Local Government Units, as well as carrying out a detailed analysis of the current situation of the Municipalities. Based on a Memorandum of Understanding between Mayors and members of the Albanian Government, each Municipality will have to appoint from their internal structures/staff an employee who will play the role of the EU Coordinator at each respective municipality.
Meanwhile, in addition to the role that the EU Local Coordinator will carry out with regard to the project, the project team is also identifying the appropriate facilities that each Municipality in Albania will have to make available to the project in order to open the EU Corner in their local government units, offices which will be administered by the EU Local Coordinator in each municipality. This project is expected to be useful to bring closer to Albanian citizens and local administrations more information on the EU, its policies and programs. The focus will be on providing knowledge on the EU, particularly on how to increase the absorbing capacity of local government authorities in Albania for European funds and programs. The project also envisages carrying out some activities aimed at facilitating interconnectivity/cooperation and sharing of experiences between municipalities as well as the dialogue with the central government and the EU Delegation.
