Das Team des Europabüros der bayerischen KommunenWelcome at the European Office
of the Bavarian Local Authorities

Local authorities are important actors in the process of implementing legal provisions from Brussels. With this in mind, the necessity to be informed at an early stage of European developments relevant to local authorities, and to make their voice heard at the European level, is taken seriously in Bavaria. To this end, the European Office of the Bavarian local authorities was established in Brussels in 1992.

The European Office of the Bavarian local authorities was founded by the four associations of local authorities of Bavaria – Bayerischer Gemeindetag  (towns and municipalities), Bayerischer Städtetag (cities), Bayerischer Landkreistag (counties), Verband der bayerischen Bezirke  (Bavaria altogether has seven districts, see map below) and by the Bayerischer Kommunaler Prüfungsverband (Bavarian local authorities’ board of audit).

In 1999, the European Office of the Bavarian local authorities established joint offices with the European Offices of the local authorities of Baden-Württemberg and Saxony. The European Office of the Bavarian Local Authorities is headed up by Andrea Gehler, with Natalie Häusler as her deputy head of office. They are supported by their assistants Nancy Petignot and Christine Reßler.

These are the objectives of the European Office of Bavarian local authorities:

  • Early Information
    on EU initiatives and legislative procedures, calls for proposals in EU-funding programmes, ECJ rulings of relevance to local authorities.
  • Interest Representation
    through information on local positions and interests to the European Commission, cooperation with Bavarian Members of the European Parliament, participation in European committees and networks.
  • Brüssel Aktuell
    In their weekly newsletter Brüssel Aktuell, the European Offices of the Bavarian, Baden-Württemberg and Saxon local authorities produce articles on EU-related developments of local relevance.
  • Guidance on EU Funding Programmes
    and support for the search of local partners for EU-projects.
  • Arrangement of contacts
    and organization of meetings for the local authorities’ associations and their members in Brussels.
  • Lectures
    on EU topics of local relevance.

The European Office of the Bavarian Local Authorities in Brussels represents the interests of more than 2.000 towns and municipalities, 275 cities, 71 counties and 7 districts.