About
Institutional decentralisation is crucial for the health of democratic societies, as it cultivates effective local leadership and enables local issues to be addressed efficiently by empowering decision-makers at the level closest to the citizen.
The CoR has been supporting research which provides an overview of the institutional decentralisation levels in EU Member States and neighbouring countries. On this webpage you will find the most recent updates to the information on the various governance structures in a number of countries.
The distribution of competencies at each level of governance is presented in the following policy areas of mandatory consultation of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR): transport; employment; social issues; education; vocational training; youth and sports; culture; public health; Trans-European networks; economic, social and territorial cohesion; environment and the fight against climate change, and energy, as well as those in the fields of particular interest for local and regional authorities (LRAs): agriculture; fisheries; immigration and asylum; tourism; and civil protection.
Studies
Multi-level governance structures in the EU enlargement countries
In line with the CoR political priorities, the latest update (March 2025) covers the EU Enlargement countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Türkiye, and Ukraine). Each chapter outlines the various governance structures in the respective country, along 17 policy areas.
Updates of the work concerning other countries (EU Member States and neighbourhood) will follow, in line with the CoR political priorities and available resources.
Multi-level governance structures in Bosnia and Herzegovina
This study is an extended version of the case study included in the study on Multi-level governance res in the EU enlargement countries. It presents a complete overview of the institutional decentralisation levels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with tasks attributed at all levels of governance to the administrative bodies of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republika Srpska, the Brčko District, 10 cantons of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the municipalities.
Multi-level governance structures in Armenia and Azerbaijan
The study provides an overview of levels of institutional and fiscal decentralisation, and of the legal bases for the various governance structures in Armenia and Azerbaijan. The cooperation between the CoR and Armenia and Azerbaijan is a long-standing one, notably in the framework of the Conference of Regional and Local Authorities for the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP). This study marks the completion of the research undertaken on the division of powers in the Eastern Partnership countries, with Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine covered in the study on Multi-level governance structures in the EU enlargement countries.