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The development of local democratic governance and civil society varies considerably in the Eastern Partnership countries. These circumstances present significant challenges to the EU as it seeks to move forward with the Eastern Partnership agenda. Yet, they also make imperative the development and implementation of a strategy that would confront geopolitical challenges and some domestic regime responses in ways that would advance regional and local governance.

And there is evidence to suggest that the ongoing reforms aimed at decentralising power and at civil society development have served to increase awareness about the role of the NGO sector and the wider citizenry in making inputs into local decision making and services provision and delivery. The aim of the CORLEAP thematic debate is to look at the challenges faced by local and regional authorities and exchange on success stories for overcoming them.