Development and Mission

Since 1992, the Bavarian local authorities have been present in Brussels through their joint European Office on behalf of:

2,031 towns, markets and municipalities
25 county-free cities
71 counties
7 districts

They are committed to a better and more visible representation of local positions, the inviolability of the principle of local self-administration and the preservation of subsidiarity. The local umbrella organisations from Bavaria are among the sponsors of the European Office

Bayerischer Gemeindetag (Bavarian Association of Towns, Markets and Municipalities)
Bayerischer Städtetag (Bavarian Association of Cities)
Bayerischer Landkreistag (Bavarian County Association)
Bayerischer Bezirketag (Bavarian Association of Districts)
as well as the Bayerischer Kommunaler Prüfungsverband (Bavarian Local Auditing Association).

The representation of Bavarian local interests at EU level is not an end in itself. It is particularly important because their elected representatives are the most direct link to the citizens as a whole and the success of EU policies as EU legislation depends largely on acceptance on a local level. 70 to 80 % of all EU legislation must be implemented by local authorities.

At the political level in the Free State of Bavaria, the local umbrella organisations have a right to be heard by the state legislature on laws or ordinances that affect the local level in accordance with Art. 83 Para. 7 of the Bavarian Constitution.

History

The main Bavarian local authoritiy associations and the Bavarian local auditing association agreed as early as September 1991 to establish a joint European office. On September 1st, 1992 the office began working. The official opening took place on December 9th, 1992 in the former premises, Rue Montoyer 17.

The Bavarian local authorities European Office’s (EBBK) success led other German federal states to consider establishing their own local representation on Brussels. Already in 1999 the key local authority associations of Baden-Württemberg and of Saxony decided to share offices with the EBBK.

In 1999 the European office of Baden-Württemberg local authorities took up its work under the direction of Dr. Carsten Glietsch.

One year later the European office of Saxon local authorities opened under Mr. Jörn Timm. At the end of 2023, the European Office of the Saxon Local Authorities left Brussels.