The Brussels Office leads COSLA’s European and international work, which aims to ensure the interests and rights of Scottish local government are safeguarded in the international arena, as well as to promote Scotland and Scottish local government as a good global citizen.

Key to our work is the ability to effectively forecast developments and to actively influence policy and legislation at the earliest possible stages.

We advise Scottish politicians and work with stakeholders on legislation and policies affecting local government and support the work of the Scottish Councillors who represent Scotland at European and international level.

The Brussels Office provides the secretariat for Scottish Councillors representing Scotland at the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, and supports their continued engagement with European institutions (such as the EU Committee of the Regions) and international organisations such as OECD or UN-HABITAT.

COSLA is the Scottish national member of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) – the EU umbrella body for local government, also based in the House of Municipalities – and the European Local Authority Network (ELAN). We work closely with other national associations of local governments and with Scottish public bodies based in Brussels, particularly the Scottish Government and the wider Brussels Based UK Offices and Organisations group.

We are the Scottish member of the worldwide municipal organisation United Cities and Local Government (UCLG), which represents local government at various United Nations institutions.

We also assist municipalities from other countries and their national associations facilitate town twinning partnerships in Scotland.