On 25 April, NALAS Network of EU Officers gathered and discussed the immediate tasks in accordance with the approved NALAS EU Integration Roadmap. The group shared the latest updates on EU integration progress in their associations, as well as the latest achievements in following the NALAS EU Integration Roadmap. Formation of Community of Practice of municipal experts and officers knowledgeable and experienced in EU-related topics, and identification of the lobbying priorities for the upcoming period were central in the discussions. Furthermore and also within the framework of the NALAS EU Integration Roadmap, the draft guideline on EU Programming which has been elaborated by the KDZ, was presented. All comments and suggestions from the EU-officers will be included in the guideline.

On 26 April, a joint networking event took place in Vienna Municipality, with participation of the NALAS Network of EU Officers and the EU-Knowledge Network of the Austrian Association of Cities and Towns. The event aimed at fostering the informal know-how transfer regarding current EU topics and funding relevant for cities and municipalities within the framework of a learning partnership. Furthermore, the event was used as a networking platform for the exchange of experiences and matters of municipal concerns in this area. The event addressed employees and politicians responsible for EU affairs and funding in the member cities and municipalities as well as the experts on EU-funding policies and programmes.

Both events were funded by the Austrian Development Agency within the BACID project and supported by the Austrian Association of Cities and Towns and KDZ – Centre for Public Administration Research.