ICMA Europe was established in December 2017 for the following purposes:

• To further ICMA’s mission on a global scale by establishing a presence in Europe
• To serve as a platform for ICMA’s international affiliates and potential future affiliates in Europe
• To provide a forum for information sharing among local government professionals
• To expand ICMA’s professional development offerings globally
• To enable ICMA to pursue mission-appropriate funding opportunities offered by European donor organizations.

Based in Bratislava and headed by Managing Director Peter Ágh, ICMA Europe is a nonprofit organization registered as a European entity in the Slovak Republic. Its board of directors includes representatives of the ICMA Executive Board and staff.

The establishment of ICMA Europe aligns with the Envision ICMA Strategic Plan, which commits ICMA to “improve and sustain collaborative relationships with international and state associations and affiliates to support, align, and advance common goals” and to “think globally, act globally.”

A European regional summit in Oslo, Norway, in June 2018 served as its official introduction to members of ICMA’s European affiliates and related organizations. The summit was organized in collaboration with ICMA’s in-country affiliate, the Norwegian Forum of Municipal Executives.

Among the specific objectives of ICMA Europe are to

• Strengthen relationships between ICMA and its members and affiliates in Europe
• Develop seminars, conferences, webinars, and other training and professional development offerings
• Facilitate city-to-city management exchanges, study tours, and other educational opportunities
• Identify international speakers for the ICMA Conference and other events.

For additional information, contact europe@icma.org.

ICMA maintains affiliate relationships with local government professional organizations worldwide. These mutually beneficial partnerships are formalized by signed agreements that commit both organizations to:

• Collaborate in the exchange of leading practices and expansion of each organization's knowledge base
• Expand the international perspectives of each organization's individual members
• Join resources where appropriate to more effectively foster professional local government management worldwide

In maintaining these relationships, senior officials of each organization attend each other's conferences; liaisons assigned by the ICMA International Committee and organization staff establish annual work plans and contribute to each other's publications; and members engage in one-on-one exchanges through the International Management Exchange Program.