PLATFORMA, the European voice of local and regional authorities for development, has recently released its publication Decentralised development cooperation - European perspectives. The publication showcases a number of case studies from across Europe including two UK examples: the Leicester partnership with Rajkot in India around water and sanitation, and the Rhondda Cynon Taf climate change partnership with Mbale in Uganda.

The report highlights the important role that local authorities play in improving development effectiveness. At its launch the European Commissioner for Development, Andris Piebalgs noted that "Development policy is about knowledge transfer and not just about money transfer". He also promised that local and regional authorities would be well represented in the European Commission communication on development cooperation due out in the autumn.

The report is available here