Europe’s towns and regions are facing growing pressure from artificial intelligence, migration and stretched healthcare services, delegates heard at the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Strasbourg this week.
The issues were discussed during the Congress’s 50th plenary session, which concluded in Strasbourg on 2 April 2026, the Council of Europe (CE) press service informed.
Congress members discussed how local authorities are using artificial intelligence — software that can analyse data and make predictions or decisions — in public services, while also raising concerns about privacy and human rights.
Local and regional authorities should set up “human-centred” AI governance that complies with human rights standards and train elected representatives and staff to use AI tools.
The Congress also said “digital only” services should be limited to large-scale services, and that “meaningful human oversight” should be in place where high-risk AI systems are used to make automated decisions that affect individuals, such as decisions on social benefits or housing allocation.
Healthcare and social rights on local agendas
Access to essential healthcare services is under increasing pressure across Europe, with ageing populations and shrinking financial resources for local authorities adding to long-standing structural problems, the Congress said.
The result is rising healthcare costs, overstretched services and longer waiting lists, while pressure on healthcare workers is contributing to people leaving the profession.
Delegates also discussed widening socio-economic inequalities and how local and regional authorities can protect social rights, including through strategies on social housing, fair working conditions, and equal access to quality education and health services.
Migration was another focus, with Congress members discussing the impact on areas including coastal regions and islands during a debate titled “From borders to boroughs”, after statements from Fatma Şahin, mayor of Gaziantep in Turkey, and Elena Carletti of Italy’s Emilia Romagna region.
The Congress also discussed freedom of expression and freedom of assembly and association at local level, and heard from Mattias Guyomar, President of the European Court of Human Rights.
