Bringing Europe to the Apennines: local event promoting the EU Local Councillors network in Cansano

On 14 August 2026, Cansano, a small town of fewer than 300 residents in Italy's Abruzzo region, hosted "Maiella Madre in Europe", an event bringing together neighbouring municipalities to explore how they could work more closely with the EU Local Councillors Network and make greater use of European opportunities for their communities. 

The initiative was championed by Mayor Luca Malvestuto, a member of the Network, who shared Cansano's experience with the neighbouring municipalities of Campo di Giove, Pacentro, Roccapia and Pettorano sul Gizio. These municipalities are all part of the "Maiella Madre" Green Community, a sustainable development initiative bringing together neighbouring administrations around shared goals such as renewable energy, sustainable tourism, low-impact mobility, waste reduction and more sustainable agriculture and construction.

During the meeting, the Mayor and Deput Mayor shared what membership in the Network had meant for Cansano in practice and encouraged the neighbouring municipalities to apply to join. The conversation also touched on the role Abruzzo can play in European affairs, with the mayor pointing to the region's experience with the Maiella Madre Green Community model and the European Charter for Sustainable Tourism (ECST), awarded to the area two years ago, as evidence of what local communities can achieve when they engage directly with European tools. 

Alongside the Mayor and local representatives, Michele Cercone, Acting Director for Communications at the European Committee of the Regions presented the Network and explained how it can support small and peripheral communities in accessing European tools and resources for local development. "There is a lot of discussion about where Europe's borders lie, but today we addressed a different question: where Europe begins," he said. "Europe begins in Cansano, in Campo di Giove, in Roccapia, in Pettorano, in Pacentro, and today the representatives of these communities showed a genuine capacity to work as a team."  

For Cansano and its neighbouring municipalities, the meeting marked a first step towards strengthening their connection with Europe and making greater use of the opportunities available to their communities.