Several communes are set to experiment with the Territorial Approach to Local Development (ATDL). This initiative is part of the “Tou-te-s Redevables” (All Accountable) program, launched in 2026 by the European Union to support public governance in Madagascar, as part of its Global Gateway strategy.
Funded by the European Union and implemented by Expertise France, this program aims to strengthen local governance in pilot communes. The selection process for the communes to test this approach was launched yesterday in Antsirabe, in the presence of the European Union Ambassador, Roland Kobia.
Fifteen communes will be selected based on criteria such as geographic axis and population density. “The RN7 axis serves as a true laboratory for deploying innovative governance solutions. In these rapidly urbanizing communes, the intensity of economic activity exacerbates critical challenges: demographic pressure, land management, and access to public services.
The integration of the Urban Commune of Antsiranana strengthens the representation of the Association of Large Cities of Madagascar (AGVM), alongside Fianarantsoa and Antsirabe, and lays the groundwork for a gradual expansion of the model to all major Malagasy urban areas under the National Decentralization and Local Development Plan (PNDDL),” according to a statement released during the event.
The European Union maintains that it is at the local level that access to essential services, social cohesion, territorial resilience, and the ability to develop concrete solutions are determined.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-31 05:39:00 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/collectivites-quinze-communes-essaient.html