Cities & Partners

The Cities for Sustainable Public Finances (CSPF) is a European reference group in local public financial management that unites the Chief Executive Officers/Chief Financial Officers and Finance Managers of the Cities of Amsterdam (NL), Barcelona (ES), Bordeaux Métropole (FR), Hamburg (DE), the City of London Corporation (UK), Tallinn (EE) and Trondheim (NO). 

This initiative is managed by KDZ and supported through active participation and partnership by the European Commission – Eurostat.

Mission and Objectives

CSPF provides a collaborative space where cities can exchange expertise, compare financial practices, and develop shared approaches to managing public finances in a complex and evolving environment. Through peer learning and structured dialogue, the network supports evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement.

As a forum for joint reflection, CSPF works to improve the comparability, transparency, and usability of financial data across European cities, contributing to higher standards of quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability in public sector management.

Our mission is to connect reform-oriented European cities and experts around common values: sound financial management, long-term sustainability, adequate liquidity, and fiscal resilience. Strong and sustainable local public finances are essential to Europe’s economic competitiveness, the delivery of social policies, and the long-term wellbeing of its citizens.

Approach

CSPF is a hands-on peer network for city practitioners working on public finance and financial management.

Member cities meet twice a year in rotating host cities to exchange concrete experiences and solutions. Meetings focus on practical case presentations, peer discussions, and challenge-based “Please help” sessions, where cities bring real issues and receive targeted feedback from peers and experts.

External expertise is combined with strong peer learning, ensuring discussions remain relevant and actionable. Cities are often asked to prepare short inputs in advance to support focused exchanges.

The network is built on trust, openness, and long-term professional relationships. Key takeaways and shared lessons are documented and circulated after each meeting.

CSPF is unique in addressing city-level fiscal and financial management from a cross-border European perspective, helping cities learn from one another in a field that remains highly fragmented.

Last Meeting

Summary - 12th CSPF Meeting (Tallinn) - 15+16 June 2026

How can cities give municipal companies enough autonomy to operate effectively while maintaining accountability, financial control and a clear focus on public value? At the 12th CSPF meeting in Tallinn, finance leaders and public-sector experts from across Europe compared how their cities govern municipal companies, assets and investments. Discussions focused on strategic ownership, group-wide financial risks, performance management, shared services and the challenge of financing major investments while protecting affordability and service quality. Rather than seeking a single European model, the exchange highlighted how cities can learn from different governance approaches and strengthen the role of city CFOs as strategic stewards of the wider municipal system.

CSPF-Road Map 2026/2027