Edition 2012 - Conseil de l`Europe

Transcript

State of the Congress 2012
Summary
Herwig van Staa (Austria, EPP/CCE), President of the Congress
3
“The Congress will expand further the operational pillar of its work”
Andeas Kiefer, Secretary General of the Congress
5
“In 2012, priority given to the quality of local democracy, co-operation and dialogue”
6
8
A new Congress
working closer to the
grassroots
21
The three priorities for 2013-2016:
22
Innsbruck Conference:
Quality of local
democracy, challenges
of the economic crisis
and partnerships
Strengthening local and
regional democracy:
Morocco and
Tunisia
What role for
regions with legislative
powers ?
10
Local and regional
democracy under the
watchful eye of the
Congress
24
World Forum for Democracy:
13
Observation of elections:
26
2012 European Local Democracy Week:
16
Dialogue and
co-operation with
member states
28
Promoting human rights:
19
European local and regional
government organisations:
32
National associations of
local and regional authorities:
Congress’ experience
recognised
Partnerships and
networks
From grassroots to
world democracy
For more inclusive
local authorities
Active contribution at
local and regional levels
The Congress, a forum
of exchanges for the
associations
Texts adopted by the Congress in 2012
34
Monitoring visits and observation of local and regional elections
35
French edition: L’état du Congrès 2012
Cover: Flash the QR Code to access the Who’s Who of the Congress
Graphic design: agence blue sky | © Photos: Council of Europe | Printed in France, March 2013
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Herwig van Staa
(Austria, EPP/CCE)
President of the Congress
“The Congress will
expand further the
operational pillar
of its work”
The year 2012 saw the completion of the Congress’ cycle
of priorities for 2011-2012 focusing, first and foremost, on
implementing the political and structural reform which has
brought about a new, reinvigorated Congress. This momentum
received a further boost at the Congress’ session in
October, with the renewal of Congress membership,
election of its new leadership and the adoption of its
priorities for 2013-2016.
This priority cycle corresponds to the new, four-year
mandate of Congress members, introduced for the first time
in October 2012 since the revision of the Congress Charter.
In response to the key challenges faced by the Congress
and the Council of Europe as a whole, the adopted priorities
are aimed at raising the quality of local and regional
democracy and the implementation of human rights human
rights at local level in Europe; helping local and regional
authorities to rise to the new challenges resulting from the
economic and financial crisis; and developing further the
operational capacity of the Congress, through co-operation
and partnerships, to achieve concrete results in the field.
Building on the results of the reform, our activities over the
past year have been geared towards making the Congress
more operational and more focused on improving the
impact of its action, working in close co-operation with our
partners within and outside the Council of Europe. We
pursued our efforts to improve the quality of our monitoring
of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and of
local and regional election observation, and broadened
direct political dialogue with both national governments and
territorial authorities to ensure an effective follow-up to our
recommendations.
In addition, we began designing post-monitoring cooperation programmes to help member states in the field
of local and regional democracy – with the first activities taking
place last year in Albania and in Bosnia and Herzegovina –
and became actively involved in implementing the local
and regional dimension of the Council of Europe Action
Plan for Ukraine.
The Congress has also been developing its contribution to
the Council of Europe’s policy towards neighbouring
regions, and took an active part, together with the Venice
Commission, in strengthening the legislation regarding the
democratic structures of local authorities in Morocco and
Tunisia and their functioning. At the October session,
proposals for action were adopted to seize the
opportunities for local and regional democracy presented
by the Arab Spring.
“
We broadened direct
political dialogue with both national
governments and territorial authorities
to ensure an effective follow-up to
our recommendations.”
The Congress also decided to take the necessary
administrative and regulatory measures to ensure that, in
due course, it can adopt a “partner for local democracy”
status which may then be proposed to local elected
representatives from neighbouring countries that are not
members of the Council of Europe, like the "partner for
democracy” status introduced by the Parliamentary
Assembly of the Council of Europe, already enjoyed by
Morocco.
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Thematic activities of the Congress have been refocused
to ensure maximum contribution to the Council of Europe’s
core objectives of democracy, human rights and the rule of
law. Among examples of such actions were the first
activities of the European Alliance of Cities and Regions for
Roma Inclusion, the broadening of the European Local
Democracy Week, and the launching of the Pact of Towns
and Regions to stop sexual violence against children as
part of the Congress’ contribution to the Council of Europe’s
“ONE in FIVE” Campaign to fight sexual abuse of children.
“
Today,
national governments increasingly
recognise local and regional
authorities as major stakeholders in
responding to the challenges faced
by our societies in almost all
political, economic and
social areas.”
We have been making progress in raising human rights
awareness at local and regional level and advocating the
role of local and regional authorities in human rights
implementation and promotion in their communities, and
pursued further co-operation with the EU Fundamental
Rights Agency in this area.
Through its Governance and Current Affairs Committees,
the Congress has been developing responses to the
current challenges faced by local and regional authorities –
such as the economic crisis, the growing diversity of our
societies and the need for better local integration, the crisis
of confidence in democratic institutions and the need for
greater citizen participation in democratic life, in particular
that of young people. In this regard, the Congress has been
contributing to the debate on the future participative model
of European democracy, not least through its active
participation in the very first World Forum for Democracy
held in Strasbourg in October 2012.
These activities are proof of the growing operational
capacity of the Congress, and its future action will continue
to be geared towards consolidating and expanding further
the operational pillar of its work. Through this more targeted
action, through better monitoring of the European Charter
of Local Self-Government, through stronger dialogue with
national governments and closer partnerships across the
continent, the Congress has already significantly reinforced
its unique role and position in the European political
architecture. Today, national governments increasingly
recognise local and regional authorities as major
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stakeholders in responding to the challenges faced by our
societies in almost all political, economic and social areas.
The current economic crisis itself, with its harsh impact on
our communities, has put into the spotlight the role of local
and regional authorities in both staving off social disaster
and in launching the economic revival. But most
importantly, the crisis has brought to the fore the need for
joint, coherent action of all tiers of government, and this is
an opportunity that cannot be missed.
Within the Council of Europe, the Congress has become a
major stakeholder in the intra-institutional meeting set up
by Council of Europe Secretary General Jagland – together
with the Presidents of the Committee of Ministers, the
Parliamentary Assembly and Court of Human Rights as well
as with the Commissioner for Human Rights.
Our ambition today is to translate our proposals into
concrete action on the ground, targeting specific problems
and ensuring an effective follow-up to bring about
improvement. We must strengthen our action to promote
respect for diversity and intercultural dialogue, to foster
active citizenship and citizen participation and to advance
active inclusion in our towns and regions. We must continue
to respond to threats to local and regional democracy
presented by the economic crisis, and seek to strengthen
the commitment of elected representatives to ethical
conduct and the fight against corruption at local and
regional level. We must continue to improve the quality of
local and regional governance and to advance inter-territorial
and cross-border co-operation between municipalities and
regions. To help us achieve these objectives, we must be
developing targeted co-operation in areas of common
interest with our partners both within and outside the
Council of Europe.
This is a great challenge, and I wish to thank Congress
members for electing me President in this crucial moment,
and placing their trust in me to lead the Congress in the
implementation of these priorities. I am confident that the
new Congress, through the commitment and active
involvement of its members, will rise to this challenge.
Herwig van Staa
(Austria, EPP/CCE)
President of the Congress
Andreas Kiefer
Secretary General of the Congress
“In 2012, priority given
to the quality of local
democracy, co-operation
and dialogue”
The new edition of the State of the Congress is now available
and I have great pleasure in presenting it to you. It provides an
overview of the Congress’s activities in 2012, a pivotal year for
our Assembly as it marked the end of the Congress’s structural
and operational reform cycle, with the implementation of the
2011-2012 priorities adopted under this reform process. It was
also a year in which the Presidents of the Congress and
Chambers and the Chairs of the Committees were newly elected
and when all delegations were renewed. Lastly, it was a year in
which the Congress embarked on a reflection on the direction of
its future work, finalised at the 23rd Session in late October with
the adoption of the new priorities for 2013-2016.
Both in the implementation of its current priorities and in defining
its future activities, the Congress continued to place the
promotion and strengthening of local and regional democracy,
the enlargement of political and institutional dialogue and the
development of co-operation and partnerships at the heart of its
concerns and action.
As part of the monitoring of the implementation of the European
Charter of Local Self-Government in member states, the
Congress adopted recommendations on local and regional
democracy in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and
Azerbaijan, and carried out visits to six countries – Ukraine,
Hungary, Spain, Georgia, Denmark and Ireland. It observed the
local elections in Serbia, Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Congress began work on improving the monitoring of the
implementation of its recommendations and assessing the impact
of its work, and ensured that its activities were followed up by
practical action in the field. For example, in July and September
2012, the Monitoring Committee organised high level meetings on
developing post-monitoring procedures in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In addition, projects to enhance local democracy were drawn up
for Ukraine and Armenia. In late 2012, with the financial support
of Switzerland, the Congress launched its project with Albania
on strengthening local government structures and better
co-operation of local elected representatives across party lines.
It was also involved in the action plans for Morocco and Tunisia
under the Council of Europe’s neighbourhood policy.
As an active partner both within the Council of Europe and in
member states, the Congress developed a constructive dialogue
with governments and the Committee of Ministers. Furthermore,
during 2012, the President and I held several exchanges of views
with the Committee of Ministers and its rapporteur groups.
The Congress continued to create synergies with its institutional
partners, including the Parliamentary Assembly, the Council of
Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights and the Venice
Commission, and with the European Union’s Committee of the
Regions. It also played an active role in numerous activities of
the Council of Europe’s intergovernmental sector, in particular at
the conferences of specialised ministers, and launched
grass-roots initiatives for Roma inclusion, citizen participation and
child protection.
The Congress will continue, in 2013 and the coming years, to
work towards enhancing the quality of local and regional
democracy and to support elected representatives in the field in
carrying out the tasks entrusted to them by their citizens.
I trust that you will enjoy reading this publication which will help
you have a wider understanding of the activities of the Congress
of the Council of Europe.
Andreas Kiefer
Secretary General of the Congress
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A new Congress working
closer to the grassroots
In October 2012, the Congress
renewed all its presidents and
its Bureau. However, the
changes go much further than
those related to its internal
elections: having refocused on
its key strengths, the Congress
is now working even closer to
the grassroots with European
local and regional elected
representatives on the basis of
shared priorities. At the same
time, it is seeking to pass on to
the local level the values and
programmes of the Council of
Europe, with which it has boosted
its synergy.
In 2012, the Congress held its two annual
sessions from 20 to 22 March and from
16 to 18 October. On 16 October, the
Austrian, Herwig van Staa (EPP/CCE),
who had been President of the Chamber
of Regions, was elected President of the
Congress for two years. The Frenchman,
Jean-Claude Frécon (SOC), was reelected President of the Chamber of
Local Authorities, while the Ukrainian,
Nataliya Romanova (ILDG), was elected
President of the Chamber of Regions.
The three Congress committees set up
under the 2009-2010 reform were also
renewed. Lars O Molin (Sweden, EPP/
CCE) and Karl-Heinz Lambertz (Belgium,
SOC) respectively retained the chairmanships of the Monitoring and Governance
Committees, which they had held since
2010; however, the Current Affairs Committee will now be chaired by Farid Mukhametshin (Russian Federation, ILDG).
While the length of the terms of the
members of the Bureau remains unchanged
at two years, that of the 636 members of
the Congress was, for the first time,
increased to four years: this will enable
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The 23rd Session of the Congress, held from 16 to 18 October 2012, was an opportunity for renewing the leadership and membership of the Congress | Family photo.
members to work more effectively on a
longer-term basis.
Work in the field
The Congress is optimising its political
action aimed at the practical and broadest
possible application of the European Charter
of Local Self-Government and the other
relevant conventions within its area of
responsibility. For instance, it is stepping
up its monitoring visits and making sure
that its recommendations really are followed
up. Election observation is now also more
thorough. It strengthens the legitimacy of
the elections concerned and of the elected
representatives themselves and is a
practical contribution by the Congress to
strengthening local democracy in Europe.
Like national governments, local and
regional authorities have been severely
affected by the economic and financial
crisis, which has made their tasks much
more difficult than in the past. The Congress
is analysing the consequences of the
situation and seeking to ensure that
political balance is maintained between
the various tiers of authority. The Congress
keeps on making it clear that local and
regional democracy must not be made to
bear the brunt of political “recentralisation”
carried out for economic reasons that seem
good but are actually ill-conceived. It is
important to ensure that local democracy
which has been gradually built up in
many countries is not whittled away by an
increasing return to centralisation. At the
same time, however, the local democracy
only just taking shape in other countries
“We must respond to the
crisis of confidence
between voters and their
elected representatives”
which joined the Council of Europe more
recently must be confirmed and strengthened.
Areas of complementarity and
financial partnerships
To pursue its policies more effectively, the
Congress has various new assets which
Jean-Claude
Frécon
(France, SOC)
President of the Chamber
of Local Authorities
Is the growing public mistrust towards the
world of politics a challenge for democracy at
local level?
J.C. Frécon: This is a real threat to democracy, which we
must respond to through dialogue, by explaining more
clearly to our voters what we do. The Congress must
promote a lively and committed local democracy, along the lines of measures such as
European Local Democracy Week, which needs to be expanded and strengthened.
The financial crisis is another danger. What role could the Congress play?
J.C. Frécon: All local and regional authorities in Europe have been affected to
varying degrees by the economic and debt crisis, especially since central governments
have reduced their contributions to their funding. Some local authorities have come
up with innovative solutions for tackling these challenges and I
believe that the Congress, as a European territorial assembly,
represents an ideal forum for presenting and assessing them.
To read the full interview, flash the QR Code with your smartphone.
it builds on in strengthening its areas of
complementarity with other Council of
Europe institutions. It takes advantage
of their expertise, for instance, in the case
of the Venice Commission, and passes
on its own experience, for instance in
implementing at local level the major
European campaigns for promoting the
Council of Europe’s values.
The Congress’ action is now also more
operational. As it is unable to fund all of
its activities on its own, it draws on both
political and financial partnerships to
implement co-operation programmes,
following either a thematic approach
(Alliance of Cities and Regions for Roma
Inclusion), or a country-based approach
(programme to strengthen local democracy in Albania). This strategy increases
the attractiveness of the Congress and consolidates its influence in the beneficiary
countries.
“Europe in crisis:
strengthening regional
autonomy is part of
the solution”
Nataliya
Romanova
What have been the consequences of the crisis
for European local and regional authorities?
(Ukraine, ILDG)
President of the
Chamber of Regions
N. Romanova: The crisis has inflicted heavy
consequences on our territories, in economic and social
terms; but it also brought obstacles to the advancing of
local and regional self-government and it is also feeding
previously existing regional nationalism trends. National Government’s efforts to
recover from the debt crisis have resulted in cutbacks in the financial support provided
to territorial authorities; this has made it more difficult to provide citizens with the services they need and has consequently generated an increase in social discontent.
What should be the role of regional administrations to overcome the crisis?
N. Romanova: We should counteract any form of waste of public money, promote
good governance and democratic leadership, and take action for efficient management
in our administrations. Thus, we shall regain the trust of citizens and
reduce separatist tendencies. On this last issue the key words are
political dialogue, and respect for democracy.
The three priorities for 2013-2016:
Quality of local democracy,
challenges of the economic
crisis and partnerships
Since 2010, the Congress has
focused on more precise
objectives than in the past and,
in 2012, it set its priorities for
the four coming years. These
objectives were approved at the
October session of the Congress
and concern raising the quality
of local democracy, rising to the
challenges of the economic crisis
and developing co-operation
and partnerships.
In practice, these different areas of action
are closely interlinked and this reinforces
the approach and the consistency of the
action taken. For example, the fight
against corruption, one of the main
aspects of the Congress’ new policy, not
only helps to uphold the rule of law and
ensure respect for democratic transparency
but is also a response to the economic
and financial difficulties of both business
enterprises and individual citizens.
Raising the quality of local democracy
and promoting human rights
Raising the quality of local and regional
democracy and promoting human rights at
local level is the Congress’ overriding priority
and can be implemented by stepping up
its symbolic activities, in other words the
monitoring of local and regional democracy
and the observation of local and regional
elections. In addition, monitoring now
provides an opportunity to alert the local and
regional authorities of the countries visited to
their responsibilities in implementing human
rights. Monitoring visits could be followed
by post-monitoring visits, as happened in
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The Congress adopted, on 16 October 2012, its priorities for the period 2013-2016.
respect of Bosnia and Herzegovina for
the first time this year.
The Congress intends to raise local
elected representatives’ awareness of the
importance of human rights, in particular
in the field of non-discrimination and in
situations where the need to maintain law
and order may clash with fundamental freedoms. Finally, the Congress would point out
that the quality of democracy also depends
on citizens’ confidence and their participation
in democratic processes: it therefore intends
to develop local and regional initiatives to
encourage citizen participation and promote
education in democratic citizenship, while
ensuring the social inclusion of all
communities, including the most deprived.
Rising to the challenges of
the economic and financial crisis
Although the effects of the financial crisis that
Europe has been experiencing since 2008
are mainly economic, they are also having
a political impact in terms of people’s growing
distrust of their elected representatives,
including at local level. Local and regional
authorities can respond to the economic
and financial crisis by seeking new
economic strategies, in particular through
sustainable development. However they
must also consider their own structures and
methods of functioning and management.
The Congress will continue to work with
local and regional authorities in identifying
avenues towards a more effective and
transparent management of their resources,
while fostering good governance. In
practice, this requires strong commitment
to fighting corruption at local level.
Some member states are tempted to
reconsider the way in which resources are
distributed, often to the detriment of local
“Let’s not allow the
economic and financial
crisis to stifle local
democracy”
Lars O.
Molin
What will be the Congress’s main fields of
action over the next three years?
(Sweden, EPP/CCE)
Chair of the Monitoring
Committee
L.O. Molin: The first priority is to keep carrying over to
the local and regional level the fundamental values of the
Council of Europe: democracy, human rights and rule of
law. This is also to be achieved through the optimisation
of our existing activities, such as monitoring of local and regional democracy. This
year, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, we just made our first “post monitoring” visit
intended precisely to satisfy ourselves that our recommendations are genuinely taken
into account by the countries visited. In addition, we shall go ahead with our actions
to promote human rights at the local level, and moreover we have developed
“indicators of human rights at local level” which are coming into use in some countries.
How to implement this priority faced with the difficulties related to
the economic crisis?
L.O. Molin: Responses to economic and financial challenges constitute our second
main priority. The European Charter of Local Self-Government secures in Article 9
the right of local authorities to adequate financial resources of their own, of which
they may dispose freely for the exercise of their powers. If certain states attempt to
limit this right by invoking economic reasons, it will be up to us to remind them of their
obligations in the framework of our regular dialogue with them. We must be extremely
watchful concerning financial questions, which are liable eventually
either to prevent local authorities from performing their functions
or to bring about tax increases unacceptable to the citizens.
and regional authorities. Similarly, local
and regional reforms to rationalise structures
may undermine certain aspects of local
self-government. The Congress will do its
utmost to ensure that all financial or territorial reforms are carried out in consultation
with the local authorities concerned and
that they are compatible with existing texts.
“
Citizens’ participation and improving services
at local level, taking care of all groups in difficulty
and promoting human rights at local level will
continue to be on our agenda, based on the
principle of subsidiarity.”
Ferdinand Poni, Albanian Deputy Minister of the Interior, on behalf of the Chairman of
the Committee of Ministers, 16 October 2012.
Developing co-operation
and partnerships
The Congress is aware of the importance
of co-operation and partnerships in
widening its influence and consequently
the impact of its programmes on the
ground and will therefore work more closely
with the other Council of Europe bodies
and the European Union. It will strengthen
its dialogue with member states, contribute
to action plans for member and nonmember states, such as countries on the
southern shores of the Mediterranean,
and forge partnerships with other European institutions to promote local democracy and
all forms of inter-territorial
co-operation.
To download the publication
« Priorities of the Congress
2013-2016 », flash the QR Code
with your smartphone
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Local and regional
democracy under the
watchful eye of the
Congress
By making more targeted and more numerous monitoring
visits, the Congress is optimising its monitoring of local and
regional democracy in member states. In 2012 it made visits
to 9 countries and set in motion its “post monitoring” activities
in the context of its monitoring of local and regional democracy
in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Congress now offers specific training
to members taking part in monitoring
visits. A seminar in Vannes (France)
in July 2012 considered how rapporteurs’
knowledge, the representation and
organisation of delegations and their
missions might be improved. The outcome
of this seminar will be a handbook for
rapporteurs and the Council of
Europe has already prepared training
videos. These new tools are designed
to increase the effectiveness of the
Congress’ monitoring activities.
Monitoring visits now also take account
of the local dimension of human rights
in the countries visited. They include a
meeting with the persons responsible
for human rights at local level, for
example mediators and ombudspersons,
and mayors’ attention is also drawn to
this issue during the visit.
Taking stock of local and
regional democracy in eight
European countries
At its sessions in March and October
2012, the Congress adopted eight
recommendations based on the visits
made in 2011 and early 2012.
The Czech Republic was invited to
develop the mechanisms of consultation
with local and regional authorities and
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to ensure that sufficient funds are
allocated to enable local authorities to
fulfil all of their responsibilities. The
recommendation concerning this
the Congress calls on countries which
have not signed or ratified the additional
Protocol on the right to participate in
the affairs of a local authority to do so.
The recommendation on Lithuania
welcomed the progress made by the
federal level in consulting local
authorities but suggests that the
Lithuanian authorities ensure the
allocation of sufficient resources to
local authorities, enshrine the principle
of subsidiarity in the law on local selfgovernment and encourage citizen
“
Our ambition today is to translate the results
of the monitoring of the European Charter of Local
Self-Government – our assessments, recommendations
and proposals – into concrete operations on the
ground in member states.”
Herwig van Staa (Austria, EPP/CCE), President of the Congress, addressing the Ministers’
Deputies on 14 November 2012 in Strasbourg (France).
country nevertheless welcomes the
considerable progress made since
1999. It recommends that this country
ratify Articles 4 and 9 of the European
Charter of Local Self-Government,
which are already applied in practice. The
Congress has decided to systematically
invite countries which have submitted
reservations on a number of articles
to lift these reservations once the
articles concerned are applied in
practice. Similarly, during each visit,
participation at local level. During
the debate on the report and the
recommendations, the Chamber of
Local Authorities said that the
participation of the Russian and Polish
minority communities and access to
teaching in these languages should
be encouraged.
In Germany, local democracy is a
reality guaranteed by firmly-rooted
legal principles, but it could still
benefit from more precise standards
for connectivity and finance, as the
recommendation adopted on his
country underlined. It is also recom mended that the German authorities
strengthen and institutionalise the
rights of associations of local
authorities.
supervision of local authorities was
sometimes excessive. However, the
country’s National Decentralisation
Strategy was, in its opinion, a step in
the right direction. It should, in the
Congress’ view, be supplemented by
a new law on the special status of the
capital, Chișinău.
issued in 2003 had been implemented,
and no timeline had been set to take
them on board in the foreseeable
future. The report stresses the virtual
inexistence of local self-government
and the Congress recommended that
the capital, Baku, should also have a
special status.
Press briefing, in the building of the Parliament of Andalusia, with Congress Rapporteur Leen Verbeek (The Netherlands, SOC)
during the monitoring visit to Spain, on 8 June 2012.
The Congress noted with concern that
the powers and resources of local
authorities in Portugal had been cut
back in the name of financial imperatives.
The Congress recommends that the
Portuguese govern-ment give local
authorities more autonomy with respect
to local taxes and that it guarantee
their effective participation in reform
processes concerning them.
The progress made by the Republic of
Moldova was welcomed by the Congress,
although the level of local authorities’ own
resources remained inadequate and
The “Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia” has also made marked
progress in terms of local demo cracy and decentralisation, but its
local authorities lack resources and
their legislation is complex and
unclear, including in the capital,
Skopje.
On the other hand, the Congress was
more critical of the situation of local
and regional democracy in Azerbaijan:
although it welcomes the creation of
three national associations of local
authorities, none of the recommendations
Post-Monitoring: to ensure that
the Congress’ recommendations
are properly implemented
In the recommendation it adopted in
March 2012, the Congress found that
Bosnia
and
Herzegovina
was
conducting constitutional reform which
would bring it into line with the
European Charter of Local SelfGovernment but that the country’s
complex structure was hampering the
development of local self-government. In
addition to the problematic issue of the
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The European Charter of Local Self-Government
The Benchmark treaty for local
communities in Europe
The spectacular advance of local
and regional democracy was
the main innovation of
20th century democracy. The
recognition of local democracy by
the Council of Europe member
states led to the drawing-up of
the European Charter of
Local Self-Government
– the first international binding
treaty that guarantees the rights
of communities and their elected
authorities. This text, which affirms
the role of communities as the
first level for the exercise of democracy, has become the benchmark
international treaty in this area.
The European Charter of Local Self-Government was drawn up within the Council
of Europe on the basis of a draft proposed by the Standing Conference of Local
and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), predecessor of the Congress
of Local and Regional Authorities. It was opened for signature as a convention
by the Council of Europe member states on 15 October 1985, and entered into
force on 1 September 1988. As of 18 February 2013, the Charter has been
ratified by 46 out of the 47 Council of Europe member states.
The countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The
Charter requires compliance with a minimum number of principles that form a
European foundation of local democracy. The Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities makes sure that these principles are observed.
On 16 November 2009, an Additional Protocol was adopted to supplement
the text of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. It relates to the right
to participate in local authorities’ affairs.
To download the Charter
leaflet, flash the QR Code
with your smartphone.
12
distribution of powers, local authorities
lacked their own resources. The capital,
Sarajevo, should have a special
status, as should Banja Luka, capital
of the Republika Srpska, and Mostar.
Following all these remarks, Bosnia and
Herzegovina sought specific assistance
from the Congress, which led to an initial
post monitoring visit to Sarajevo on
4 September 2012. This was a high-level
meeting, involving the Congress and
numerous central government and local
authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina,
designed to launch a road map for the
implementation of the recommendation,
which aims to develop local democracy.
This proposed road map is proof of
genuine political resolve to adopt short,
medium and long-term measures.
The Congress intends to develop its
post-monitoring dialogue which should
help it to be more effective and to
deepen its exchanges with the
authorities of the countries visited.
Nine visits made in the
course of the year
In 2012, the Congress rapporteurs
visited Albania, Azerbaijan, Denmark,
Spain, Georgia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,
and Ukraine. The situation in some
countries meant that the visit was
urgently required, particularly in cases
where the authorities were considering
amending major legislation on local
authorities. This applies to Spain and
also Italy where there were plans to do
away with some of the provinces.
Although the Congress does not aim to
arbitrate in this sort of decision, it has a
duty to ensure that the political methods
and procedures used comply with
the European Charter for Local SelfGovernment, particularly where the
consultation of the local authorities is
concerned. Monitoring reports shall be
published more rapidly than in the past
to ensure that they have more impact
and correspond more closely to the
existing situation.
For more information,
flash the QR Code with
your smartphone
Observation of elections:
Congress’ experience
recognised
A delegation from the Congress headed by Nigel Mermagen (United Kingdom, ILDG) observed the local elections in Serbia
on 6 May 2012.
In 2012, the Congress observed the local elections held in Serbia,
Armenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Given its experience in
this area, it contributed to a training workshop for observers
and was able to pass on its know-how to other institutions.
are supplemented by practical provisions
which guide the work of the Congress and
its observation reports.
On 13 February, several Congress
members took part in a training
course on election observation held
in London (United Kingdom) in
partnership with a UK local government
association. They gave details of
their experience and urged British
Congress members to play a more
active part in election observation.
At its March 2012 session, the Congress
adopted the recommendation prepared
following the local elections held in
Bulgaria on 23 October 2011. The
Congress delegation concluded that
the elections had largely met European
standards and been conducted in an
overall calm and orderly manner. However,
further improvements were needed, in
At a conference held in Tirana (Albania) in
July 2012 to celebrate the 10th anniversary
of the Code of Good Conduct in Electoral
Matters drawn up by the Venice Commission, the Congress reviewed the
roughly 100 elections which it had observed
since 1990. The main principles set out in
the code (equal, free, secret and direct
universal suffrage, and regular elections)
A report on the local elections
in Bulgaria
13
particular regarding the administration
of elections, the voting process, vote
counting and the complaints and
appeals procedures. Moreover, while
acknowledging the measures taken by
the Bulgarian authorities to address the
scourge of vote buying and selling through
their inclusion in the Criminal Code, the
delegation noted that this issue continued
to be a major obstacle to public confidence
in free and fair elections. Vote buying
had been a persistent theme of Bulgarian
elections, in particular within the most
vulnerable communities, including the
Roma. There was a need to introduce
specific training for officials responsible for
the organisation and conduct of elections,
as well as awareness-raising campaigns
for voters.
Lastly, airtime for candidates on publicservice radio and television channels
should be better regulated.
Observation and report on the
local elections in Serbia
The first round of the local elections in
Serbia on 6 May 2012 was observed by
“
The five principles of European electoral
heritage – universal, equal, free, secret and direct
suffrage – are taken into account and followed-up
by Congress reports and recommendations.”
Gudrun Mosler-Törnström, Congress member and Vice-President of the State Parliament
of Salzburg (Austria), 2 July 2012, Conference “The European Electoral Heritage: 10 Years
of Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters”.
the Congress, which also conducted a
pre-electoral visit three weeks before the
elections. On polling day, seven Congress
teams were deployed throughout the
country, backed up by observers sent by
the EU Committee of the Regions. The
observation report and related recommendation were debated and adopted
at the Congress October session.
Even though the elections were
conducted in an overall calm and orderly
manner, there were many areas where
improvements could be made. As the
local elections were held at the same time
Facts and figures
as the presidential and parliamentary
elections, they were largely overshadowed
by the national votes. There were
organisational challenges, especially in
polling stations where three or even four
elections were being held at the same
time. The equipment in some polling
stations, for instance with cardboard
separations on tables instead of proper
polling booths, compromised the
secrecy of the vote. The Congress also
called on Serbia to improve the new
unified voter register and to review the
way in which local electoral boards
operated. It expressed concern that
some minorities, in particular Roma,
remained particularly exposed to electoral
malpractices, including controlled voting
and vote buying, and was also worried
about the lack of transparency in the
funding of political parties and the
media.
Partial local elections in Armenia
Over 100 missions
of election observation have been carried out by the Congress between
1990 and 2012.
24 countries
have been visited (amongst them, also some non-member states such
as Israel in 2008).
Between three and five local/regional elections
are observed by the Congress each year, depending on the member
states’ election schedules
200 Congress members
have already participated in at least one observation mission.
The first observation mission
was carried out in the Czech Republic in 1990.
Since 2008
the Congress regularly organises training for the observation of elections,
in partnership with the Committee of the Regions of the European Union
and national associations of local and regional authorities.
A post-observation follow-up
will be initiated, upon the request of national authorities, to develop a
roadmap for the implementation of Congress recommendations. Action
plans and co-operation programmes may be implemented in collaboration
with other Council of Europe bodies.
A Congress delegation backed by members
of the Committee of the Regions visited
Armenia from 7 to 9 September and 20
to 24 September 2012 to observe the
partial local elections held in most towns
throughout the country except Yerevan.
Although progress had been made
since the previous local elections and
the voting was calm and well organised,
the Congress noted many shortcomings,
in particular the presence of too many
people in polling stations, which had
undermined the smooth conduct of
voting and caused a tense atmosphere.
While the training of the chairs of local
electoral commissions was acceptable
on the whole, there were problems in
some cases, and most polling stations
were inaccessible to people with disabilities.
The Congress urged the Armenian
authorities to prevent fraud, in particular
by preventing multiple voting without
proxies and eradicating any handing out
of money in polling stations, especially
by elected representatives.
More generally speaking, the Congress
called for the strengthening of political
pluralism and the emergence of a
genuine opposition in Armenia. The
recommendation concerning the elections
will be examined and debated in March
2013, along with the one on the local
elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina
observed by the Congress from 4 to 8
October 2012.
The local elections in Bosnia and
Herzegovina
The observation of the elections in the
country was preceded by a pre-electoral
visit on 18 and 19 September 2012. On
7 October, nine Congress teams, also
including members of the Committee of
the Regions, were deployed throughout
the country and observed voting in 174
polling stations.
The Congress concluded that the elections
had been generally well prepared and
had met Council of Europe standards.
Substantial progress had been made
since the recommendations issued by
the Congress in 2008, in particular
concerning the signposting and location
of polling stations, restrictions on the
use of mobile telephones and the
design of ballot papers.
Nevertheless, improvements needed to
be made concerning voters’ lists, in
particular the rules on the registration of
new voters, as well as the composition
of the electoral commissions, which too
often included activists put forward by
political parties, thereby undermining
their impartiality. The training for the
members of the commissions should
also be more professional. For
example, there was a risk of volunteers
who helped voters who needed
assistance to go to polling stations
sometimes taking advantage of the
situation and voting themselves.
The Congress also criticised the fact that
some voters in Mostar had been unable
to vote. Lastly, it called on the country’s
authorities to review their legislation on
the participation in local elections of
citizens not permanently resident in the
municipality where they vote.
your smartphone
The Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters
Ten years of the Congress’s
experience
Presented by Ms Gudrun
M o s l e r- T ö r n s t r ö m ,
Member of the Congress
of Local and Regional
Authorities of the Council
of Europe (Chamber of
Regions) and VicePresident of the State
Parliament of Salzburg
(Austria)
In the framework of the conference: “European electoral
heritage: 10 years of the Code
of Good Practice in Electoral
Matters” (Albania, 2012),
Gudrun Mosler-Törnström takes
stock of 10 years of the Congress’s experience in implementing the
recommendations with the Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters.
On the basis of missions organised by the Congress to observe local and
regional elections over the last few years, Ms. Mosler-Törnström
demonstrates how the 5 principles of European electoral heritage – universal,
equal, free, secret and direct suffrage – are taken into account and followed-up
by Congress reports and recommendations. She describes the Code of Good
Practice in Electoral Matters - which was adopted by the Venice Commission
in October 2002 – as “a field guide for members of Congress delegations,
as a source of information, orientation and also inspiration.”
To obtain this publication, contact the
Congress Division of Communication:
[email protected]
+33 (0)3 90 21 48 95
To download the
publication, flash
the QR Code with
your smartphone.
15
Dialogue and co-operation
with member states
The Congress maintains regular
dialogue with Council of Europe
member states, and in particular
with the Chairmanship of the
Committee of Ministers, but also
through specific partnerships
with certain countries.
The Congress has conducted
very useful exchanges with the
three member states which chaired
the Council of Europe in 2012,
namely the United Kingdom up until
May, then Albania from May to
November, and lastly Andorra since
November. These three countries had
in fact included local and regional
democracy among their priorities, as
will Armenia and Austria, which will be
succeeding them in 2013. The fact that
the Congress now takes part in the
preparation of the Chairmanships is
intensifying consideration of the local
and regional dimension in the
programmes of the member states
concerned.
On 14 February 2012, the Congress
had occasion to recall its activities,
programmes and specific contributions
at a meeting organised in London by
the British Chairmanship on local and
regional governance. This meeting
provided
an
opportunity
for
constructive dialogue with the United
Kingdom authorities, which had
recognised the Congress’s role within
the Council of Europe’s institutional
architecture.
On 16 May, the Bureau of the
Congress adopted a “position
paper” on reinforcing the Council of
Europe’s activities in the local
democracy field. This document
mentions, inter alia, the Congress’s
commitment to a better co-operation
with other Council of Europe entities
in the spirit of the Chaves report,
which was adopted in Kyiv in 2011
at the Council of Europe Conference
16
The Congress holds regular exchanges of views with the deputies of the Ministers
for Foreign Affairs of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe.
of Ministers responsible for local
government.
Several encounters with the Com mittee of Ministers and the Ministers’
Deputies enabled the Congress to
present details of its policy and
action to promote local and regional
democracy. Just after his election,
the new Congress President, Herwig
van Staa (Austria, EPP/CCE),
announced that he would continue
and deepen dialogue with the
Committee of Ministers and the
national governments in order to
guarantee a more effective follow-up
to the Congress’s recommendations
and to find solutions to the practical
problems facing the territorial
authorities.
While intensifying its encounters with
the Council of Europe intergovernmental sector, the Congress is also
strengthening its links with the
Organisation’s other bodies, starting
with the Parliamentary Assembly, the
Commissioner for Human Rights, the
Venice Commission (which is being
increasingly called upon to adjudicate
on local and regional democracy
issues), and such specialised bodies
as the Group of States against
Corruption (GRECO) and the North-South
Centre. It systematically endeavours
“
The Congress represents the voice of local
and regional authorities and provides a forum for
dialogue with national governments.”
Thorbjørn Jagland, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, 20 March 2012,
22nd Session of the Congress.
14 June, Albania hosted several
seminars and conferences organised
by the Albanian Chairmanship together
with the Congress. These events
dealt with the role of local authorities
in human rights protection and
democratic citizen participation in
decision-making at the local level. On
30 and 31 October, Tirana also hosted a
high-level conference on the role of
decentralisation in consolidating
democracy in Albania, an encounter
which was organised in the
perspective of the country’s accession
to the European Union.
Concurrently, the Congress continued
its activities with Albania under the
Action Plan which the Council of
Europe launched in 2012, two strands
of which concern political dialogue at
the local and regional level and
training for local councillors. These
activities complement the programme
drawn up by the Congress in 2011,
geared to “reconciling” the Albanian
mayors and local elected representatives
in the wake of the local elections. The
actions conducted by the Congress
are financially supported by the Swiss
Development Agency: they bear
witness to both the Congress’s
competence and its capacity for
finding financial partners to ensure
that its projects are implemented.
to establish synergies by providing
its expertise, com petencies and
complementarities,
while
also
emphasising its specificities.
Furthermore, the Congress President
has addressed various thematic
conferences of Council of Europe
Ministers, including the conferences
of Justice Ministers in Vienna and of
Ministers responsible for Youth in
St. Petersburg (Russian Federation),
both of which took place in September,
as well as the Conference of Ministers
responsible for Social Cohesion in
Istanbul in October 2012.
The Albanian Chairmanship of
the Committee des Ministers:
focusing on local and regional
democracy
Albania, which was already involved
in a co-operation programme with the
Congress geared to promoting local
and regional democracy, was particularly
active in this field during its Chairmanship
of the Committee of Ministers from
May to November 2012.
In addition to a meeting of the Bureau
of the Congress in Tirana (Albania) on
Co-operation programmes with
Armenia and Ukraine
The Congress is associated with the
Council of Europe’s Plan for Armenia,
which was launched in Yerevan in
July 2012. Its monitoring reports were
used as the basis for a planned
reform of local government, which is
currently being implemented. The
Congress proposed several activities
in situ, to be conducted alone or in
co-operation with others, including a
programme of reinforcing the capacities
of local elected representatives to
take on leadership roles. The aim is to
provide appropriate training in order
to improve the local councillors’
17
competencies and also, drawing on
these competencies, to boost citizen
confidence in local institutions.
By the same token, the Congress is
participating in the local and regional
aspects of the Council of Europe’s
Plan for Ukraine. These sections of
the Plan are intended to reinforce the
local authorities’ institutional capacities
and promote good governance and
citizen participation. They should also
reinforce the leadership capacities of
local elected representatives via
training courses and encounters with
Congress members. Interactive seminars
will be held on ethics in politics,
human rights at the local level and
transfrontier co-operation. This programme
has not yet secured sufficient funding
to become operational.
The Congress also attended several
international conferences on regionalisation in different member states.
Such conferences provide it with
prime opportunities for prompting
states to fully implement the principles
of local and regional democracy.
In February 2012, for instance, the
President of the Congress, Keith
Whitmore (United Kingdom, ILDG),
called on the United Kingdom to
include Northern Ireland in the scope
of the European Charter of Local
Self-Government, from which this
region is still excluded.
Moreover, the Congress would like to
forge links with Belarus, the last
European country still outside the
Council of Europe. It has also invited
the Republic of San Marino to sign the
European Charter of Local SelfGovernment in order to join the ranks
of the 46 Council of Europe member
states which have already signed and
ratified it. All these prospects continue
to galvanise the Congress’s efforts to
ensure maximum implementation of
the principles of the European Charter
of Local Self-Government across the
entire European continent.
Andreas
Kiefer
Secretary General
of the Congress
“The Congress was
actively involved
in the Albanian
Chairmanship’s local
democracy priorities”
Albania has incorporated many of the Congress’s
major themes in its programme for the
Chairmanship of the Council of Europe. What
co-operation did you set up?
A. Kiefer: The activities of the Congress form part of a
close partnership with all levels of governance. This involves not only joint work with
the other operational departments and bodies of the Council of Europe, but also direct
co-operation with the governments of the Council of Europe member states. Thus, the
Congress had been fully involved in drawing up the programme of the Albanian
Chairmanship. With regard to the “visibility of Europe”, a number of conferences
and seminars were held in Albania, and the Congress contributed to these in order to
publicise what it does and to share its experience of local and regional democracy.
At the same time, what was Albania’s contribution to the Congress’s
major policy programmes?
A. Kiefer: On the initiative of Albania's Deputy Minister of the Interior, Ferdinand
Poni, several of the Congress’s priorities, which are shared by the Ministers responsible
for local government who met with the Congress in Kyiv in November 2011, were
examined during seminars and conferences in the framework of the Albanian
Chairmanship. These events focused on citizen participation in local political life, the
promotion of human rights, cross-border co-operation and the problems faced by local
and regional authorities due to the financial crisis.
Since 2011, the Congress has offered to support Albania in restoring
dialogue between the different political parties at local level. Are
these efforts now bearing fruit?
A. Kiefer: Following the observation of local elections in May 2011, we sought to
restore dialogue between mayors from different parties and to make them aware that
local and municipal interests must take precedence over party interests when entering
a structured dialogue and formal consultations with the national government. This
assistance programme, which is supported in particular by Switzerland, is an illustration
of the Congress’s new working methods resulting from its reform: we can now
undertake real follow-up to our recommendations and focus as closely as possible on
the needs on the ground.
your smartphone
Flash the QR Code with your smartphone to download the
Communication by the Secretary General of the Congress
to the Council of Europe Ministers' Deputies
(14 November 2012) - CG(23)19
18
European local and regional government organisations:
Partnerships and
networks
The Congress regularly co-operates with the EU Committee of the Regions: the objective is to further develop joint activities
in greater consistency and greater complementarity.
Through its partnerships with Europe’s main local and regional
government organisations, the Congress regularly makes its
voice heard in all the fora where these organisations work
together, whether at European, national or regional level.
The Congress’s partnership with the
European Union’s Committee of the
Regions (CoR) is expressed through
meetings of the respective members
within the framework of the "CongressCoR Contact Group” and through
Congress/CoR cross-participation in
numerous activities. The last meeting
of the Contact Group was held in Paris
on 10 December 2012. In addition, the
Presidents and Secretaries General of
the two organisations now come
together every year for a bipartite
meeting: on 26 January 2012, Keith
Whitmore (United Kingdom, ILDG),
President of the Congress, and
Mercedes Bresso, President of the
CoR, meeting in Brussels, decided to
act in synergy, notably on local and
regional election observation, multilevel governance, neighbourhood policy,
good governance and the fight
against corruption. Throughout the
year, the Congress took part in
various events organised by bodies
affiliated to the CoR, including the
Commission for Citizenship, Governance,
Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX),
and the Conference of regional
organisations and local authorities for
the Eastern partnership (CORLEAP).
19
“
The Congress and the EU Committee of
the Regions share the same cause of advancing
local and regional democracy on the European
continent. Complementarity is a key word when
we speak about our collaboration.”
Herwig van Staa (Austria, EPP/CCE), President of the Congress – Meeting of the Contact
Group Congress – Committee of the Regions, on 10 December 2012 in Paris (France).
It also reiterated its commitment to
promoting human rights at local level at a
meeting attended by representatives of
the CoR and the European Fundamental
Rights Agency.
In addition, the Congress participates in
activities conducted under the auspices
of the European Union and the Council
of Europe. In March 2012 it contributed
to the work of the intercultural cities
programme launched by these two
institutions, and on 26 June took part in
the Council of Europe Conference of
INGOs.
European associations and the
Congress set common priorities
Represented at the Conference of
European
Regional
Legislative
Assemblies (CALRE) in Mérida (Spain)
on 29 and 30 November, the Congress
took this opportunity to outline its
policy and priorities, particularly in the
field of governance. On 21 September,
the President of the Chamber of Regions,
Herwig van Staa (Austria, EPP/CCE),
spoke in Pescara (Italy) at the summit
held by the Assembly of European
Regions (AER) on "the crisis and the
regions”, drawing attention to the
mutual support and subsidiarity between
central and regional governments in the
economic and financial sphere. On 8
October, Congress President, Keith
Whitmore (United Kingdom, ILDG), continued the close co-operation which has
been launched with the Youth Regional
Network of the Assembly of European
Regions by addressing the Network’s
plenary meeting. He underlined the
importance of youth participation in
building more democratic, inclusive and
prosperous societies.
Co-operation agreements
13 April 2005
Co-operation agreement with the EU Committe of the Regions
Revised on 12 November 2009
18 March 2010
Co-operation agreement with the Association of European
Border Regions (AEBR)
17 September 2010
Co-operation agreement with the Conference of European
Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE)
18 October 2011
Co-operation agreement with the Conference of European
Regions with Legislative Power (REGLEG)
20
On 8 and 9 November, the new President
of the Chamber of Regions, Nataliya
Romanova, spoke at the Association of
European Border Regions’ conference
in Berlin (Germany) on cross-border
labour market mobility. The Congress
also encouraged co-operation between
European coastal towns. In addition,
members of the Congress regularly
take part in events held in all the member
states by national associations of local
authorities. On 28 September, the
Council of European Municipalities and
Regions (CEMR) paid tribute to the
Congress for its role in supporting local
authorities and town twinning.
Local agencies and networks:
the Congress makes its mark
on the ground
Having founded the Local Democracy
Agencies (LDAs) in 1998, and later
the Network of Associations of Local
Authorities of South-East Europe
(NALAS), the Congress continues to
follow their work with interest. At the
general assembly of the Association
of LDAs in Udine (Italy) on 7 July, the
President of the Congress, Keith
Whitmore, spoke of the need to
develop new initiatives in support of
local democracy in southern Europe
and the countries of the southern
Mediterranean, in association with the
LDAs.
The Congress took part in meetings
and conferences of the NALAS
network on topics of direct relevance
to local authorities: a conference in
Budva (Montenegro) looked at fiscal
decentralisation in South-East Europe
while another in Tulcea (Romania)
focused on climate change.
The Cities for Children Network
Having helped launch it in 2007, the
Congress continues to be an active
patron of this Network which aims to
develop child-friendly cities. On 14 May,
former President Keith Whitmore
delivered a speech at the 2012 edition
of the European Award of Excellence
ceremony which was dedicated to
child-friendly urban planning. The jury
rewarded innovative projects which take
the perspective of children and their
families into account when conceptualizing
the qualities of urban areas with regard
to development, architecture, free spaces
and use.
Strengthening local and regional democracy:
Morocco and Tunisia
a real local and regional democracy to
take root” and “to support initiatives on
democratic governance and co-operation
with newly elected local representatives”.
Photo: Tunis, 2012 ©Kekyalyaynen/Shutterstock.com
Local democracy as a factor
of stability
The Congress sees the political changes that have occurred over the past two
years in the Arab countries as an opportunity for local and regional democracy.
Continuing its co-operation with
the southern Mediterranean
countries, the Congress is able
to give them the benefit of its
experience and achievements,
the hope being that, in time,
they will be granted “partner
for local democracy” status.
Morocco and Tunisia are the two countries
with which the Congress currently has the
closest ties. It is working with the Moroccan
authorities on the country’s regionalisation
project and welcomes the draft organic law
which, if passed, will lead to a new system
of territorial organisation. In Tunisia, the
Congress has established contacts with
the National Constituent Assembly, whose
activities it is following with interest. It has
prepared comments on the section of the
preliminary draft Constitution that deals
with local government.
Drawing on the Congress’s
achievements to support Morocco
and Tunisian initiatives
Both countries have been invited to make
full use of Congress instruments to promote
local and regional democracy, whether as
regards organising elections, training local
elected representatives or participating in
events such as the European Local Democracy Week. As explained by Congress
President Keith Whitmore (United Kingdom,
ILDG), addressing the Committee of
Ministers in May 2012, the Congress is
offering “immediate assistance to help
establish an adequate legal framework for
The Congress sees the political changes
that have occurred over the past two years
in the Arab countries as an opportunity
for local and regional democracy.
It has underlined, at various meetings
and also in a recommendation adopted
in October 2012, the importance of local and
regional democracy in establishing open and
sustainable democratic societies in these
countries. While further strengthening its
“
The political changes
sweeping the countries
of the southern
Mediterranean provide
a unique opportunity for
establishing democracy
in a process in which
the political, economic
and administrative
decentralisation of power
is of vital importance.”
Recommendation 325 (2012).
co-operation with Morocco and Tunisia,
the Congress is also eager to forge closer
ties with other countries in the southern
Mediterranean, as well as with countries
in Central Asia and the Middle East, as
partners of the Council of Europe under
its new policy on neighbouring regions.
21
Innsbruck Conference:
What role for regions
with legislative powers ?
On 1 June 2012, an international
conference, organised in Innsbruck
(Austria), at the initiative of the
Chamber of Regions of the
Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities and the Regional
Parliament of Tyrol, discussed the
place and the role of regions with
legislative powers in Council of
Europe and European Union
member states.
The conference took stock of the work
carried out by the Congress over the
past few years with regard to the place
of the regions in European institutions in
the context of multi-level governance
and compliance with the subsidiarity
principle. Given that they are expected
to directly apply a growing number of
European legislative provisions, the
regions’ wish to be better represented
and to have a greater say in matters
discussed by the European Union and
the Council of Europe. The declaration
adopted by the conference on 1 June
underlined the fact that they should be
“
Decentralisation
brings about greater
effectiveness and
efficiency thereby
strengthening
regions’ economic
output.”
Declaration of Innsbruck (Austria),
1st June 2012.
22
A Congress delegation took part in the Conference on the role of regions with
legislative powers, in Innsbruck (Austria) | Family photo.
involved at an early stage in the drafting
of new European policies, in particular
on government and governmental
committees of relevance to the regions.
The declaration also calls for “innovatory
regionalisation” and points out that the
regions, which are also directly affected
by the economic crisis, must nevertheless
continue to fulfil their grassroots missions
and pursue their long-term investments.
The regions expect governments, the
European Union and the Council of
Europe to treat them as partners. Their
missions include promoting human rights
at regional level and fighting corruption.
Finally, the declaration calls for the
establishment of courts of auditors and
of institutions for monitoring regional
policies and for the creation of new tools
to encourage transfrontier co-operation.
A seminar on regional transfrontier
co-operation
A seminar on multilevel governance in
transfrontier co-operation, held in
Innsbruck on 30 May 2012, presented
several inter-regional bodies which had
found the means to conduct joint
“The Congress is to
take stock of the situation
of regionalisation in
Europe”
transfrontier policies. The seminar
concluded with an exchange of views
on possible new fields of action for
transfrontier co-operation and on transfrontier governance and the training of
those concerned.
What reforms are necessary for local
and regional authorities in Europe?
The Congress Governance Committee
held a meeting on 31 May 2012 during
Karl-Heinz
Lambertz
What are the main fields of action of the
Governance Committee?
(Belgium, SOC)
Chair of the
Governance Committee
K.H. Lambertz: We have been working on many
topics, and in particular the removal of reservations
of member states to the European Charter of Local
Self-Government, the follow-up to the Kyiv Conference
and forward-looking questions such as regional and local ombudsmen and citizen
participation. Several reports resulting from our work were presented at the
October 2012 session, including one on macro-regions and another on second
tier local authorities. The Charter’s application depends on how each level of
governance is defined: local or regional. In addition, we are working on multi-level
governance, which is complicated all the more by the fact that the Council of
Europe and the European Union do not understand this term in the same way.
In 2013, the Congress will be presenting a report on the situation of
regionalisation in Europe. Will this document be putting forward new
initiatives in this area?
K.H. Lambertz: For two years, we have had the “Council of Europe Reference
which it approved several reports on
regional policy and governance. Its
recommendations were subsequently
adopted by the Congress in October
2012. These reports included one on
the second tier of local authorities
and intermediate governance in
Europe, stating that these levels were
currently the subject of reform in
several member states. The Congress
calls on those promoting reorganisation
at local and regional levels to
exercise caution and points out that
these reforms must be carried out in
consultation with the local authorities
concerned and in compliance with the
European Charter on Local SelfGovernment and the Reference
Framework for Regional Democracy.
Framework for Regional Democracy”. It is now time to review the situation of
regions in Europe, particularly as the regional level is getting stronger everywhere,
although there is still considerable variation. This report will tie in with another
text looking at interregional co-operation, including between regions which are
not direct neighbours. Developing co-operation of this type will enable them to
work together on common problems, for example energy efficiency, technological
innovation and administrative modernisation. In addition, we will be preparing
a new overview of developments in cross-border co-operation, particularly
between regions separated by non-open borders, i.e. outside the Schengen area
and outside the European Union. Countries such as Russia and Ukraine, and the
Balkan countries also have real needs for cross-border co-operation. Moreover,
the Congress could, in the near future, organise a “cross-border co-operation
summit” bringing together all the relevant players, including
NGOs and research institutes, to discuss the issue.
Care should also be taken to ensure
that the reforms safeguard the quality
of public services and that the
responsibilities of these new bodies
are proportionate to their financial
resources.
Another recommendation, concerning
local authorities’ right to be consulted
by the other levels of government,
called for the more systematic
application of this right, in keeping with
the European Charter of Local SelfGovernment. Finally, a recommendation
on the governance of macro-regions
underlines the relevance of such large
bodies covering a number of different
countries or regions with one or more
shared features or problems, which
come together to cooperate on
common issues but whose success
depends on realistic and clearly
defined objectives.
23
World Forum for Democracy:
From grassroots to
world democracy
Although most of the debates, which were
attended by over 200 experts from all over
the world, concerned common challenges at
all levels of democracy – citizen participation,
action to combat extremism and the need
to promote “living together in harmony” –
some corresponded more specifically to
the daily concerns of local and regional
representatives. The Congress also
helped organised three meetings, all held
on 10 October in places that are symbolic
of local democracy in Alsace: the Salle de
l’Aubette, which belongs to the City of
Strasbourg, the Hôtel du Département
(seat of the Lower Rhine departmental
authorities) and the Hôtel de Région (seat of
the Alsace Regional Council). The debate
at the Salle de l’Aubette concerned “active
citizenship in emerging democracies”, the
one at the Hôtel du Département
discussed the subject of “Democracy
without borders” and the one at Hôtel
de Région addressed the issue of
“regionalisation and democracy”.
Leaders of the Congress chaired or led the
three debates, in which numerous local
and regional elected representatives and
representatives from Europe and other parts
24
Photo: © Nikolai Atefie
The First World Forum for
Democracy, a joint initiative of
the Council of Europe and the local
and regional communities of Alsace,
was held in Strasbourg (France) from
5 to 11 October 2012. The subtitle
of the Forum was “Bridging the
gap - democracy: between old
models and new realities” and
consequently the irreplaceable role
of local and regional democracy
in striking a political balance
now and in the future was underlined at several round tables.
Tawakkol Karman, Yemeni activist and 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, addressing
the World Forum for Democracy, on 8 October 2012.
of the world took part. Many members of the
Congress also took part in the different
round tables held over the six days of the
Forum. These encounters provided the
opportunity to underline the main values
upheld by the Congress and the concrete
manner in which local and regional
representatives apply them throughout
Europe.
Congress initiatives as examples of
participatory democracy
On several occasions during the Forum,
the instigators of the European Week of
Local Democracy, which began on the
day after the end of the Forum, pointed
out that it was a successful example of
democratic participation and of dialogue
between elected representatives
and citizens. This initiative, which is
co-ordinated by the Congress, invites
the local authorities in the 47 Council
of Europe member states and beyond
to organise events, on and around
15 October every year, to bring members
of the public and local and regional
representatives together. Similarly, given
that diversity is one of the major challenges
facing contemporary democracies, local
authorities have a major role to play in
integrating migrants, foreign residents
and minority groups.
In addition to local and regional authorities’
democratic missions, they can be a critical
point of identification for citizens which
have sometimes lost their bearings in the
face of globalisation. The local and regional
levels have a crucial role to play in bridging
the gap between the public and democratic
institutions and can help to restore
citizens’ confidence in politicians, said
Keith Whitmore (United Kingdom, ILDG),
President of the Congress. He underlined
the importance of involving young people
more actively in democratic processes: a
recommendation on this theme was
adopted by the Congress at its October
session. In the course of the Forum,
Roland Ries, Mayor of Strasbourg,
awarded Keith Whitmore the Medal of the
City of Strasbourg for the work he has
done within the Congress and for the
links that he has forged with the host city.
“
We have to listen
to new and emerging
democracies – but we
also have to pay
attention to established
democracies where
citizens may feel
disenfranchised.”
“Regionalisation responds
to citizens' expectations”
How do you view the current state of
regionalisation?
A. Reichardt: I firmly believe that the process of
regionalisation is well underway. One can see this from the
way citizens avidly seek to take part in public life and for
the past few years greater account has been taken of the
Vice-President of the
regional level. Nevertheless, since governments have
Alsace Regional Council
realised that money is becoming expensive and hard to come
and Vice-President of the
by, they obviously prefer to spend it at central rather than
Association of European
Regions (AER)
regional level. France is only one example among many
where we can see that central government would like to
delegate its responsibilities to the regions without transferring the corresponding resources.
André
Reichardt
Is there not a contradiction between a more closely-knit European community and the fact that local and regional authorities are seeking more
powers and responsibilities?
A. Reichardt: That is not contradictory but complementary. The fact is that Europe is
gradually becoming more federal. Now that several countries have a common currency,
it is normal that they should be moving towards common budgetary policies. Even as
Europe becomes more federal, regionalisation remains an important
factor and the regions are increasingly keen to become involved in the
management of European regional funds.
“Europe is made up
of its regions”
Ban Ki-moon, Secretary General of the
United Nations, at the World Forum for
Democracy, 8 October 2012.
The round table on regionalisation and
democracy took stock of the problems of
regionalisation in Europe, including the
burning issue of striking an economic and
financial balance between the regions and
central government in time of crisis. It also
considered the situation of the regions on
other continents. While there have long
been regions in Japan, the remainder of
Asia is only very slowly coming round to the
idea of decentralisation and the influence
exercised by central government is very
strong. On the other hand, Canada is one
of the most regionalised countries in the
world and particular importance is
attached to the provinces… to the point
that the citizens show very little interest in
the local authorities.
What solutions does the AER suggest to its
members to cope with the economic crisis?
Michèle
Sabban
President of the
Assembly of European
Regions (AER)
and Vice-President of
the Ile de France region
M. Sabban: We are experiencing an exceptionally
deep economic downturn and the regions are being
increasingly called on to play their part. They are being
given responsibility for a growing number of tasks and
I think they can be a driving force in emerging from the
crisis, provided that the subsidiarity principle is
correctly applied. I would like to see the AER, together
with all European bodies, provide a genuine model of
European subsidiarity involving all of the regions.
What can be done to increase the regions’ powers and responsibilities in
the field of transfrontier co-operation?
M. Sabban: The regions should no longer be “enclaved” in competing states but should
move forward together, enter into joint contracts, and work in solidarity and in an
interdependent manner. They should also pool their means of economic
development.
2012 European Local Democracy Week:
For more inclusive
local authorities
European Local Democracy
Week (ELDW), which takes
place every year in midOctober and is now a regular
feature on the agenda of
European local authorities,
once again focused on human
rights at local and regional
levels and on local and regional
authorities’ commitment in
this field.
From 15 to 21 October 2012, some 150
local authorities or related organisations
in 30 countries took an active part in the
ELDW, while 8 Moroccan municipalities
and a Tunisian town were also
associated with the event for the first
time. 18 cities, which wished to become
more deeply involved in the ELDW,
chose to take part as 12-Star Cities,
thus underlining their commitment.
From the outset, the ELDW, which
was launched at the initiative of the
Congress, has been designed to
make citizens more aware of local
democracy. It takes the opportunity
presented by various events to
encourage them not only to enter into
dialogue with their local elected
re presentatives but also to become
more familiar with the realities of local
political affairs and to become
involved in local activities.
In 2011, the main theme of the ELDW
was “human rights at local level”.
Given the success of this theme, it
was adopted again in 2012, with more
emphasis on the importance of local
and regional democracy to achieve
“more inclusive local authorities”. To
help them improve the organisation of
their activities, the participating towns
and cities had access to new tools.
For example, a contributory Internet
26
In 2012, some 150 partners from 30 countries joined the European Local
Democracy Week.
platform was launched giving local
authorities taking part in the ELDW a
dedicated website and the possibility
to “post” their activities directly on the
site. The web platform keeps track of
the initiatives taken and also proposes
various information materials.
A wide range of activities to promote
human rights at local level
The municipalities which take part in
the ELDW are free to organise their
activities as they wish but they
undertake to ensure that at least one
of these activities concerns the main
ELDW theme. Numerous towns and
cities held meetings on subjects
relating to human rights, for example
citizens’ participation and integration
in public life. Meetings with local
elected representatives and invitations
to attend not only local council
debates but also workshops and
discussions marked the ELDW in all
the participating countries.
The ELDW acquired particular
significance in Albania, for in October
2012 this country held the chairmanship
of the Committee of Ministers, and
the launch event took place there.
As several leading figures in the
Congress pointed out, “the ELDW not
only helps to strengthen citizens’
democratic participation in local
affairs but also to restore their
confidence in local institutions. The
ELDW gives citizens the opportunity
to put questions directly to their
“The 2013
ELDW edition will
focus on active
citizenship”
Dubravka
Suica
On taking stock of the 2012 edition, what are
the major achievements of this initiative?
(Croatia, EPP/CCE)
Member of the City
Council of Dubrovnik
and political co-ordinator
of the 2013 edition
of the European Local
Democracy Week
D. Suica: 2012 was the seventh year of the European
Local Democracy Week, “ELDW” for short, and it
focused on the importance of human rights for more
inclusive communities. More than 150 local and
regional bodies and partner associations from as many
as 30 countries participated in a variety of ways and
organised public events to meet with their citizens.
The ELDW is supported by the Congress in order to
draw the attention of Europe’s citizens towards local democracy and strengthen
links between citizens and their local elected representatives. The growing
participation is proof that we are on the right track.
What are the prospects for the European Local Democracy Week in 2013?
D. Suica: Since 2013 will be dedicated to “Active Citizenship” for member countries
of the European Union, we want to promote active citizenship as a general theme of
the 2013 ELDW in the broader context of the 47 Council of Europe member states,
by extending our ambitions beyond stimulating participation in local and regional
elections or fighting political apathy. Therefore, we plan to focus on questions of citizen
participation in public life, with a specific attention to the involvement of different target
groups including young people – for example through municipal youth councils - as
well as pupils and students, in conjunction with schools, colleges and universities.
Strategically, we need to motivate municipalities of those Council of Europe member
states who have not yet participated to join the ELDW family as well. It is clear that
there is a growing interest from local and regional authorities, including
beyond the Council of Europe’s member states.
local representatives and to obtain
replies,” they said.
Moreover, it was, as every year, the
“12-Star Cities” which were the most
active during the Week. The city of
Huddinge (Sweden) alone organised
11 events, meetings and debates,
concerning for example religion and
freedom of expression or democracy
for all. In Mola di Bari (Italy), the
inhabitants had the opportunity to
meet the municipal ombudsperson
who walked through the streets of the
town and also to take part in meetings on
subjects such as the right to a healthy
ELDW 2013
The leading theme of the
2013 ELDW is “Active
citizenship: voting, sharing,
participating”. Municipalities
and associations who are
interested in taking part can
register online at:
environment. Braila (Romania) placed
emphasis on culture and human
rights, while Strasbourg (France), the
city which hosts the Council of
Europe, focused on young people,
also by making schoolchildren aware
of human rights with specially designed
teaching material. In addition to the 18
“12-Star Cities”, the Italian province of
Reggio di Calabria also earned “12-star”
status by organising several events
throughout its territory,
in particular in prisons.
www.coe.int/
demoweek-registration
For more information, flash the
QR Code with your smartphone
27
Promoting human rights:
Active contribution at
local and regional levels
Promoting human rights at
local and regional levels has
become a key focal point of
Congress policy, involving
participation in major European
initiatives – such as the “European
Alliance of Cities and Regions for
Roma Inclusion” and the “ONE in
FIVE” campaign to combat sexual
violence against children – as well
as numerous one-off activities.
The brainchild of the Congress and
the Secretary General’s Special
Representative for Roma Issues, the
project of the European Alliance of Cities
and Regions for Roma Inclusion came
into being the day after the Summit of
Mayors on Roma, held in Strasbourg
(France) on 22 September 2011. The
purpose of the Alliance is to bring
together cities and regions to conduct, at
local level, social, cultural, educational
and occupational programmes to
promote Roma inclusion, while at the
same time tackling the prejudice and
racism to which Roma communities
are frequently subjected. The Alliance
should also provide opportunities to
share good practice and experience
and will work in partnership with
Roma organisations.
2012 saw concrete preparations for
the Alliance, with various meetings in
Strasbourg, and the project being
presented across Europe. At the end of
2011, the Congress launched a survey of
a hundred or so European cities and
regions to canvas their views on the
Alliance and encourage them to take
part. Presented in May 2012, the survey findings showed that nearly 90% of
the local and regional authorities
questioned were in favour of the project.
28
The issue of education is among the priorities of the European Alliance of
Cities and Regions for Roma Inclusion.
They felt that the focus should be on
housing, employment and education
and hoped that the Alliance would
help them to network on these issues.
The European Alliance of Cities and
Regions for Roma Inclusion gets
under way
On 25 September 2012, the 11 cities
and regions tasked with preparing
the ground for the Alliance met in
Strasbourg with the Congress and
Roma organisations. The gathering
gave participants a chance to share
experience and practice, and to explore
the possibilities for co-operation and
ways of increasing Roma participation
in the various processes. Various
successful examples of Roma inclusion
at local level were presented, such as a
project in the field of employment in the
Austrian city of Graz, resettlement and
housing practices in the Italian city of
Turin and the Spanish city of Madrid,
and a project focusing on access to
schooling in the French city of Lyons.
Another aim of the meeting was to find
partners, in particular to help with
funding. The Alliance, whose official
launch is scheduled for March 2013, will
be the operational arm of a broad coalition
made up of the European Commission,
the World Bank, the United Nations
Development Programme and the
Council of Europe Development Bank.
the Roma language and culture in
schools.
At the same time, the Congress
remains alert to the violations of
Roma rights which may be committed
by local authorities across Europe. It
has spoken out against the evictions
carried out in recent months in Vilnius
(Lithuania), Tirana (Albania) and
Belgrade (Serbia) and has protested
about Roma being resettled in squalid
conditions, as in the Romanian city of
Baia Mare (Romania).
“ONE in FIVE” campaign
acquires a local and regional
dimension
The Congress has pressed ahead
with its efforts to bring a local and
regional dimension to the Council of
Europe’s “ONE in FIVE” campaign to
stop sexual violence against children.
The title of the campaign refers to the
fact that roughly one in five children experiences sexual violence before the
age of 18. Much still remains to be
done, therefore, in terms of raising
awareness among local and regional
authorities and getting the right
structures and policies in place in
cities and regions. For, as the
Congress has pointed out, central
governments may enact measures
and legislation, but it is to local
services that child victims of violence
and abuse turn first.
A number of operations have already
been carried out, however, including
notably a meeting on 25 November
2012
with
representatives
of
young Roma to identify their needs.
On 17 December, an international
seminar in Madrid looked at the
kind of housing policies required in
order to help the Roma. Meanwhile
in Budapest (Hungary) the Congress
of Local and Regional Authorities
held a workshop at the European
Youth Centre on inclusive education
policies for Roma; among the topics
discussed were ways of incorporating
Mindful of this, the Congress held a
seminar in Strasbourg (France) in
February 2012 to make local and
regional elected representatives more
aware of the problem and to tell them
about the campaign. As well as
presenting the Lanzarote Convention
which protects children against sexual
exploitation and sexual abuse, the
seminar looked at various exemplary
initiatives being conducted by local
and regional authorities across
Europe. In Helsinki (Finland), for
example, local police officers have
been trained to detect child abuse by
having conversations with youngsters,
including via social networks. Blackburn
with Darwen (United Kingdom) has
adopted a “multi-agency” approach to
dealing with young victims, from initial
contact to protection and referral,
while the city of Stuttgart (Germany)
is working to raise public awareness
by launching information campaigns
on preventing sexual violence.
Pact of cities and regions
to stop sexual violence against
children
As part of its contribution to the
“ONE in FIVE” campaign, the
Congress launched, in October 2012,
a “Pact of cities and regions to stop
sexual violence against children” and
is urging cities and regions to sign up.
The pact proposes measures, ranging
from simple, cost-effective solutions
to more comprehensive strategies. It
comprises a list of initiatives and
policies, referred to, for short, as the
four “P’s”, to prevent abuse, protect
victims and prosecute perpetrators
while ensuring full participation for
children in the whole process. Cities and
regions undertake to implement measures
and, through their involvement in the
pact, will have an opportunity to share
experience and best practice.
“
Local and
regional authorities
must play a
pro-active role in
preserving human
rights.”
Nils Muižnieks, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, 17 October
2012, 23rd Congress Session.
In 2012, furthermore, the Congress
adopted a report on regional action to
combat sexual exploitation and abuse
of children. The report points out that
regions, in particular those with
legislative powers, can themselves
take a number of steps to combat the
problem, as set out for example in the
Lanzarote
Convention
on
the
protection of children against sexual
exploitation and sexual abuse. They
include raising public awareness,
training staff to detect abuse and help
victims, and creating appropriate care
facilities for children.
Lastly, the Congress is involved in the
new Council of Europe strategy to
promote children’s rights – “Building a
Europe for and with children” – which is
29
“Strengthening
youth participation
in local life means
strengthening local
democracy as a
whole”
You were elected in October 2012 to the
chair of the Current Affairs Committee.
What are the priority themes for your
committee?
Farid
Mukhametshin
(Russian Federation, ILDG)
Chair of the Current
Affairs Committee
F. Mukhametshin: The Committee is responsible for responding to the
challenges facing local and regional democracy, foremost among which today
are the economic and financial problems caused by the crisis. The Committee is
finalising a report on this subject. We must above all ensure that the crisis does
not undermine the democratic principles of local self-government. However,
beyond the crisis and its consequences, the main current challenges involve
reinforcing active citizenship and democratic citizen participation, in particular
for young people, improved integration within our communities, and intensified
intercultural dialogue in order to make the most of the advantages of European
cultural diversity. These are the challenges which must be prioritised in the
Committee’s work.
In 2012, your Committee worked hard on transposing the Council of
Europe’s “ONE in FIVE” Campaign to prevent sexual violence against
children to the local and regional levels. What results have been
achieved?
F. Mukhametshin: The Congress is, in particular, endeavouring to alert local
and regional councillors and municipal and regional administrations to how to
prevent this type of violence. In February we organised a seminar attended by
local authorities, experts and organisations working in this area. We studied
several exemplary experiments, such as the “Children’s House” in Iceland and
the “Child Protection Centre” in Croatia, which house the whole range of child
welfare services under the same roof. Children are catered for in one single centre
where they can simultaneously recount their experience and obtain assistance
and protection, thus preventing re-victimisation. We are advocating the development
of similar local structures throughout Europe, as well as the exchange of good
practices, laying down policy lines of action and promoting co-operation between
the public and private sectors. The “Pact of Towns and Regions to Stop Sexual
Violence against Children” which we launched recently is endeavouring to
implement these projects and to transpose our proposals into practical actions at
the local and regional levels, and we are hoping next year to secure maximum
commitment by local and regional authorities to the implementation of this Pact.
30
to run from 2012 to 2015. The strategy
aims to promote child-friendly
services, to eliminate all forms of
violence against children, to guarantee their rights and to promote child
participation. Here again, the Congress
will have the job of translating the
strategy into practical measures at
local and regional levels. It has
recommended networking and the
use of quality indicators.
On 13 April 2012, the International
Day of Street Children, the Congress
called for concerted policies to protect street children from becoming
victims of sexual violence and exploitation. It also supports the “Cities for
Children” network which is working to
promote more family-friendly town
planning.
Promoting equal rights for all
The Congress is also working to
secure equality between women and
men, including in political life, and
has reiterated its commitment at
various conferences, including the
one held in Istanbul in November 2012
on “the political and socio-economic
empowerment of women”. It has also
been championing the rights of lesbians,
gays, bisexuals and transgendered
persons (LGBT) and has spoken out
against the bans on gay pride
parades in some European cities.
Lastly, it is actively promoting the
rights of young people and took part
in various related events throughout
the year.
At the “SPARDA” conference (Shaping
Perceptions and Attitudes to Realise
the Diversity Advantage) held jointly
with the European Union in June 2012
in Brussels (Belgium), the Congress
drew attention to its efforts in support
of the social rights of foreign
residents. It outlined its activities to
combat prejudice against immigrants,
to educate people about their culture
and to foster intercultural dialogue at
local level. It also took an active part
in the work of the “CLIP” (Cities for
Local Integration Policy) Network of
cities which this year focused on
business creation by migrants.
Web tools for promoting human rights at the local and regional levels
The Council of
Europe's ONE in
FIVE campaign
A web platform focusing on initiatives
by local or regional authorities and
associations
As part of its contribution to the Council of
Europe's "ONE in FIVE” campaign, the Congress
is urging local and regional authorities to sign
up en masse to the "Pact of Towns and
Regions”. Launched by the Congress in 2012,
this pact suggests
initiatives
and
measures that can
be taken to combat
sexual violence
against children.
These proposals
are based on
the four "Ps”: prevention of abuse,
protection of victims,
prosecution of
perpetrators and
participation of
children.
A web platform has been specially developed
to facilitate information exchange and
ensure the Europe-wide promotion of local
and regional authorities' efforts to stop sexual
violence against children. Towns and regions
who join the pact, via this web platform, are
given an account accessible via an identifier
and password. This individualised access
enables elected representatives, local and
regional authorities and associations to post
their content on line and share their initiatives.
They thus have a user-friendly webpage for
publishing information on their activities and
promoting them at European level.
To join the pact please follow this link:
www.coe.int/congress-pact
European Alliance
of Cities and Regions
for Roma Inclusion
Online information and
concerning the Alliance
news
The aim of the Alliance is to support local and
regional authorities in implementing Roma
inclusion policies, particularly through the
exchange of experience and good practice, the
organisation of thematic workshops and
training sessions or of study visits and the
sharing of information on policies and sources
of funding. Its activities focus on thematic
issues such as education, housing, health care
and employment, as well as cross-cutting
issues such as empowerment, participation,
access to public services and funding, rights
and duties.
A new website, with a clearer, ergonomic and
lively design, is being developed to provide
information and news on the Alliance. It will
allow users to access essential information
on the activities of the Alliance, share this
information via social networks, carry out
thematic searches or subscribe to the
Alliance's electronic newsletter. The website
will be presented on the occasion of the
official launch of the Alliance during the
Congress's March 2013 session in
Strasbourg (France).
Alliance website:
www.roma-alliance.org
31
National associations of local and regional authorities:
The Congress, a forum
of exchanges for the
associations
The IVth “General Meeting of
national associations of local and
regional authorities” of Council of
Europe member states, which was
held in Strasbourg on 13 September
2012, demonstrated that while
the associations firmly support
Congress policy, they also expect
it to support them in the face of
the difficulties that local authorities
are encountering in many
European countries.
The General Meeting, which has been
held every other year since 2006, gives
the Congress the opportunity to have
meaningful dialogue with the representatives of local and regional authorities
in all member states. Their associations
are ideally placed to identify the concrete
problems of local authorities in their
respective countries and to propose and
implement solutions, while fostering the
sharing of experience. The associations
also often provide the secretaries of
national delegations to the Congress, and
their presidents are often the chairs of
these national delegations. Moreover, the
associations are, in their respective
countries, in permanent contact with the
ministers responsible for local and regional
authorities and therefore act as links or as
spokespersons for the Congress in each
government.
National reforms must not
undermine local autonomy
The IVth General Meeting revealed local
representatives’ growing concern with
regard to the reforms taking place in many
32
The Congress organised the 4th round of the General Meeting of national associations
of local and regional authorities on 13 September 2012 in Strasbourg (France).
“
National associations serve as a bridge
between the Congress, which operates at European
level, and authorities at the grassroots in their
respective member states.”
Keith Whitmore (United Kingdom, ILDG), President of the Congress - 4th General Meeting
of national associations, 13 September 2012
countries, which must not, they said, undermine local and regional powers and responsibilities. The associations rely on the
Congress to ensure that often hard-won
local autonomy is not sacrificed in the
name of economic rigour. The French
and Italian associations in particular
pointed out that it would be impossible
to emerge from the crisis if local
authorities were neglected.
Dialogue with the associations was
rewarding and fruitful but some of them
expected the Congress to be more
effective and to respond more quickly to
situations. This was the substance of
the comments by the Dutch association of
Antonella
Cagnolati
“National associations are
the ‘national parliaments’
of local and regional
authorities and key
partners of the Congress”
The Congress held, in September 2012, the
4th General Meeting of Associations of Local
Former Director
of the Congress*
and Regional Authorities: what do you think
the meetings have achieved and what fresh
impetus would you like to give them?
A. Cagnolati: National associations of local and regional authorities play a vital role
in their countries. Although they do not have a national institutional status, they are the
‘national parliaments’ of local and regional authorities. We believe that increased
dialogue between the Congress and national associations helps to develop co-operation
projects for which the achievements of the Congress and the Council of Europe can
offer the national associations real added value.
In October 2012, the Congress adopted its priorities for 2013-2016. What
contribution could national associations make to implementing them?
A. Cagnolati: The primary objective of the General Meeting was to seek the associations’
views about the draft priorities adopted by the Bureau of the Congress before they are
submitted to its members for discussion and adoption. We wanted the priorities also to
reflect the national associations’ aspirations for European action. However, a further aim
of the General Meeting this year was to submit proposals to the associations concerning
action in priority fields for the Congress in respect of which we would like to conclude
co-operation agreements with interested associations. We believe that this offers the
opportunity of practical co-operation with those associations which might be interested,
either because they are already active in the relevant areas or because they wish to develop
joint action with the Congress.
*Antonella Cagnolati ended her duties as Director of the Congress
on 31 January 2013
Strengthened dialogue in the
face of common problems
regions, which nevertheless welcomed the
fact that the Congress had shifted the
focus back onto subjects which really
concern regional representatives, such
as transport or transfrontier co-operation.
This “practical” approach was welcomed
by several other speakers, who said
that it was very important that the
Congress seek common solutions to the
crisis. The Norwegian association of local
authorities said that European local
representatives should draw attention to
their expertise in managing local funding
while stepping up their exchange of
good practices in this field.
While the Congress focused on giving
the associations their say, the leaders
of the Congress also presented its
main areas of activity and its priorities
for the coming years. They then gave
details of the targeted co-operation
programmes with member or nonmember states, the good governance
programmes concerning ethics, transparency and the fight against corruption, as well as the ONE in FIVE
campaign to stop sexual violence
against children. In addition to these
presentations, the associations had the
opportunity to discuss among themselves
the sometimes identical problems encountered by very different countries.
Stronger dialogue between the associations
and the Congress was one of the concrete
outcomes of its reform, said Keith Whitmore
(United Kingdom, ILDG), President of the
Congress, at the opening of the General
Meeting: the active participation of the
associations in this meeting and the
willingness they had shown to take part in
dialogue and discussions
during the entire meeting
had opened up promising
prospects for the future.
33
Texts adopted by the
Congress in 2012
Resolution 347:
The right of local authorities to be consulted by other levels of
government – Rapporteur: B.-M. Lövgren, Councillor of
Umea, Sweden (L, ILDG)
All texts are available on the Congress website:
www.coe.int/congress
Resolution 348:
Local elections in Serbia (6 May 2012) - Rapporteur:
N. Mermagen, Councillor, South Somerset District Council,
United Kingdom (L, ILDG)
16 Resolutions
Resolution 336:
Verification of new members’ credentials - Rapporteurs: A. Knape,
Councillor of Karlstad, Sweden (L, EPP/CCE), and L. Sfirloaga,
Councillor of Prahova County Council, Romania (R, SOC)
Resolution 337:
New Rules of Procedure of the Congress and its Chambers
- Rapporteurs: Halvdan Skard, Norway (L, SOC), Baerum
Municipal Council, and Günther Krug, Germany (R, SOC),
Bezirksverordnetenversammlung Berlin Marzahn
Resolution 338:
Local elections in Bulgaria (23 October 2011) - Rapporteur:
M. Juhkami, Chair of Rakvere City Council, Estonia
(L, EPP/CCE)
Resolution 349:
The governance of macro-regions in Europe - Rapporteur:
E. Mohr, Member of the local Council of Wolfurt, Austria
(L, EPP/CCE)
Resolution 350:
Regional legislation and action to combat sexual exploitation
and abuse of children - Rapporteur: D. Davidovic, Member of
the City Council, City of Nis, Serbia (L, NR)
Resolution 351:
Second-tier local authorities – intermediate governance in
Europe - Rapporteur: E. Verrengia, Vice-President of the
Province of Catanzaro, Italy (L, EPP/CCE)
16 Recommendations
Resolution 339:
Making cities resilient - Rapporteur: P. B. Andersen, Councillor
of the Municipality of Kolding, Denmark (L, SOC)
Recommendation 318:
Local elections in Bulgaria (23 October 2011) - Rapporteur:
M. Juhkami, Chair of Rakvere City Council, Estonia (L, EPP/CCE)
Resolution 340:
Verification of new members' credentials - Rapporteurs:
A. Knape, Councillor of Karlstad, Sweden (L, EPP/CCE), and
L. Sfirloaga, Councillor of Prahova County Council, Romania
(R, SOC)
Recommendation 319:
Local and regional democracy in the Czech Republic
- Rapporteurs: E. Calota, Municipal councillor of Ploiesti,
Romania (L, SOC) and P. Receveur, Minister, Republic and
Canton of Jura, Switzerland (R, EPP/CCE)
Resolution 341:
Priorities of the Congress 2013-2016 - Rapporteurs:
L. O. Molin, Chairman of the City Council of Örebro, Sweden
(L, EPP/CCE) and K.-H. Lambertz, Minister-President,
German-speaking Community Government, Belgium (R, SOC)
Recommendation 320:
Local democracy in Germany - Rapporteur: B.-M. Lövgren,
Councillor of Umea, Sweden (L, ILDG)
Resolution 342:
The changes underway in the Arab countries – opportunities for
local and regional democracy - Rapporteur: A. Koopmanschap,
Mayor of Diemen, Netherlands (L, SOC)
Resolution 343:
Policy of the Council of Europe towards neighbouring regions:
the role of the Congress - Rapporteur: J.-C. Frécon, Municipal
Councillor of Pouilly-lès-Feurs, Senator of la Loire, France (L, SOC)
Resolution 344:
Procedure for the election of the Secretary General of the
Congress - Rapporteur: N. Romanova, Councillor of Chernigiv
District Council, Ukraine, (R, ILDG)
Resolution 345:
Local and regional democracy in Azerbaijan - Rapporteurs:
J. Wienen, Mayor of Katwijk, Netherlands (L, EPP/CCE), and
G. Mosler-Törnström, Vice-President of the State Parliament
of Salzburg, Austria (R, SOC)
Resolution 346:
Youth and democracy: the changing face of youth political
engagement - Rapporteur: E. Ampe, member of the Parliament of
the Region Brussels-Capital, Belgium (R, ILDG)
34
Recommendation 321:
Local and regional democracy in Lithuania - Rapporteurs:
I. Loizidou, Municipal Councillor of Engomi, Cyprus (L, EPP/CCE)
and G. Mosler-Törnström, Vice-President of the State Parliament
Recommendation 322:
Local and regional democracy in the Republic of Moldova
- Rapporteurs: F. Lec, 1st Vice-President of the General
Council of the Somme, Municipal Councillor of Amiens,
France (L, SOC) and A. Miele, Councillor, Regional Council
of Lazio, Italy (R, EPP/CCE)
Recommendation 323:
Local and regional democracy in Portugal - Rapporteurs:
J. Wienen, Mayor of Katwijk, Netherlands (L, EPP/CCE) and
D. Çukur, Member of the Provincial Council of Izmir, Turkey
(R, SOC)
Recommendation 324:
Local and regional democracy in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Rapporteurs: B. Hirs, Mayor of Rorschacherberg, Switzerland
(L, ILDG) and J.-M. Belliard, Regional Councillor of the
Region Alsace, France (R, EPP/CCE)
Recommendation 325:
The changes underway in the Arab countries – opportunities for
local and regional democracy - Rapporteur: A. Koopmanschap,
Recommendation 326:
Local and regional democracy in Azerbaijan - Rapporteurs:
J. Wienen, Mayor of Katwijk, Netherlands (L, EPP/CCE), and
G. Mosler-Törnström, Vice-President of the State Parliament
Spain
5 to 8 June - Rapporteurs: M. Cools, President of the Association
of the City and Communes of the Region Brussels-Capital,
Belgium (L, ILDG) / L. Verbeek, Commissioner of the Queen
of the Flevoland province, Netherlands (R, SOC)
Recommendation 327:
Youth and democracy: the changing face of youth political
engagement – Rapporteur: E. Ampe, member of the Parliament
of the Region Brussels-Capital, Belgium (R, ILDG)
Georgia
11 to 13 June - Rapporteurs: I. Micallef, Councillor of Gzira
Local Council, Malta (L, EPP/CCE) / H. Pihlajasaari, Vice-Chair
of Municipal Council of Laukaa, Chairperson of the Board of
Central Finland Regional Council, Finland (R, SOC)
Recommendation 328:
The right of local authorities to be consulted by other levels of
government – Rapporteur: B.-M. Lövgren, Councillor of
Umea, Sweden (L, ILDG)
Recommendation 329:
Local democracy in “the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia” - Rapporteurs: S. James, Councillor, Royal
Borough of Kingston, United Kingdom (L, ILDG), and A.
Buchmann, Councillor of the Region Alsace, France (R, SOC)
Recommendation 330:
Local elections in Serbia (6 May 2012) - Rapporteur:
N. Mermagen, Councillor, South Somerset District Council,
United Kingdom (L, ILDG)
Recommendation 331:
The governance of macro-regions in Europe - Rapporteur:
E. Mohr, Member of the local Council of Wolfurt, Austria
(L, EPP/CCE)
Recommendation 332:
Regional legislation and action to combat sexual exploitation
and abuse of children – Rapporteur: D. Davidovic, Member
of the City Council, City of Nis, Serbia (L, NR)
Recommendation 333:
Second-tier local authorities – intermediate governance in
Europe - Rapporteur: E. Verrengia, Vice-President of the
Province of Catanzaro, Italy (L, EPP/CCE)
Monitoring visits and
observation of local and
regional elections
Monitoring visits
Azerbaijan
2 to 5 April - Rapporteurs: J. Wienen, Mayor of Katwijk,
Netherlands (L, EPP/CCE) / G. Mosler-Törnström,
Vice-President of the State Parliament of Salzburg,
Austria, (R, SOC)
Ukraine
21 to 23 May - Rapporteurs: F. Pellegrini, Municipal Councillor, of Rapolano Terme, Italy (L, SOC)/ P. Mangin, Councillor
of the Region Alsace, France (R, EPP/CCE)
Hungary
23 to 25 May - Rapporteurs: A. Torres Pereira, President of the
Municipal Assembly of Sousel, Portugal (L, EPP/CCE) / D. Cukur
Member of the Provincial Council of Izmir, Turkey (R, SOC)
Denmark
3 to 5 October - Rapporteurs: J. Costa, Mayor of Caminha
Portugal (L, EPP/CCE) / J.-P. Liouville, Vice-President of the
Regional Council of Lorraine, France (R, SOC)
Ireland
3 to 5 October - Rapporteurs: M. Cohen, Mayor of Kalkara,
Malta (L, SOC) / M. J. Yildiz, Member of the Provincial
Council of Ankara/Yenimahalle, Turkey (R, EPP/CCE)
Italy
4 to 6 December - Rapporteurs: M. Bespalova, Member of the
legislative assembly of the city of Ulyanovsk, Russian Federation
(L, EPP/CCE), K. Andersen, Regional Councillor in the Capital
Region of Denmark (Copenhagen), Denmark, (R, ILDG)
Albania
12 to 14 December - Rapporteurs: Z. Broz, Mayor of the City of
Sumperk, Czech Republic (L, ECR), / A. Svensson, Chairman
of the Regional Executive Board of Gotland, Sweden (R, SOC)
Launch of post-monitoring process Bosnia and Herzegovina
4 September 2012: L. O. Molin, Chairman of the City Council
of Örebro, Sweden (L, EPP/CCE)
Observation of local and regional
elections
Serbia
Head of delegation and Rapporteur: N. Mermagen, Councillor,
South Somerset District Council, United Kingdom (L, ILDG)
Pre-electoral mission: 17 to 19 April
Observation mission: 3 to 7 May
Armenia
Head of delegation and Rapporteur: H. Feral, Mayor of
Puycelci, France, (L, EPP/CCE)
Pre-electoral mission: 7 to 9 September
Observation mission: 20 to 24 September
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Head of delegation and Rapporteur: Amy Koopmanschap,
Pre-electoral mission: 17 to19 September
Observation mission: 4 to 7 October
All information concerning the Congress members
(national delegation and political group) are available online:
www.coe.int/t/congress/whoswho/default_en.asp
35
The voice of Cities
and Regions in Europe
The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the
Council of Europe is a pan-European political assembly,
the 636 members of which hold elective office - regional
or municipal councillors, mayors or presidents of regional
authorities - representing some 200,000 authorities in 47
European states. Its role is, in particular, to promote local
and regional democracy and self-government, as well as
human rights at local and regional levels.
The Congress of the Council of Europe pays special
attention to the application of the principles laid down in the
European Charter of Local Self-Government. It
encourages the devolution and regionalisation processes,
citizens’ participation as well as transfrontier co-operation
between cities and regions.

Edition 2012 - Conseil de l`Europe

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