The Norwegian Associationfor Local and Regional Authorities – KS

Elita Cakule, KS3

KS

National members’ association for local government– 428 municipalities– 19 counties – 500 public enterprises

– Head Quarter in Oslo– 8 regional offices– Office in Brussels

What is KS?

The roles of KS:

• Spokesman vis-à-vis central government • Central collective bargaining organization• Advisory and consultative body

Background:

• Working Group (1997) recommended increased regular contact – better demarcation and clearer lines of responsibility between the levels of administration

• Before 1997: Ad hoc contact • 1997-1999 regular contact meetings – info sharing• 1999 working group established to look at the possibility of formalising

the dialogue • 2001 consultations were formalised • No binding agreement• Four meetings per year

Objective:

Provide a forum to discuss: the framework for distribution of revenues in relation to the tasks carried

out by LGs the financial situation of local government efficiency measures

Other objective is to: reduce the use of strong steering mechanisms in LGs from CG, through

common prioritisation and understanding re. use of resources….thus increased freedom: local solutions!

The four annual meetings:

• 1st: Framework for LGs in next year’s state budget• 2nd meeting: Reforms and development of service delivery – specific cases

from ministries• 3rd meeting: objectives met previous year re. service delivery; bilateral

agreements; and reforms and development of the service delivery (possible alterations from the ministries)

• 4th meeting: Summary and clarification of the state budget re. LG finances, through a «Joint Document»

The platform and the collaboration agreement

• Collaboration agreement V, KrF, Frp and H and platform H/Frp: – “A Local Government Reform will be carried out, which will ensure that the

necessary decisions are taken in this period”• Platform – arguments:

– “A more robust local government structure will secure increased competence and greater professionalism in each individual municipality”

– “Larger and ore robust municipalities can take on greater tasks and responsibilities than today’s municipalities”

– “The government will undertake a review of the responsibilities of the county councils, the county governors and the state with the aim of giving more power and authority to more robust municipalities”

– “The emergence of intermunicipal companies and intermunicipal collaboration shows that today’s tasks are already too great for the current local government structure”

• “What is important for us is a reform which results in more robust municipalities with greater local autonomy and a better local service provision”

• “We will approach the process by inviting co-operation with parliament.” Minister of Local Government and

Modernisation, Jan Tore SannerNationen, Friday 18th October 2013

KS National Congress, 16th October 2013, on LG reform

• Any future reform decision in parliament must be built on a broad and stable majority

• It must start with a clear definition of which tasks the local and regional levels should fulfil in the future

• It must be developed in close collaboration with the local government sector, build on local processes and lead to increased municipal freedom

• More flexibility and less state micromanagement as part of a such reform can lead to increased support for the local

• It must consider decentralisation of tasks from central or state-regional authorities to larger elected regions