The state of the Congress 2009 - Council of Europe · 2009 also saw the Congress, armed with its new Charter, moving up a gear to a new dynamic of two full plenary sessions each year,

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Editing :Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

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Photos:Council of EuropeCover page: Family pictures of the Congress members – October Session 2009

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The state of the Congress 2009

Table of contents

Introduction by Ian Micallef 5Acting President of the Congress

Who’s who in the Bureau of the Congress 8

Council of Europe celebrates its 60th anniversary 10In London, in Madrid and in Strasbourg, the Congress reaffirms its contribution to the Organisation’s objectivesStatement by Ulrich Bohner

Utrecht Conference: Congress enters into dialogue with governments 13Ministers approve the reference framework for regional democracyInterview with Jean‑Claude van Cauwenberghe

Young people at the heart of territorial democracy 16European Local Democracy Week, a Congress initiative to mobilise all citizens

Congress safeguards the health of local democracy 18For a more effective monitoring of the 47 Council of Europe member states

Congress mission in the field: election observation 20Skopje, Yerevan, Baku: Congress elected representatives assess the quality of electoral democracy

Relaunching political dialogue with Minsk 21Congress initiates a new co‑operation process with Belarus authoritiesInterview with Miroslav Kobasa

Territorial authorities facing the crisis 23International financial crisis hits our communities hard and narrows their scope for action Interview with Maurice Vincent

Climate : Copenhagen disappointment alarms our communities 26After the Copenhagen Summit, local responses to environmental challenges needed as never beforeInterview with Iñigo de la Serna Hernáiz

Intercultural relations in cities, guarantee of social cohesion 29Congress supports local policies for cultural diversityInterview with Heinz Buschkowsky

Euro‑Mediterranean partnership must involve local communities 32Congress ready to offer its expertise to engage the Mediterranean in concrete co‑operation Interview with Ian Micallef

Transfrontier co‑operation: a topical debate 35Transcending borders, territorial authorities consolidate cohesion of their communitiesInterview with Zlata Plostajner

A network of strategic partnerships for the Congress 38Congress signs a new agreement with the EU Committee of the Regions

Appendices 40

2009, the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe, was also the year of the 15thanniversary of its Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. Symbolically,2009 also saw the Congress, armed with its new Charter, moving up a gear to anew dynamic of two full plenary sessions each year, reflecting its growing politicalrole in the European landscape.

This publication, The State of the Congress 2009, features the highlights of theCongress’ activities over the past year. In a break from the traditional “institutional”presentation, it focuses on the main accomplishments in the domains of excellenceof the Congress, its Institutional Committee and its Committees on Culture andEducation, Social Cohesion, and Sustainable Development, as well as its WorkingGroups of Regions with Legislative Power and on Interregional Co‑operation.

The State of the Congress 2009 offers an overview of the current situation of theCongress and its mission to advance local and regional democracy acrossEurope. This situation is characterised by a growing number of requests forCongress intervention and new challenges brought about by global developments– economic crisis, globalisation processes, climate change – against the backgroundof budgetary constraints and a reform process launched in June 2009.

The state of the Congress 2009 5

“ The Congress standsfirm in pursuing its mission as the main

contributor to the Council of Europeaction at territorial level“

Ian Micallef (Malta)

Acting President of the Congress

6 The state of the Congress 2009

At the beginning of the year, the Congress Bureau, was informedthat President Yavuz Mildon was temporarily unable to fulfil hisduties. I therefore accepted the responsibility entrusted in me bythe Bureau, in my capacity as First Vice‑President of the Congressand President of the Chamber of Local Authorities, to act asPresident ad interim of the Congress. I considered that my maintask was to see that the Congress effectively pursued its mission inaccordance with the priorities established for 2009‑2010.

This meant first of all ensuring the effective monitoring of thesituation of local and regional democracy in member states,which remains the core mission of the Congress. To be effective,this monitoring must be regular, and it should not be limited tothe production of reports and recommendations. It must alsobe part of an ongoing political dialogue with the different levelsof governance in the country.

The Congress has therefore allocated a larger part of its 2010budget to monitoring. In 2009, it carried out five monitoringmissions; for 2010, 15 missions are scheduled. In addition, tofollow up its recommendations and make its action moreconcrete, the Congress has been looking to implement targetedassistance programmes. This would involve working with thegovernments and territorial authorities concerned to reinforcelocal democracy and address situations which are highlightedin the country reports and Congress recommendations.

With its first‑time monitoring missions to Iceland, Switzerlandand Belgium (in progress) in 2009, the Congress has almostcompleted the first monitoring cycle of the 44 member stateswhich have, to date, ratified the European Charter of Local Self‑Government. Four countries remain to be monitored for the firsttime in 2010: Austria, France, Montenegro and Serbia, with themonitoring of Belgium to be completed. In addition, the Congressis working to encourage the three remaining member states(Andorra, Monaco and San Marino) to sign and ratify the Charter.

The Congress also continued to observe local and regionalelections in member states. In 2009, the Congress observedlocal elections in “the former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia”, Azerbaijan and the city of Yerevan (Armenia).Members of the EU Committee of the Regions took part inCongress observation missions, in accordance with the co‑operation agreement between the two institutions.

This agreement was updated further in 2009. The revisedagreement, signed in November, formalises in particular theannual meetings of the Presidents assisted by Secretaries‑General,and their role in defining co‑operation priorities.

Seeking to inject innovation into its action and working methods,the Congress launched a reform of its activities and structures, witha report by Congress Past‑President Halvdan Skard (Norway)discussed by the Congress Standing Committee in Brdo, Slovenia,in June. The general direction of reform is to make sure thatCongress resources are not dispersed among too many activitiesbut focused on a core of clearly defined political priorities.

It is our conviction that Congress’ action should continue to bebased on the two pillars of democracy and human rights andpursued accordingly. This must be reflected in its budgetarysituation, which was on the agenda of the Congress Bureauthroughout 2009, and was the subject of two Congress recom‑mendations to the Committee of Ministers, adopted in Marchand in June.

In an effort to advance territorial democracy in neighbouringcountries, the Congress reinitiated dialogue with the authoritiesof Belarus, and prepared a co‑operation project on localdemocracy in that country. In June 2009, the Congress’ StandingCommittee held a debate on the subject, and preparations areunderway to begin the implementation of the co‑operationproject in 2010.

In the same spirit, the Congress held a debate in March on waysto enlarge Euro‑Mediterranean cooperation, both with itsEuropean partners and with territorial authorities on the southernrim of the Mediterranean. It decided to create a working group ofEuro‑Mediterranean cities and provinces, to clarify and target itsstrategy and activities in the region. The Congress also supportedthe setting up the Euro‑Mediterranean Regional and LocalAssembly (ARLEM), and will participate in its work as anobserver organisation.

Congress delegations took an active part in the 5th World WaterForum, organised by the United Nations in Istanbul in March, andin the UN Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen inDecember 2009, presenting contributions of the Congress to bothevents.

Introduction

Work was pursued to enhance citizen participation at local and regional level. In2009, the Congress supported the adoption of the Protocol to the EuropeanCharter of Local Self‑Government on democratic participation at local level. Oneexample of the practical implementation of citizen participation initiatives is theEuropean Local Democracy Week (ELDW), organised every year in Octobersince 2007. A co‑founder of ELDW, the Congress fully supported its 2009edition through co‑ordinating and encouaging initiatives within Council ofEurope member states. From 2010, the Congress is fully in charge of theorganisation of the Week.

In their Declaration on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe,adopted in October, Congress members reaffirmed their conviction that today, theCongress stands firm in pursuing its mission as the main contributor to thisOrganisation’s action in the field of democracy and human rights at territoriallevel. Our help and advice are being sought by local and regional authoritiesacross Europe and beyond, and we can do much more if our aspirations,which correspond to the expectations of territorial communities, are matched withadequate resources. Through innovation and reform, through targeted action andthrough renewed partnerships we will achieve this objective.


Introduction

Ian Micallef


8

Who’s who in the Bureau of the Congress

PRESIDENT OF THE CONGRESS

___________________Mr Yavuz MildonTurkey

PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER______________________Mrs Ludmila SfirloagaRomania

VICE -PRESIDENT

___________________Mr Günther KrugGermany

VICE -PRESIDENT

____________________Ms Suvi RihtniemiFinland

VICE -PRESIDENT

___________________Mr Istvan BorbelyHungary

VICE -PRESIDENT

_____________________Mrs Svetlana OrlovaRussian Federation

VICE -PRESIDENT

_____________________Mr Knud AndersenDenmark

VICE -PRESIDENT

__________________________Mrs Nataliya RomanovaUkraine

VICE -PRESIDENT

___________________Mr Ioannis MichasGreece

ACTINGPRESIDENTOF THE CONGRESS

_________________Dr Ian MicallefMalta

PAST PRESIDENT OF THE CONGRESS

___________________Mr Halvdan SkardNorway

VICE -PRESIDENT

______________________Mrs Dubravka SuicaCroatia

VICE -PRESIDENT

____________________Mr Anders KnapeSweden

VICE -PRESIDENT

________________________Mr Jean‑Claude FréconFrance

VICE -PRESIDENT

_________________Mrs Hilde ZachAustria

VICE -PRESIDENT

_____________________Mr Emin YeritsyanArmenia

VICE -PRESIDENT

____________________________Mr Onno van VeldhuizenNetherlands

VICE -PRESIDENT

_____________________Mr Fabio PellegriniItaly

PRESIDENT OF THE CHAMBER_______________Dr Ian MicallefMalta

ACTING SECRETARY GENERALOF THE CONGRESS

_____________________Mr Wojciech Sawicki

DIRECTOR OF THE CONGRESS

_________________________Mrs Antonella Cagnolati

9

Who’s who in the Bureau of the Congress

General of the Congress, and has made a major con‑tribution to its success. Regionalisation, he adds, hasacted as a counterweight to the trend towards theconcentration of power at European level.

The Congress took part in all the ceremonies to markthe Council's 60th anniversary, particularly in London,Madrid and Strasbourg. At the 5 May ceremony inLondon, where the Council of Europe Statute wasopened for signature in 1949, the President of theCongress Institutional Committee, Keith Whitmore(UK), said that local and regional democracy was alandmark of European development. He added thatthe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities "grewout of the conviction that a democratic Europe is beingbuilt every day in our communities, in our villages,towns, cities and regions. ... Today, governments,parliaments and local and regional authorities worktogether as indispensable parts of the democraticmachinery created by the Council of Europe".

Council of Europe celebrates its 60th anniversary

The Statute of the Council of Europe was opened forsignature in London in 1949. Sixty years later theOrganisation still has the same basic objectives: to protecthuman rights and strengthen democracy and the rule oflaw. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities hasbecome a key player in this process. Through its monitor‑ing activities in the 47 member states it watches over theimplementation of local and regional democracy.

In a declaration adopted in October 2009, theCongress stated that local and regional authorities hadentered into a real partnership with governments andparliaments. As the tier of government closest to theordinary citizen, they could help to create the optimumconditions for respecting human rights in every com‑munity, thereby contributing to the Council ofEurope's fundamental objectives.

The Congress reflects European countries' commitment todecentralisation, says Ulrich Bohner, outgoing Secretary

In London, in Madrid and in Strasbourg, the Congress reaffirmsits contribution to the Organisation’s objectives


The European flag was projected on the Palais de l ’Europe building to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe, onthe occasion of the Swiss chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers – November 2009.

Addressing the Committee of Ministers' session in Madrid on12 May, Ian Micallef (Malta), acting President of the Congresssince early 2009, spoke of the need to relocalise our societies,and for the Council to make more use of the Congress as a toolthat was tailor‑made for tackling these problems. The era ofglobalisation would also be the era of the local community, hesaid. Even if the good health of local democracy and the qualityof local governance still varied in Europe, local democracytoday was an accepted fact. Local authorities were the centralactors for improving the quality and the sustainability of ourlife‑styles. The immense movement of decentralisation wasunderway, and was unstoppable.

To mark the progress of local andregional democracy, the Congressorganised several events to coincide withits October 2009 session, including a sit‑ting to celebrate the Council of Europe's60th anniversary, and in particular itsachievements in the local and regionaldomain.

The addresses to the assembled local andregional representatives, by Zlata Plostajner,the Slovenian minister for local self‑government and regional development,Peter Altmaier, Parliamentary StateSecretary at the German interior ministry,and Alan Meale, Chair of theParliamentary Assembly's Committee onEnvironment, Agriculture and Local andRegional Affairs, symbolised the importance of the partnershipbetween the three components of democratic power, namelygovernments, parliaments and local and regional authorities.

Citizen democracyCitizen participation is the underpinning of local democracy.To emphasise this, the Congress has organised a number ofdebates, particularly on young people's involvement inlocal and regional democracy. Practical examples of suchparticipation were presented by the children's municipalcouncil of Schiltigheim, in France, which celebrated its 30thanniversary in 2009, and by the Strasbourg youth council.Members of the Congress took this opportunity to discussthese questions with Raphaël Nisand, mayor of Schiltigheim,Ambrine Baader, a member of the children's council, andEloïse Jacob, of the youth council.

Citizen participation also featured largely in the activities tomark the third European Local Democracy Week, in 2009. Asone of the authors of this initiative, the Congress reviewedthe achievements of the first years of this pan‑Europeanevent during the debate on youth participation in October. Inthe discussions, Wolfgang Schuster, Lord Mayor of Stuttgart

(Germany) and a member of the Congress, described the activitiesof the Cities for Children Network, in which the Congress is anenthusiastic participant, and proposed the drafting of aEuropean charter on the well‑being of children in cities.

The celebrations were an opportunity for the Congress todescribe its achievements and its expectations to the newCouncil of Europe Secretary General, Thorbjǿrn Jagland(Norway), elected in September 2009. In his first formaladdress in that post, before the Congress, he stressed theimportance of the role of local elected members as the political

representatives who were most directlyconfronted with the needs, wishes anddemands of their electors. "Politiciansare always under pressure to deliverresults“, he told his audience, "but it is atthe local level that this pressure is perhapsmost concrete, constant and direct."

The sitting was followed by the inaugu ‑ration of a photographic exhibition toillustrate the Congress’ activities and theprogress of local and regional demo ‑cracy in Europe over the last fifty ormore years.

Strengthening the meansfor monitoringDespite the steady expansion of its role

as guarantor of local and regional democracy, particularlythrough its monitoring and election observation activities,the Congress has to deal with a significant reduction in itsresources, the effects of which are already apparent.

What makes the current restrictions even more serious is thefact that the Congress has expenses that are not faced byother Council of Europe bodies and is also having to take onnew responsibilities. According to the report on Congressresources in 2010, presented by Congress Vice‑PresidentJean‑Claude Frécon (France) at the March 2009 session, theCongress budget represented 3% of the Council of Europe'soverall budget, which was 2.5 times less than that of theParliamentary Assembly.

Since democracy is an absolute priority of the Council ofEurope, alongside human rights, the Congress urged theCommittee of Ministers in June 2009 to give the same priorityto Council bodies promoting democracy as to those responsiblefor implementing the European Convention on HumanRights.

According to Ian Micallef, the acting Congress President, theCongress had all the necessary powers and skills to stimulateand support these developments, but the financial constraints



We are convincedthat a peaceful, prosperousand united Europe is aEurope not only of nation-states, but also a Europeof Regions and LocalCommunities.

Ian Micallef (Malta), acting Congress

President, following the adoption of the

Declaration on the Council of Europe’s

60th anniversary on October 2009.

it was currently facing posed a real threat to itsfuture, even though it was introducing new andrational management and working methods to tryto compensate for these cuts.

2009 was the year of the Council of Europe's 60thanniversary but it was also the first year of theCongress' new working methods. Until 2008, itheld an annual plenary session. There are now twosuch sessions each year, in March and October.

New working methodsThe new working methods were the main item onthe agenda of its Standing Committee meeting inBrdo (Slovenia) on 10 June 2009. Drawing on a reportprepared by a former President, Halvdan Skard(Norway), the participants discussed ways ofsimplifying certain procedures and working methods,and of optimising the treatment of subjects selected fordebate. The acting President, Ian Micallef, recom‑mended the outsourcing of certain activities, arecasting of relations with its partners, fund‑raisingand the development of “early‑warning”, “rapid‑reaction” and “follow‑up” mechanisms in connectionwith its monitoring and investigation activities.

Local and regional democracybeyond Europe The Congress also continues to co‑operate withlocal and regional authorities outside of Europe.For its debate on challenges for local democracy inthe world, at its October session, it welcomedYasuo Nozaka, mayor of Yonago in Japan, andAntonio Ledezma, mayor of Caracas in Venezuela.Mr Nozaka described the difficulties faced byJapanese local authorities, whose finances wereclosely controlled by the state, which had also cut themback for economic reasons. Similarly, Mr. Ledezmaspoke of his experience of local self‑governmentin his country.

As well as maintaining relations with local authoritiesin other continents, the Congress also enjoys closeties with its host city, Strasbourg. For example, atthe October session the mayor of Strasbourg,Roland Ries, described the Strasbourg‑OrtenauEurodistrict and the Upper Rhine region, two bod‑ies in which cross‑border co‑operation is now anintegral part of local governance.



In 2009 we celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Council of Europe.I was born five years before this happy event, when large parts of Europewere still stricken in the ugliest war of history, Yet, a growing number ofEuropean leaders started to imagine a new Europe, a Council of Europethat would bring to their populations the dream of reconciliation.

Democracy was part of this challenge: in this way we were the firstinternational organisation to go beyond the Committee of Ministers,through adopting a democratic pillar. Looking at the importance oftowns in the development of local democracy, the ParliamentaryAssembly took, as early as 1957, the initiative to convene the firstEuropean Conference of Local Authorities, representing electedmayors and councillors from all Council of Europe member States.

The Conference has since become the Congress of Local andRegional Authorities. During my 38 year career, I have observed theprofound development of our European societies with respect to therecognition of the territorial dimension, the tier of government clo‑sest to the citizen, so as to counterbalance an unequal concentration ofpower at European level. In addition European integration anddecentralisation are movements which, far from being contradictory,act to complement each other.

Today, more than ever, the Congress’ objective is to observe, countryby county, the evolution of local and regional democracy, in otherwords, to carry out monitoring missions, on the basis of the EuropeanCharter of Local Self‑Government, a Council of Europe conventionadopted almost 25 years ago and ratified today by virtually all ourmember states (44 out of 47). In the Congress we are also convincedthat democratic regions will enhance the success of the states to whichthey belong. This is why we defend with the same strength the plan forthe European Charter of Regional Government, which if it were to beadopted by our States could be the regional counterpart to the Charterof Local Self‑Government. However I have been compelled to learnduring my long career with the Council of Europe that modesty andpatience are necessary as regards the progress of ideas before arriving atcommon attainments recognised Europe wide.

“Modesty and patience are necessary as regards the progress

of ideas, before arriving at common

attainments recognisedEurope‑wide“

Ulrich Bohner Outgoing Congress

Secretary General

ways and means of improving local and regionalgovernance and the Council of Europe’s role instrengthening local and regional democracy. TheCongress, one of the key players in this area, took partin the debates and set out its positions on the draftDeclaration and draft Utrecht Agenda, which werealso supported by the Council’s ParliamentaryAssembly.

Addressing the conference, acting Congress PresidentIan Micallef stressed the need for constant dialoguebetween governments and local and regional authorities,at both national and Council of Europe level. He alsostressed the fact that governments had to be moreactive in implementing the Congress’ recommendationsand that any action to ensure good governance had toinvolve the local and regional authorities themselves.“Monitoring the quality of local and regional democracyis the sole responsibility of the Congress which isaccountable to territorial authorities”, he said.

The 16th session of the Conference of EuropeanMinisters responsible for Local and RegionalGovernment was held in Utrecht (Netherlands) on16 and 17 November 2009. The Congress, which wasstrongly represented at the conference, made its owncontribution both to the Utrecht Declaration byemphasising the role of local and regional authoritiesin Europe today, and to the Utrecht Agenda, whichidentifies the approaches necessary to ensure goodlocal and regional governance.

The challenges that arise regarding good local andregional governance in a period of crisis and changewere the focus of the Conference of EuropeanMinisters responsible for Local and RegionalGovernment held in Utrecht (Netherlands) inNovember 2009.

The ministers looked in particular at the position of theterritorial dimension in European democracy, the


Ministers approve the reference framework for regional democracy

Utrecht Conference :Congress enters into dialogue

with governments

Ian Micallef, acting Congress President (centre), addresses the Ministerial Conference in Utrecht, Netherlands, in November 2009,in the presence of Jean-Claude Frécon, Vice-President of the Congress (left), and Alan Meale, Chairman of the Committee on theEnvironment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly (right).

His words were followed up by Congress Vice‑PresidentJean‑Claude Frécon (France) and the Chair of the InstitutionalCommittee Keith Whitmore (UK), who underlined theCongress’ leading role in monitoring the quality of local andregional democracy in Europe while at the same time pointingout ministers’ responsibility to ensure that its proposals wereacted upon.

The Congress delegation, which also comprised its Vice‑Presidents Dubravka Suica (Croatia) and Onno van Velduizen(Netherlands), Karl‑Heinz Lambertz (Belgium), Chair of theCommittee on Culture and Education, and Jean‑Claude VanCauwenberghe (Belgium), Chair of thead hoc Working Group on Regions withLegislative Powers, presented its opinionon the main conference report, whichhad been drawn up by Mari Kiviniemi,the Finnish Minister of Public Ad ‑ministra tion and Local Government.

Calling for the strengthening of theCouncil of Europe’s work at local andregional level, Ms Kiviniemi suggestedincreasing the member states’involvement in local and regionalpolicies with a better information systemand the creation of common standardsand assessment measures. Shewished to improve co‑operationbetween the Council of Europe andother international bodies, especiallythe European Union and the OECD.She also wanted to make the measurescarried out more flexible and effectiveand open up the European bodiesresponsible for local and regionaldemocracy more widely to civil society while at the same timeimproving their internal and external communication strategies.

The Congress expressed its support for closer and moreproductive co‑operation between the various entities withinthe Council of Europe, especially the European Committee onLocal and Regional Democracy (CDLR), in the follow‑up to themonitoring carried out by the Congress, while at the sametime retaining the diversity of structures and the allocation oftheir responsibilities. The delegation said that the dialogue andconsultations between these entities should be strengthenedand rendered more effective, not reduced.

A framework for regional democracyThe Congress also expressed its opinion on the draft ReferenceFramework for Regional Democracy, which the ministersapproved at the conference. For the Congress, this is only atemporary compromise and should lead in the longer term to

the adoption of a binding instrument. This document, drawn upby the CDLR, takes account of the European Charter of RegionalDemocracy, adopted by the Congress in 2008. It was originallysupposed to be the “regional” equivalent of the EuropeanCharter of Local Self‑Government and, like its counterpart,contain binding elements applicable in relations between centralgovernment and regions. Rejected by the member states on twooccasions, this draft charter has now re‑emerged in the form ofa “reference framework” with no binding force. For Jean‑Claude van Cauwenberghe, the Congress’ rapporteur onregionalisation, this framework can be a new starting‑pointfor regional democracy in Europe, even if it has to be seen as an

“intermediate step” towards a standard‑setting text (charter or convention) inthe more distant future.

The Congress also contributed to thediscussion of cross‑border co‑operationissues and discussions on awareness‑raising programmes and measures toencourage citizen participation, such asthe European Local Democracy Week.

Two new protocolsThe ministers reaffirmed their com‑mitment to reducing and ultimatelyremoving the practical and legal obstacleslimiting co‑operation between local andregional authorities across nationalborders. Additional Protocol No. 3 tothe European Outline Convention onTransfrontier Co‑operation (the 1980Madrid Convention), which is supportedby the Congress and was opened forsignature by the member states at the

conference, is an innovative legal instrument that should helpbring about stronger inter‑territorial co‑operation.

The ministers then opened for signature by the memberstates the Additional Protocol to the European Charter ofLocal Self‑Government on citizen participation. This instrument,which has also been given a favourable opinion by theCongress, guarantees every citizen the right to participate inthe affairs of their local authority, first by electing it and thenby becoming involved in any consultations, petitions orreferendums that it organises. For their part, local authoritiesare called upon to encourage the exercise of this right, throughinstalling, among other things, the necessary technologiesand providing information making it possible to ensure thatthis right is upheld more effectively.

The conference concluded with the adoption of the UtrechtDeclaration, which highlights the leading role to be played bylocal and regional authorities in order to find a way out of theeconomic and financial crisis. In this connection, the ministers


Utrecht Conference : Congress enters into dialogue with governments

The Congress calls for apermanent dialogue ondifferent political levels.The Council of Europe'sworking methods shouldreflect this principle inorder to preserve itsdiverse structures whichmake it unique.Jean-Claude Frécon (France), Congress Vice-

President, at the Council of Europe Conference

of Ministers responsible for local and regional

government, Utrecht, The Netherlands,

November 2009.

drew particular attention to the respective roles of local authoritiesand central governments, stressing the responsibility of thelatter for guaranteeing the resources of local authorities.

Appended to the Declaration was the Utrecht Agenda on theestablishment of good local and regional governance for2010‑2013. The Agenda identifies specific challenges ofparticular significance to all, especially the management of the

economic and financial crisis, the low level of democraticparticipation in public life at local and regional level and theneed to increase the organisational effectiveness of local andregional authority governance. The Utrecht Declaration andUtrecht Agenda represent a renewed basis for action andco‑operation in future years between governments and theCongress as partners in the implementation of the measuresadvocated by these texts.


Utrecht Conference : Congress enters into dialogue with governments

Together with several of your fellow Congress membersyou support the idea of turning the European Charterof Regional Democracy into a “reference framework”for regional democracy. In what main ways would thisdiffer from the Charter, and what advantages wouldthe new text offer?

Jean-Claude van Cauwenberghe: Even if we regretthe Ministers’ decision, we were expecting it and we thinkthat the drafting of a “reference framework for regionaldemocracy” will make it possible to continue promotingregional democracy in Europe: it will mark a new departurein our work, whereas if we do nothing we risk losing thebenefit of our past efforts. Of course, the new referenceframework will not have the legal force of a convention,but, in applying it, states will see that, far from beingcontroversial, the promotion of regional democracy isbeneficial both to them and to the regions.

If it is not binding, what force will this referenceframework have and how can it be useful to theregions?

Jean-Claude van Cauwenberghe: We are going tobreathe life into this text by promoting it and publicising ittogether with our partners, including the EuropeanCommittee on Regional Democracy, and we will pursue

this work after its adoption by the Ministerial Conference inUtrecht. This reference framework will be useful for theregional monitoring carried out by the Congress, and shouldalso provide inspiration for states wishing to reorganisetheir structures on a more regional basis. This document willincorporate, in addition to the draft Charter, the so‑calledHelsinki principles and will constitute a reference corpusserving the needs of efficient and democratic regionaldevelopment based on the subsidiarity principle.

Do you intend to continue working within theCongress on a new project which would again take theform of a convention, and, apart from a convention, doyou see any alternative mechanism for establishing alegal framework at regional level?

Jean-Claude van Cauwenberghe: Our philosophyand our ideas remain the same and, once again, the referenceframework is not an end, but a beginning. It will mark a furtherpolitical step towards an international legal instrument. Withits adoption in Utrecht in November, it will put regionalismback on the agenda and will update certain principles, suchas the Helsinki principles, while permitting their practicalapplication. We continue to dream of organising regionalself‑government at European level by establishing strongprinciples of subsidiarity, democracy and good governance.

“The reference framework marks a new departure for the promotion of regional

democracy in Europe“

Jean-Claude van Cauwenberghe(Belgium)

Congress Rapporteur on

regionalisation in Europe


on youth participation. As Raphaël Nisand, mayor ofSchiltigheim (France), pointed out in his presentationof the Children’s Municipal Council of this Alsatiantown, which set up the first council of this type inFrance in 1979, “being involved in the life of thetown not only means voting or standing in electionsbut also providing people with the means of expressingthemselves and taking part in local decision‑making”.These bodies that bring together children and youngpeople elected by their peers not only initiate them inlocal politics but also enable them to make their voicesheard better in the decision‑making bodies made upsolely of adults.

According to Ambrine Baader, an 11‑year‑old secondary‑school pupil and member of the Schiltigheim Children’sMunicipal Council, “by discussing issues together wehelp to improve the town by making ourselves useful”.She felt it would be a good idea if European childrenwere also able to come together in a joint forum.

The Strasbourg Youth Council, represented by 14‑year‑old Eloïse Jacob, also took part in the debate. She said

In 2009, over a thousand activities were organisedthroughout Europe as part of the European LocalDemocracy Week (ELDW). Three years after it waslaunched by the Congress, it has become a major annualevent for the recognition of local and regional authoritiesand the promotion of democratic participation at locallevel in Europe.

The 2009 ELDW was officially launched in Strasbourg(France) on 12 October. Several aspects of localdemocracy were highlighted, including the participationof foreign nationals, the promotion of youth assembliesand the development of new technologies. “TheEuropean Local Democracy Week is a practical way ofincreasing citizens’ participation”, said Keith Whitmore(UK), Chair of the Congress’s Institutional Committeeand ELDW co‑ordinator.

Youth Councils During the session, coinciding with the launch ofELDW in October 2009, the Congress held a debate

European Local Democracy Week, a Congress initiative to mobilise all citizens

Young people at the heart ofterritorial democracy

Ambrine Baader, an 11-year-old pupil at secondary school, addresses the Congress members on behalf of the Children’s MunicipalCouncil of Schiltigheim, France - October 2009.

that “its 130 elected representatives make the Youth Councila body bursting with life. It enables young people to discoverhow the municipality operates and to be part of decision‑making”.

The need to take account of children in towns is also anissue championed by Wolfgang Schuster, the Lord Mayorof Stuttgart (Germany). The initiator of an extensive municipalprogramme entitled “Cities for Children”, aimed at improvingthe well‑being of children in towns, he called on theCongress to promote similar measures in all Europeantowns. “Without such measures, our towns are in danger ofturning into huge retirementhomes”, he said during the Congressdebate on youth participation indemocracy.

Equal access to electionsDuring ELDW, a panel discussion onthe position of foreign residents inEuropean local democracy processeswas also held by the City ofStrasbourg (France) in partnershipwith the Congress and the CLIPnetwork (Network of European Citiesfor Local Integration Policies forMigrants). Mahboob Khan (UK), amember of the Congress, took part inthis event in order to look at theprocesses that enable foreign residentsto participate at local level and considertheir social impact.

In addition, in October 2009 the Congress adopted a recom‑mendation on Equal Access to Local and Regional Elections,which reflects these key principles, including gender equalityon candidate lists and the right to vote and stand for electionfor all inhabitants who have lived for at least three years in theplace where the election is being held. This recommendation callson local and regional authorities to ensure that all candidateshave equal access to the media and that voters have the electoralmaterial they need to make their choice. In addition, youngpeople, who too often shun the ballot box, should be encouragedby specific initiatives to turn out in greater numbers at elections,and people with disabilities or physical or sensory impairmentsshould be able to obtain special assistance, to enable them totravel without difficulty to the polling stations and vote fortheir choice of candidate(s).

Tools for strengthening participationAt its October 2009 session, the Congress adopted a resolutionand recommendation on electronic democracy. It called on

local and regional authorities to make use of online tools toimprove the transparency and effectiveness of local government.For example, citizens and elected representatives could holdpolitical debates on local issues, or the municipalities couldput their deliberations and decisions online. Other initiativeswere encouraged, such as the provision of free Internetaccess points in public places. However, the texts adoptedalso stress the risks inherent in electronic democracy, especiallywith regard to the protection of users’ privacy.

In June 2009, at its meeting in Brdo (Slovenia), the StandingCommittee also voiced its support for the Code of Good

Practice for Civil participation in theDecision‑Making Process, adopted bythe Council of Europe INGOConference. In its opinion, theCongress stated that this code “setsdown, in a realistic manner, concreteprinciples for civil participation at alllevels of the political decision‑makingprocess” and “provides practicalguidance supporting the implemen ‑tation of elements of direct democracy”.

The instruments to encourage par‑ticipation also include an AdditionalProtocol to the European Charter ofLocal Self‑Government, which givesa new dimension to the Charter byproviding an international legalguarantee of the right to participatein the affairs of a local authority.This text was opened for signaturein November 2009 at the Conferenceof European Ministers responsible

for Local and Regional Govern ment held in Utrecht(Netherlands).

Giving a boost to the ELDW in 2010The European Local Democracy Week was also on the agenda ofthe Utrecht Conference. “The European Local Democracy Weekcalls for innovative methods to increase citizen participation”,said Ank Bijleveld‑Schouten, State Secretary for the Interiorand Kingdom Relations in the Dutch Ministry of the Interior.At the conference, the acting President of the Congress IanMicallef welcomed the decision of the European Union’sCommittee of the Regions to take part in the next ELDW.“This agreement is an important step for the furtherstrengthening of the ELDW. The commitment of theCommittee of the Regions, our partner organisation in theEU, will contribute to making this concept one of the majorevents on the calendar of the 47 Council of Europe memberstates”, said the ELDW political co‑ordinator KeithWhitmore.


Young people at the heart of territorial democracy

The European LocalDemocracy Week is an importantinitiative as its primary objectiveis to boost citizen interest andparticipation in local politics. TheCommittee of Ministers supportsthis project which has alreadytaken on significant proportions,both in size and impact.

Zlata Plostajner (Slovenia), Minister responsible

for local self-government and regional develop-

ment, on behalf of the Chairmanship of the

Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe,

October 2009.


27 May, in Iceland from 15 to 17 June, in Russia from 16 to17 December and in Belgium from 16 to 18 December.Switzerland, Iceland and Belgium were among the lastseven Council of Europe member states never having beenvisited in this regard, the four others being Austria,Montenegro, Serbia and France. With these three missions,the Congress has virtually completed the first round ofmonitoring all the 44 countries that have ratified theCharter, i.e. all the member states apart from Andorra,Monaco and San Marino.

The mission to Switzerland, led by Congress RapporteurJean‑Claude van Cauwenberghe (Belgium), examined interalia the distribution of powers between the federalauth orities, cantons and local authorities, as well as the stateof cantonal financial autonomy and the machinery forconsulting the cantons on federal projects and decisions.

The mission to Iceland was of particular significance owingto the extremely severe financial crisis into which the countrywas plunged in 2008. Congress Rapporteur Esther Maurer(Switzerland) said she was impressed by the “solidaritybetween municipal and national levels in dealing with thechallenge presented by the crisis” and observed that, farfrom paralysing Iceland’s political representatives, whetherat the national or the municipal level, this crisis hadinspired them to seek out innovative solutions together.

Promoting local and regional democracy and monitoringit in the Council of Europe’s member states remains theCongress’ key task. In 2009, the Congress continued itsmonitoring activities to ensure due application of theEuropean Charter of Local Self‑Government across thecontinent. Its monitoring mechanism includes countryreports, discussions with government officials on actiontaken in response to Congress recommendations, fact‑finding missions and local and regional election observationmissions. This repertory of tools is one of the Congress’strengths and these activities are also its most visible atinternational level.

The Congress is being increasingly called upon to respondto situations that are of particular concern for the properfunctioning of local and regional democracy; to monitorthe implementation of the European Charter of LocalSelf‑Government more rigorously and to intervene morefrequently when allegations of breaches of its provisionsare made. Its monitoring activities also help local andregional authorities to take up the challenges facingtheir communities, whether linked to the economic andfinancial crisis, climate change, and the provision of publicservices, or the management of fiscal resources.

The Congress carried out five monitoring missions in 2009:in Turkey from 12 to 14 January, in Switzerland from 25 to

For a more effective monitoring of the 47 Council of Europe member states

Congress safeguards the health of local democracy

In December 2009, the Congress carried out a mission to assess the situation of local and regional democracy in Belgium. CongressRapporteurs Michel Guégan (France) and Dobrica Milovanovic (Serbia) met heads and representatives of government of Belgianregions (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels-Capital), as well as the Minister-President of the German-Speaking Community.

In addition, two other monitoring missions were carried out inDecember, one in Belgium and the other in Russia, to study theapplication of the Charter in those countries.

Regarding Belgium the Congress voiced its dissatisfaction in April,through its rapporteur Michel Guégan (France), concerning theintransigence of the Flemish Interior Minister on the matter of therefusal to appoint three French‑speaking mayors in the Flemishregion. This situation had been the subject of a debate inDecember 2008 and led to a recommendation calling on theFlemish authorities to appoint the mayors or hold new elections.According to the rapporteur, "the Flemish authorities have nottaken into consideration the Congress's recommendation. By actingin this way, they have deliberately reached a political impasse.”

In May, the draft law amending the rules on local self‑governmentin Russia was submitted to the Bureau of the Congress. Thisintroduces a new mechanism that permitsthe dismissal of mayors by municipalcouncils on the initiative of the regionalgovernor. The Bureau considered that thedismissal of mayors without consulting thepopulation that had elected them andwithout the possibility of an appeal mightbe incompatible with the European Charterof Local Self‑Government, which theRussian Federation ratified in 1998. Themonitoring mission in December wasasked to investigate this matter.

During the year, the Bureau also discussedmatters relating to the situation of localdemocracy, especially in Azerbaijan,Latvia, Moldova, Romania and Turkey. Itdecided to send a fact‑finding mission toMoldova following complaints from localauthority associations and asked theInstitutional Committee to examine complaints from severalassociations of local and regional authorities in Romania and toorganise a monitoring mission to that country. The Bureau alsocontinued to monitor the situation of foreign residents in Latvia,in the light of the Congress’ recommendation of December 2008,calling on the Latvian authorities to grant them the right to votein local elections.

As far as Azerbaijan is concerned, the Congress was asked toconsider the situation following the referendum of 18 Marchapproving several amendments to the Constitution, despite thecriticism voiced by the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission.After the referendum, the Bureau stressed the need to ensurethat the new laws on local and regional self‑government, to beadopted in light of these constitutional amendments, complywith the European Charter of Local Self‑Government.

The acting President of the Congress, Ian Micallef, visitedAzerbaijan from 10 to 14 September to assess the situation of local

democracy there. Before his visit, he again called on theAzerbaijani authorities to join the other countries of the SouthCaucasus in electing rather than appointing the mayor of itscapital city, Baku. “The first‑ever election of the Mayor ofYerevan in Armenia in May this year, and the initiative of theGeorgian President in favour of the direct election of the Mayorof Tbilisi have created democratic momentum in the SouthCaucasus. With a view to its municipal elections in December,Azerbaijan should follow these positive examples”, he said.

After this visit, Ian Micallef stated that the government haddecided to consult the Venice Commission and the Congress inorder to make progress on the path to local self‑government anddecentralisation. “Much remains to be done in Azerbaijan withregard to the consolidation of territorial structures. At present,local democracy is a rather vague and abstract concept”, he said,concluding that the December municipal elections would make it

possible to see if the poll actually measuredup to the assurances given.

In November, the acting President also paidan official visit to Albania to enquireabout the progress of local democracy inthat country, with particular referenceto the complaints by several mayorsconcerning difficulties with the decentral ‑isation process. He called on theAlbanian president to act as a mediatorbetween the central government andlocal and regional authorities in order tofind solutions to these problems.

From 12 to 14 January Congress rapporteursAnders Knape (Sweden) and Herwig vanStaa (Austria) paid a visit to Turkey, acountry already “examined” several timesin connection with the monitoring of local

democracy, in order to discuss the present state of application ofthe Charter of Local Self‑Government, and obtain additionalinformation on the situation of certain mayors in the south‑eastof the country. In August, the Congress welcomed the newinitiatives taken by the Turkish government to resolve the “Kurdishissue”, which it hopes will also contribute to consolidating localdemocracy in Turkey. The Turkish‑Armenian rapprochementconcurrently set in motion was also welcomed by the Congress,which is encouraging Turkey to “continue on the path of reform”.

Lastly, in order to assess the level of incorporation of the EuropeanCharter of Local Self‑Government in the legal systems of the statesthat have ratified it, in May the Congress prepared a report on thissubject via a group of independent experts. This will enable thelevel of judicial protection available to local self‑government tobe assessed. Many European countries, such as Malta, which iscurrently carrying out an extensive local democracy reform plan,recognise that they owe their system of local self‑governmentlargely to the work done by the Congress.


Congress safeguards the health of local democracy

Congress leads inmonitoring territorialdemocracy, Ministersare responsible foracting on its recom -mendations.Keith Whitmore (UK), President of the

Congress Institutional Committee, at

the Council of Europe Conference of

Ministers responsible for local and

regional government, Utrecht, The

Netherlands, November 2009.


this visit, a Congress delegation, led by Nigel Mermagen(UK), was able to meet parties and government repre ‑sentatives, the media and the electoral bodies. TheCongress, which was the only international observerpresent during the elections, had the satisfaction of seeingthe inhabitants of this city finally elect their representatives,albeit “tempered by deficiencies in the conduct of thevote”. It called on all the country’s politicians to “changetheir attitudes and behaviour” with a view to improvingthe country’s democratic culture in future. A recom ‑mendation adopted in Oct ober echoed all the observationsmade during the election.

Lastly, after lengthy preparations and numerous meetings,a delegation led by Gaye Doğanoğlu (Turkey), President ofthe Sustainable Developement Committee, observed themunicipal elections in Azerbaijan on 23 December.Although the Congress, which had also carried out a pre‑electoral visit to the country in early December, concludedthat they had been properly organised, it noted deficiencieswith regard to compliance with the principle of pluralismduring the campaign. The absence of genuine debates withparticipants from all sides, especially in the media, gavethe impression that there were no issues involved in theseelections and, as the Congress delegation sadly pointedout, the outcome was a low voter turnout.

On 22 March 2009, the Congress observed the local elec‑tions in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”(FYROM) followed by the first mayoral elections inYerevan, Armenia on 31 May, and finally, the municipalelections in Azerbaijan, on 23 December.

The Congress delegation to FYROM, led by LudmilaSfirloaga (Romania), President of the Chamber of Regions,concluded that these elections had generally compliedwith international standards despite a few isolatedproblems, but regretted that the presidential electionheld at the same time directed attention away from theissues of the local elections. Although the large number ofcandidates and parties gave the voters a genuine choice,nevertheless the observers noted that there was still, tosome extent, an atmosphere of mistrust, as could be seenfrom the numerous worrying allegations of election‑related pressure or intimidation, especially targetingpublic employees, during the pre‑election period.

Of particular interest to the Congress, both because of theirimportance for the future of local democracy in Armeniaand because they serve as an example, the elections tothe Yerevan municipal council – whereby the mayor ofthe capital was to be elected for the first time – were thesubject of a “pre‑electoral visit” on 4 and 5 May. During

Skopje, Yerevan, Baku: Congress elected representativesassess the quality of electoral democracy

Congress mission in the field:election observation

A delegation composed of 11 Congress members representing 8 Council of Europe countries monitored the vote in about 100 pollingstations, during the municipal elections in Azerbaijan, in December 2009.

on a co‑operation project in the field of local self‑government. It was decided to begin by organisinga Round Table on the conformity of Belarusian legislationto the European Charter of Local Self‑Governmentand to mandate Council of Europe experts to assessthe draft law on local self‑government in Belarus.According to the President of the Congress, IanMicallef, “these initial steps should lead to broaderco‑operation between the Congress and thepolitical forces and civil society in Belarus at locallevel in order to promote democratic changes in thatcountry”.

A Belarusian delegation was invited to the meetingof the Congress’ Standing Committee in Slovenia inJune 2009, in order to take part in the debate on localand regional self‑government and the prospects forco‑operation with their country. The co‑operationproject, which was presented during this debate,comprised the following three pillars: the RoundTable on the democratic principles of local self‑government and analysis of Belarusian legislation;the setting up of a national association of localauthorities; and training for local councillors andtheir administrations.

Relaunching political dialoguewith Minsk

Relations between the Congress and Belarus, whichhave for several years been confined to the attendanceof one organisation holding observer status atCongress sessions, were boosted in 2009 with thedevelopment of a co‑operation project on local democracyin this country. In June, this project, which is geared tohelping Belarusian local authorities to adopt a genuinelegal and institutional framework for self‑governmentat a time when the State is still omnipresent at localand regional authority level, was ratified by theStanding Committee of the Congress.

In December 2008, the Congress granted observerstatus to the Council for Co‑operation of Local Self‑Government Bodies, which operates under theauthority of the Council of the Republic, the upperhouse of the National Assembly of Belarus. ThisCouncil thus joined the Lev Sapieha Foundation,which has held observer status since 2001, as anotherorganisation entitled to participate in the work of theCongress. Its Chairperson, Boris Batura, who is alsoPresident of the Council of the Republic, addressedthe Congress at the March 2009 session.

On this occasion, the Congress initiated consultationswith the national authorities and the two observers

Congress initiates a new co-operation processwith Belarus authorities


A Belarusian delegation, led by Anatoly Rubinov (left), Vice-President of the Council for Co-operation of Local Self-GovernmentBodies, took part in the meeting of the Congress Standing Committee, in June 2009, in Slovenia.

The Belarusian representatives pointed out that theelected local bodies in their country were hoping to setup their own institutional structure and to step up theirco‑operation with the Congress. Anatoly Rubinov,Vice‑Chairperson of the Council for Co‑operation ofLocal Self‑Government Bodies, mentioned the possibilityof setting up an association of local authorities andinvited the Congress to analyse the legal framework forlocal self‑government in his country.

Structures for Belarusian localauthoritiesAccording to Miroslav Kobasa, President of the LevSapieha Foundation, who sent a message to theCommittee, Belarus has a local self‑government systemoperating under the control of the national authorities,whereby the local authorities are actually organs ofthe State Administration. In his message he stressedthe shortcomings of this system, including the lack ofdemocratic procedure, transparency and independence

on the part of local self‑government bodies, and the limitedscope of their competences. This situation means thatco‑operation with the Congress is vital in order toinvolve the local authorities in joint projects. Throughopening a dialogue with Belarusian local authorities,the Congress can simultaneously alert the country’scentral authorities to the advantages of these politicaldevelopments, in the opinion of the Lev SapiehaFoundation, which is working for the introduction oflocal self‑government in Belarus and sees the Congressas the partner best able to help it achieve this goal.

However, continued relations with Belarus will requirethe latter to accept the Council of Europe’s standards,primarily in the area of human rights. To this end, theacting President of the Congress joins with theParliamentary Assembly in demanding a moratoriumon the death penalty as an essential precondition forcontinued dialogue.

Belarus is ready tostep up co-operationwith the Congress.Anatoly Rubinov, Vice-President of the

Council for Co-operation of Local Self-

Government Bodies of Belarus.

What is the state of local and regional self-government inBelarus today?

Miroslav Kobasa: In Belarus the concept applied is one ofstate‑run local self‑government. In reality citizens are kept outof the decision‑making process at local level and people receivevery little in the way of information on the activities of localauthorities. In many fundamental ways, Belarus legislation onlocal self‑government does not comply with the principles andstandards of the European Charter of Local Self‑Government.

What steps need to be taken to improve the situation, andhow can the Congress help you in this regard?

Miroslav Kobasa: Three initial steps could be taken. First,the drawing up and adoption of a Blueprint for the reform oflocal self‑government in the Republic of Belarus. For this, weneed a real assessment of the state of local self‑government inthe Republic as compared with the principles and standards ofthe European Charter of Local Self‑Government. Furthermore,we expect the creation of an association of local and regionalauthorities of Belarus and finally, guarantees of transparencyin local authority activities. The Congress has taken a wholehost of decisions aimed at these issues. Expert assistance wouldbe most useful for Belarusian specialists.

What can the municipalities and regions of your countrygain from this co-operation?

Miroslav Kobasa: Politically speaking, co‑operation mustultimately lead Belarus to membership of the Council ofEurope. And, in my opinion, this is a real and fairly short‑termprospect. There is no alternative to co‑operation. Time andpatience are needed, and there will be results.

“There is no alternative

to co‑operation with the

Congress“Miroslav Kobasa(Belarus)

President of the

Lev Sapieha Foundation


Relaunching political dialogue with Minsk

“The impact of the crisis on local and regionalauthorities is both direct and indirect”, said GüntherKrug (Germany), Vice‑President of the Congress,when introducing the debate at the Spring Session inMarch 2009. “Their resources are declining at a timewhen their services should be doing more and theirlocal economies need support. Moreover, the crisisbrings uncertainties and leads to pessimism at alllevels”, he added.

How should local and regional councillors respond?What measures could be taken? What assistancewould local and regional authorities need? Thosewere the questions which were discussed by the

In spite of the billions pumped into the system by centralgovernments and although the financial base of thesub‑national public sector is generally sound, theeffects of the 2008 financial crash were also felt inEurope’s towns, cities and regions The Congress ofLocal and Regional Authorities of the Council ofEurope responded to the economic recession by holdinga debate on the consequences of the internationalfinancial crisis for local and regional authorities. ItsCommittee on Social Cohesion also presented areport on means of combating excessive debt amongthe most vulnerable households, as well as on theintegration of migrants, who are particulary vulnerablein this time of crisis.


International financial crisis hits our communities hardand narrows their scope for action

Territorial authorities facingthe crisis

The crisis requires public investment of which almost two-thirds today are made by European communities.

participants, who gave accounts of their own experience aselected representatives.

Maurice Vincent (France), Mayor of Saint‑Etienne, Presidentof Saint‑Etienne Métropole and a member of the Rhône‑Alpes regional council, pointed out that “European localauthorities carry out nearly two‑thirds of public investment,which has grown by 3.2% in volume since 2000. Their debthas risen by 3.9% since then but is only 5.8% of GDP.”

According to him, the excesses of a far too poorly regulatedfinancial system had led to a frenetic search for profits bypromoting and distributing high‑risk products throughoutthe system. Many local authorities had been hit by thecollapse of these products and had seen an explosion in theirdebts, so it was important to carry out appropriate debt‑securitisation policies in order to preserve investment capacityand protect future generations frompotentially significant costs.

Given the crisis, local authorities neededto reassess their debts and loans and puttheir finances on a sounder footing,while also preparing for the recovery,according to the speakers.

Diminished resources“In Saint‑Etienne”, explained MauriceVincent, “businesses are experiencing adownturn. Layoffs, especially in the carindustry, are causing public concern.”

For local authorities, the consequencesof the decline in business activity wouldbe automatically reflected in a reduction in their tax income.In such circumstances, it would be difficult to avoid raisinglocal taxes. The authorities were also suffering from thebanks’ reluctance to grant new loans.

This point of view was shared by Congress member IoannisStratakis (Greece), who said that “global economic develop‑ment will necessarily weigh heavily on local and regionalauthorities, which risk seeing their resources diminish,whether they consist of general grants or local tax revenue.”In his view, if social cohesion was to be preserved, it wasnecessary to avoid cutting the resources available to localauthorities, which would have an immediate and directimpact on inhabitants.

“The crisis makes public investment necessary in order toprovide companies with work”, emphasised Adrien Zeller,President of Alsace Regional Council (France), on behalf ofthe Assembly of European Regions. “Local and regionalauthorities are well placed to launch initiatives in that area

and should therefore invest to create employment and playtheir part in the economic revival. That applies all the moreas 70% of public investment in France is now underpinnedby the local, département and regional authorities. If thosetiers of government do not do their work, the crisis willbecome more serious.”

Such investment must be supported at national level, aspointed out by Congress Vice‑President Svetlana Orlova,Representative of the Kemerovo Regional Parliament in theRussian Federal Assembly (Russian Federation). “The inter ‑national crisis shows the need to co‑operate and draw upjoint policies.” This was also the approach followed by Spain,which had set up a State Fund for Local Invest ment, withfunds of 8 billion euros. “The fund aims to carry out urgentactions, particularly for job creation”, said Maria Tena,Director General of the Spanish Ministry of Local

Administration, in her address to theCongress on behalf of the Spanish chair ‑manship of the Com mittee of Ministers.

Maintaining social cohesionThe Congress pointed out that the crisismust not be used as an argument forreducing social expenditure, whichserved to soften the blow of the crisis.Without such expenditure, the crisiswould be even more serious for themost disadvantaged groups and, in thelong term, for society as a whole.“Europe should find a way out of thecrisis by restoring the confidence of its

citizens and without leaving any section of the population –such as those with dis abilities – by the wayside”, stressedSvetlana Orlova during the debate in March.

To put this call into effect, the Congress in October 2009adopted a recommendation and a resolution underlining therole which regions can play in preventing over‑indebtednessof households, which called, in particular, for lending to bemade “more ethical” and for improved arrangements forhelping individuals with high levels of debt, whose numberis also increasing because of the crisis.

The crisis is affecting consumption by the most vulnerablefamilies, who have to take on excessive debts or accept usuriouspractices in order to meet their basic needs. The relevantreport, which was drawn up by the Committee on SocialCohesion and presented at the October session by Congressmember Carmen Patrizia Muratore (Italy), advocated controlof lending practices and put forward the idea of devising aEuropean model for a code of good practice under the aegis of


Territorial authorities facing the crisis

Our resourcesare declining at a time when ourservices should bedoing more.Günther Krug (Germany), Vice-

President of the Congress, Spring

Session, March 2009.


the Council of Europe in order to make all the players inthe credit chain aware of their responsibilities.

Through its Committee on Social Cohesion, theCongress has continued and extended other activitiesinvolving cohesion and solidarity, in particular theprogrammes to combat domestic violence againstwomen, as well as efforts to promote the rights ofchildren in cities and Roma rights and culture.

In its resolution on preventing violence against children,the Congress stresses that this violence has also “a socio‑economic impact on the community as a whole”.The adopted texts emphasise local and regionalauthorities’ role in strategies to protect children,particularly with regard to networking, applyingqualitative parameters and monitoring preventionpolicies. The Congress also calls for legislative changesto the national laws in order to secure children’s rights,and for the introduction of a national action plan.

Vulnerable population groupsThe financial crisis has also highlighted the fragility ofcertain population groups, in particular immigrants.“Foreigners are often employed in the building andservice sectors. That was why they had felt the fullforce of the credit crunch: in January 2009, almost 28 %of the unemployed were foreigners, and the figure wasalmost 40 % in the building trade”, stated Isaac Albert,Deputy Mayor of Terrassa (Spain), during the debate on"Equality and diversity in local authority employmentand service provision", in March 2009.

Here again, local communities have the power and theduty to encourage social integration. This is whatCongress member Esther Maurer (Switzerland) remindedus when presenting the second report based on the workof the European network of Cities for Local IntegrationPolicies, CLIP, network co‑founded by the Congress.“Although unimpeded access to the employment market,both public and private, was a factor in integration,no‑one could harbour any illusions: unemploymentaffected everyone. A growing number of nationals werelooking in vain for jobs, sometimes for years, to thepoint where they were indignant to find that the publicauthorities were devoting their energies to integratingimmigrants.” The resolution adopted by the Congressproposes concrete measures to promote immigrantintegration, to ensure egalitarian recruitment proceduresand to provide training on intercultural awareness tomunicipal staff.

What is your analysis of the crisis and what is your adviceto local elected representatives to deal with the situation?

Maurice Vincent : I would call on mayors whose municipalitieshave contracted variable rate loans, the notorious “toxic”loans, to renegotiate them with the banks, as they could turnout to be time bombs, not in the immediate future, but around2020 or 2040. In Saint Etienne for example, we are trying tobring down our total proportion of “risky” borrowings from65% to 20% of our debts by 2014, even if this means initiallypaying a little more interest. However, this policy is essentialfor long‑term security.

These financial negotiations are perhaps not quite soeasy for ordinary citizens. What can they expect in theyears to come?

Maurice Vincent : If economic activity falls, then both localand national tax revenue will also fall. I am concerned thatstates, more in debt than municipalities, will pass on newcharges to them, with the end result that local taxes will inevitablyrise or that we will have larger debts. At the same time, areduction in activity means higher unemployment and moresocial welfare expenditure which must also be financed.

What can local authorities do to prepare for the end ofthe crisis and support the economy?

Maurice Vincent : The key for the future lies in investment,especially in sustainable development. In Saint Etienne, wewill be investing 210 million euros to renovate certainneighbour hoods and reduce energy consumption in publicbuildings, in particular schools. We also have new projectsfor science and technology parks, which are the source ofjobs and employment in the long term.

Maurice Vincent(France)

Mayor of Saint Etienne

“Putting our finances on a sound footing to prepare for

the end of the crisis“


Conference on Climate Change held in the Danishcapital in December 2009. For the Congress, actionagainst climate change must go beyond mitigationand adaptation, beyond reduction of greenhouse gasemissions and the use of renewable energy sources.It is also a question of good governance and the rightto a healthy environment.

Even if the final results of the Conference fell short ofobservers’ hopes and expectations, in the absence ofan agreement on mandatory targets – described by theacting Congress President as “a missed opportunity”, –the local and regional authorities showed theirdetermination to intensify their efforts to safeguardthe climate.

Throughout 2009 the Congress urged local and regionalauthorities to join forces to ensure that their voiceswere heard at the UN Climate Change Conference inCopenhagen in December. It defended the rolewhich these authorities can and must play in order tomitigate the effects of climate change and adapt toconcomitant risks. Following Copenhagen, the actingPresident of the Congress, Ian Micallef, appealed totowns and regions to continue their action againstglobal warming, without waiting for an intergovern‑mental agreement.

Local and regional authorities are vital partners inany agreement regarding the climate – this was theposition adopted by the Congress at the UN

After the Copenhagen Summit, local responses to environmental challenges needed as never before

Climate : Copenhagen disappointment alarms our

communities

Congress Vice-President Dubravka Suica (Croatia) addresses a meeting on citizens’ mobilisation for climate protection, at theCopenhagen Summit, in December.


Climate : Copenhagen disappointment alarms our communities

Acting together in CopenhagenThe Congress delegation to Copenhagen, led by Vice‑PresidentDubravka Suica (Croatia), worked closely with the EUCommittee of the Regions, ICLEI‑Local Governments forSustainability and United Cities and Local Governments(UCLG). They became involved in the Local GovernmentClimate Roadmap action group and the Climate Summit forMayors, in order to speak with one voice and send out a strongmessage to governments.

In the conviction that the member states must take advantage ofthe competences, capacities, experience and commitment oflocal and regional authorities, the Congress launched an appealfor the inclusion of local and regionalaction in the future agreement. While,in Europe, towns are among the mainpolluters, they are also the first to sufferthe consequences of climate change.Nevertheless local and regional authoritiesplay a primary role in improving thequality and sustainability of our life ‑styles, by prompting their populationsto radically change the organisation oftheir daily lives and their consumerhabits.

Vice‑President Suica, Vice‑PresidentGünther Krug (Germany) and the Chair ‑person of the Committee on SustainableDevelopment, Gaye Doganoglu (Turkey)stressed that the towns and regionsmust be able to provide effective supportfor national strategies and actions andintensify their role in combating climatechange and adapting to its effects. Localand regional authorities represent theoptimum government level for alerting and mobilising thegeneral public. However, in order to do so they need politicaland financial support from international organisations andfrom national governments.

A well‑planned contributionThe Congress’ contribution to the Copenhagen Conference hadbeen prepared over several years, through its work in the field ofsustainable development and climate change. This work hasconcerned a range of fields in which local action plays a crucialrole, e.g. measures to encourage responsible and sustainableconsumption, or to establish a “new energy culture” withparticular reference to local energy production, besides schemes toreduce the vulnerability of towns and cities to the consequencesof global warming, by promoting forms of public transportwhich are both more attractive to the users and more eco‑friendly, and through improved water management policies.

In March 2009 the Congress took part in the 5th World WaterForum in Istanbul, geared towards promoting a global policyfor the protection and enhancement of water resources. Twodays were specifically given over to the role of local andregional authorities in this field.

The Congress’ contribution, which it debated in plenary sessionat the beginning of March 2009, highlighted the need for localresponsibility for water and sewage services in order to makethem more efficient and cost‑effective, and to guaranteeequal access. During the Forum, over 250 municipalitiessigned the Istanbul Water Consensus which calls upontowns and cities to act to improve their systems of watermanagement in order to meet the challenges of urbanisation

and climate change. The Congress,which has been deeply committed tothe development of this Consensus, inrespect to local and regional authorities,regretted the failure of governmentsto take this into account in the finaldocuments by formally acknowledgingthe role and competences of localauthorities as regards water managementand sanitation, respecting the principleof subsidiarity.

In June the Congress made its con ‑tribution to the “Local GovernmentClimate Change Leadership Summit”,which was also held in Copenhagen.It advocated taking more systematicaccount of local and regional authoritiesin political decisions on climate, andunderlined the interdependencebetween climate change and humanrights. Several debates, including apresentation of practical activities

conducted in a number of towns, provided dynamic, innovativeexamples of adaptation measures and methods for reducinggreenhouse gas emissions and showed how Europeanlocal authorities are taking up the challenge of climatechange.

Local and regional authorities worldwide attended thisSummit in order to reaffirm the vital role which they have toplay in combating climate change and to initiate dialoguewith national governments on this issue. Together theyadopted a common front for the Copenhagen Conference,stressing that no global action plan on climate could succeedunless they too were closely involved.

Furthermore, at the end of October a European workshopconcerning the impact of climate change on marine risks washeld in Murcia (Spain). It was an opportunity for theCongress to present its work on protecting coastal townsfrom rising sea levels – an activity which continued in

The financial andeconomic crisis should not be a pretext forreducing the resourcesallocated to sustainabledevelopment, which,in the present climatechange context, isthe century’s biggestchallenge.

Fernanda Cecchini (Italy), Congress member

December 2009 at the meeting of the Committeeon Sustainable Development.

At its second session in October 2009, the Congressemphasised the need for local responses to theglobal challenge of climate change, calling onlocal and regional authorities to seek innovativesolutions to protect the environment and reducegreenhouse gas emissions. The adopted recom‑mendation highlighted the vital role of local andregional action for climate, which must be supportedat national level and integrated into any climatechange strategy.

After CopenhagenAt the December Summit the acting President ofthe Congress, Ian Micallef, invited governments to“support local and sub‑national governmentspolitically, financially and technologically” inorder to help them create more environment‑ andclimate‑friendly towns.

He said that although the Summit had not been agreat success in terms of results, local and regionalauthorities would continue their action “In the faceof the global challenge that threatens the veryfuture of our planet, the lack of agreement on bindingtargets, the lack of commitment to resolute mitigationand adaptation measures is nothing but alarmingand irresponsible”, he added, just after theCopenhagen Conference.

“Local and regional authorities worldwide willpursue their action to combat global warmingwithout delay, and put pressure on governmentsto recognise and support their activities. We mustwork to adapt our communities and reduce theirvulnerability. We must take innovative steps toreduce carbon emissions in our territories. Wemust work for better governance and demandstronger institutional capacities at local andregional level. And we must set ambitious targetsfor ourselves, without waiting for our governmentsto take a more positive attitude. Climate changewon’t wait.”

Local and regional authorities themselves are pre‑pared to change their policies and attitudes inorder to fulfil these requirements, while promotingtheir citizens to do likewise in their everyday lives.This is the Congress’ message at all the major inter‑national encounters.


Climate : Copenhagen disappointmentalarms our communities

Many natural or inhabited areas of the city are threatened byerosion. What are the main effects of rising sea levels?

Iñigo de la Serna Hernáiz : Rising sea levels not only havenegative effects on coasts and beaches but exacerbate erosion, modifythe salinity of freshwater and increase the force of the waves instorms. Moreover, our coastal regions are becoming more urbanisedwhilst changes in the natural environment make their infrastructuresmore vulnerable. All coastal countries are affected by these phenomenaand 70 million Europeans are threatened in the long run by thesechanges.

In pratical terms, what methods can be used to slow down thisphenomenon?

Iñigo de la Serna Hernáiz : We have two types of response tohelp mitigate the rise in the water level: on the one hand, combatingthe greenhouse effect, which should be everyone’s responsibility,and so‑called adaptation measures, which must be taken at locallevel. In Santander we are now giving priority to renewable energies.At the same time, we are planning to build protective dykes, and ofcourse we are preparing new urban plans. There is no question, forexample, of authorising new building in areas which are or will bethreatened by the rise in water levels.

In the context of the Copenhagen Summit, what would youlike to say to governmental representatives?

Iñigo de la Serna Hernáiz : I would like to remind them thatwhile the phenomenon is global, the responses to it are first of alllocal. We can act locally, but we need help from the government togain a better understanding of the phenomena involved. To saveour coasts, we need to gain a better understanding of the Atlantic,and we cannot do that by ourselves.

Iñigo de la SernaHernáiz (Spain)

Mayor of Santander,

capital of Cantabria

“Rising sea levels threaten the 70 million

Europeans living in coastal regions“

The "Intercultural Cities" programme was startedby the Council of Europe and the EuropeanCommission in 2008. By offering its own support in2009, the Congress gave new impetus to its action topromote intercultural dialogue at local level.Through this programme, which is intended to helpcities to encourage exchanges between the culturesof persons of a variety of origins, a balance issought between the concepts of identity, inclusionand exclusion. In practical terms, this meeting with

Drawing strength from its experience since 2006, theyear when the "12 Guidelines for interfaith dia‑logue at local level” were adopted, the Congressreaffirmed the importance that the interculturaldimension has for cities, promoting cohesionbetween the different communities and enablinginnovative and creative cultural policies to be developed.The Congress also took an interest in the major culturalchanges brought about by new technologies, suchas "electronic democracy".


Congress supports local policies for cultural diversity

Intercultural relations in cities, guarantee

of social cohesion

The Congress Committee on Culture and Education organised a seminar on ''Diverse cities, creative cities'' on 19 September inBydgoszcz (Poland).

others and this promotion of dialogue may take place inschools, homes, in the social services and leisure sectors,serving to bring mutual understanding where once therewas hostility or confrontation.

In accordance with the concept of the intercultural townor city, municipal policies are targeted on these areas, andpublic places are so designed that persons of different culturalorigins are able to mingle and communicate with one another,so as to improve mutual understanding. Moving on fromthe "multicultural" model to one of "interculturalism", inter‑cultural cities have given a clear undertaking to develop,promote and protect cultural identities in their municipalities,acknowledging that the strengthand dynamism of these identitiesare of crucial importance to cities'development and vitality.

Intercultural cities: a commitment byEuropean citiesAt its March session, the Congressfocused on local means and measureswith a view to building true "inter‑cultural" relations and a stronger dialogue between thedifferent religious and ethnic communities. Six municipalities,representing the 12 European cities participating in the"Intercultural Cities" programme, compared their experiencein this field at a round table session organised by theCommittee on Culture and Education and the Chamber ofLocal Authorities.

The mayors of Berlin‑Neukölln (Germany), Lublin (Poland),Melitopol (Ukraine) and Reggio Emilia (Italy), as well as thedeputy mayor of Lyon (France) and the cantonal commissionerfor foreign nationals of the Canton of Neuchâtel(Switzerland), presented the programmes drawn up by theirmunicipalities to promote cultural identities and diversity, aswell as the exchanges which took place between ethnic,religious and social groups. They gave examples of goodpractices in respect of conflict and risk management in thecontext of the preparation of inclusive local policies.

The debate focused on several issues: the role of immigrantwomen in the integration process, the contribution made bythe media, the possible consequences of financial crises and thehuman rights context. On this last‑named topic, the mayor ofBerlin‑Neukölln, Heinz Buschkowsky, explained that, in certainfields, conflict could arise between the protection of humanrights and integration policies. This situation necessitatedfar‑reaching conciliation efforts, without jeopardising commonEuropean values or fundamental rights and freedoms.Véronique Moreira (France), a member of the Congress, pointed

out that the urban model set out in the “European Urban CharterII – Manifesto for a new urbanity“ laid sound foundations fora strengthening of the local intercultural dimension.

A recommendation and resolution adopted at the end of theround table session called on local authorities to committhemselves to an intercultural political approach, acknowledgethe usefulness of each community's contribution and encouragethe development of multiple cultural identities.

This commitment could be demonstrated through trainingand awareness‑raising programmes, greater involvement ofimmigrants in local action and the initiation of dialogues

between cultural groups. It is forthe authorities to make diversity aneffective part of their administrativepolicy: it is in practice important toinvolve and integrate immigrantsmore as municipal employees.

In December 2009, the Congressplayed a part in the "Forum of theIntercultural Cities" held in Bari,Italy. This focused on the pilotprojects successfully carried outby several intercultural cities,particularly Reggio Emilia (Italy),

Patras (Greece), Berlin‑Neukölln (Germany) and Turin (Italy).And a case study relating to Belgium was also presented duringthe workshop session on migration, participation, mediaand citizenship.

Addressing the Forum, Congress member GiuseppinaMarmo (Italy) said that interculturalism was based on theidea that cultures were living entities which would developand change as they encountered other cultures. She describedthis approach as one that needed to be implemented first atlocal level, where interaction between the various culturesand ethnic groups was at its most tangible. In her view,interculturalism was the best way of achieving socialcohesion and sustainable urban development, since it fosteredpluralism, justice and equality of opportunity within localcommunities.

Creativity and technologies at the service of citizensInteraction between cultures not only brings people together,but is also in itself a source of creativity, according to theCongress. The intercultural dimension makes cities andtheir local heritage culturally richer. Enhancing this heritageis one of the aims of the "creative cities" concept, anotherpath being followed by the Committee on Culture andEducation. This concept, whereby promotion of localheritage is encouraged as a source of creativity, was the


Intercultural relations in cities, guarantee of social cohesion

Mutual integrationof different culturalcommunities helps acity to flourish.Dmytro Sychov, Mayor of Melitopol (Ukraine),

March 2009.


subject of a recommendation adopted in October2009. This invites cities to draw as well on the"European Capitals of Culture" and "Agenda 21"concepts to add greater dynamism and value totheir cultural activities, which can offer significanteconomic potential both for themselves and forthe regions.

The new information technologies, which playeda prominent part in the Congress’ considerations,were the subject of several meetings. These

culminated in the adoption of two resolutions,the first of which, in March, presented by theCommittee on Social Cohesion, encourages localauthorities to overcome the "digital divide" atlocal and regional level, i.e. to solve the problemsrelating to Internet access in some geographicalareas, but also those of user training. The second,the outcome of work by the Committee onCulture and Education, relates to "e‑democracy".Adopted in October 2009, it relates to the use ofthe Internet for political purposes and electioncampaigning – a useful tool for promoting publicparticipation, but requiring "good practice" towhich local and regional authorities of coursehave a great deal to contribute through bothwords and action.

Neukölln has about 300.000 inhabitants consisting of morethan 160 nations. What are the main challenges you areconfronted with in such a multifaceted municipality?

Heinz Buschkowsky : The two biggest challenges are linked to thesocio‑economic situation. We have high unemployment rates – it isabout 50 percent among migrants, the total average is about 24 percent –and a low educational state of parents. This prevents parents from acti‑vely supporting their children. Due to the high rate of unemploymentwe are facing the fact that about 75 percent of children in the northernpart of Neukölln are depending on social welfare.

The “intercultural concept“ implies a dialogue between majoritiesand minority populations. How do you promote this idea?

Heinz Buschkowsky : The keyword in this respect is participation.This works in Neukölln through the instrument of “NeighbourhoodManagement”. Since 1999 eleven neighbourhood managementareas have been created for city zones which are socially deprived.Approximately one third of the Neukölln population lives in suchareas. Participation is structured around so called “neighbourhoodcommittees”, each comprising about 50 citizens and local actors.During the last ten years about 500 people have been actively involvedin this kind of local participation.

What do you expect from the “Intercultural Cities Programme“which was launched by the European Union and the Councilof Europe?

Heinz Buschkowsky : This project helps to raise awareness notonly for the challenges and the problems but also for the examplesof best practice. On that score, the media which look at Neuköllnseriously have become an important partner for the City Council.They support our intention to impart the new intercultural policyapproach with regard to regional and national governments as wellas to the larger public.

Heinz Buschkowsky (Germany)

Mayor of Berlin-Neukölln

A Round table was organised, during the Congress

Session in March 2009, with the mayors of municipalities

taking part in the programme “Intercultural Cities”.

“Employment and education are Berlin‑Neukölln’s

biggest challenges“

with regard to the dialogue between the two shoresof the Mediterranean. As Ian Micallef, the actingPresident of the Congress, pointed out at the time,the local authorities of the southern Mediterraneancountries are still fragile, in contrast to those on thenorthern shore, which is why the Congress has ralliedround to assist them in their development andorganisation. Whether it be with regard to the con‑solidation of democracy, to economic progress or torespect for human rights, it is important to work

Euro-Mediterranean partnership must involve

local communities

The Congress, which has long been engaged in co‑operation with local and regional authorities of thecountries on the southern shore of the Mediterranean,participates in the major initiatives undertaken since2008 to strengthen Euro‑Mediterranean dialoguewhich, to be successful, must involve local and regionalgovernment.

At its Plenary Session in March 2009, the Congressheld a wide‑ranging debate on local authorities’ role

Congress ready to offer its expertise to engage theMediterranean in concrete co-operation


The Congress pursues Euro-Mediterranean dialogue by participating in the organisation of the forthcoming Euro-Arab Cities Forumscheduled for 2011.

level. From 2010 onwards, the Congress will accordingly bedeveloping concrete co‑operation measures with ARLEM inthe context of this new assembly.

Moreover, after co‑organising the 3rd Euro‑Arab CitiesForum, which was held in Dubai in 2008, the Congress setup a permanent platform for continuing this dialogue andwill be involved in the organisation of the fourth edition ofthis event, which will be held in a European city in 2011.

However, there are also numerous other co‑operation bodieson which certain Congress members sit, such as theParliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, whose

remit includes environmental and socio ‑economic issues. Similarly, in 2009 theItalian region of Liguria organised "days"aimed at strengthening cohesion betweenthe western Mediterranean countries,while the Standing Committee for theEuro‑Mediterranean Partnership of Localand Regional Authorities (COPPEM)has initiated an extensive activitiesprogramme that involves the entireMediterranean basin. The association ofUnited Cities and Local Governments(UCLG) also has a MediterraneanInterregional Committee. Dialogue andco‑operation between the northern andsouthern shores of the Mediterraneanwill foster peace and political stability

and enable concrete results to be obtained in the fightagainst poverty and social exclusion, as well as in dealingwith immigration issues.

City diplomacy for Europe’s security

In addition to co‑operation initiatives involving collectivebodies, the Congress encourages direct co‑operation betweentowns and cities in the Mediterranean basin, especially thoselocated in conflict zones. It has issued several calls on Israeliand Palestinian local authorities to resume dialogue, in thedirect interests of their inhabitants, who want peace andtranquillity more than anything else. For example, in January2009, the Bureau called on the Union of Local Authorities inIsrael (ULAI) and the Association of Palestinian LocalAuthorities (APLA), both enjoying observer status with theCongress, to commit themselves to undertaking efforts andinitiatives and stepping up contacts and cooperation aimedat building an atmosphere which would allow for dialoguebetween their communities, and at strengthening localdemocracy necessary for the overall democratic develop‑ment of the region. The Bureau also called on the Israeli and

with local authorities of these countries to help them playtheir role in these areas to the fullest extent. The Congresshas been doing this for some time, an example being thecase of Morocco which recently set up an association oflocal elected representatives along the lines of those existingin Europe, and the Congress is calling on Algeria to do like‑wise.

In 2009, the Congress decided to set up a specific workinggroup on Euro‑Mediterranean dialogue in order to draw upa clear strategy and guide its activities in the region. During theMarch debate, the Congress reviewed the existing initiativesin these areas in order to fine‑tune its own position. Inaddition, at the end of 2008 it signed apartnership agreement with the Councilof Europe’s North‑South Centre, onceagain in order to optimise its responses.

The launch of the Union for theMediterranean in July 2008 shows thedesire of all the Mediterranean countries tostrengthen their dialogue and co‑operationnearly fifteen years after the establishmentof the Barcelona Process, which is still onlya qualified success. For many local electedrepresentatives, such as Etienne Butzbach,the mayor of Belfort (France), the BarcelonaProcess has in fact failed because of both itsfocus on government action and the factthat it is too strictly financially oriented,whereas ‑ for “sustainable, solidarity‑based and decentralised”development ‑ it is essential to involve the local authorities inconcrete co‑operation programmes.

"ARLEM", a tool for Euro‑Mediterranean dialogue at the local level

The initiative of the European Union’s Committee of theRegions to set up the Euro‑Mediterranean Regional and LocalAssembly (ARLEM) is a response to these decentralisedco‑operation objectives and will prompt local and regionalauthorities in the countries concerned to work togethermore closely. The Congress has expressed the wish to begiven observer status in this new body, highlighting its contacts,experience and motivation to place local democracy on asound footing in all the countries in which it is alreadyengaged. For Luc van den Brande (Belgium), at the timePresident of the EU’s Committee of the Regions, theCongress indeed possesses expertise that will be indispensablefor the success of the Euro‑Mediterranean dialogue at local


Euro-Mediterranean partnership must involve local communities

Congressexpertise is key toenhance Euro-Mediterraneandialogue.Luc Van den Brande (Belgium),

President of the European Union

Com mitteee of the Regions, March

2009.


Euro-Mediterranean partnership mustinvolve local communities

Palestinian authorities to encourage and facilitate suchefforts and initiatives at local level, also within thePalestinian communities in order to achieve inter‑Palestinian reconciliation, a major component in bringingabout peace. The mayor of Hebron, Khaled Osaily(Palestine), was invited by the Congress to attend itssession in March 2009, and pointed out the importance forhis city of the links it has established with a number ofEuropean towns and cities, while calling on Europe tohelp end the very difficult conditions imposed on hiscity by the fact that it is cut in two, with half of it underIsraeli control.

In other zones of conflict or tension, especiallybetween the two Cypriot communities, the localauthorities are learning to work together, thus fosteringreconciliation. They are benefiting from the support ofthe European Union, the Congress and various inter‑national bodies. “What we have been able to achieve atthe local level in the former Yugoslavia, we must be ableto accomplish also in Cyprus”, Ian Micallef, actingPresident of the Congress, emphasised, calling forlocal democracy agencies to be set up in the country.

This “city diplomacy”, like co‑operation betweeninstitutions, is part of the even broader framework ofsecurity of the Mediterranean basin: European localelected representatives point out that peace in thecountries bordering its shores is crucial for peacethroughout Europe and at world level. For IanMicallef, local and regional authorities possess all thenecessary tools to ensure the triumph of democracy inthis region turning it into a "model of interculturaldialogue for the rest of the world”.

What can local elected representatives do to strengthenthe Euro-Mediteranean dialogue?

Ian Micallef: We must settle European matters in the firstplace before we engage ourselves elsewhere. Cyprus andTurkey are both members of the Council of Europe and inNicosia there are now local co‑operation bodies proving thatboth parties are quite able to work together. We must also helpCyprus restore intercultural dialogue and we have tools forthis purpose. For example, the Congress set up local democracyagencies to stabilise the former Yugoslavia and comparablestructures are to be developed in Cyprus.

What place will the Congress have in the Euro-Mediterranean Regional and Local Assembly, ARLEM,launched by the EU Committee of the Regions?

Ian Micallef: ARLEM is a setting for encounter which serves alllocal elected representatives of the Mediterranean and in which theCongress participates as an observer. We have already helped thelocal authorities of several countries in the Maghreb and theMiddle East, the first being Morocco as from 2000, to acquire moredemocratic structures. We have just set up a new working groupto strengthen local democracy in these countries and more effecti‑vely determine our strategies with them.

The Mayor of Hebron, Khaled Osaily (Palestine), asked theCongress to support his town in its efforts to be placed onthe UNESCO world heritage list. What response can youmake to him?

Ian Micallef: Peace in Palestine remains the principalchallenge of Euro‑Mediterranean dialogue. We supportHebron’s request because the listing would afford this historictown better protection. Apart from that, the Palestinians askneither money nor resources of us, but the true politicalrecognition that we owe them.

“Congress know‑how will sustain Euro‑

Mediterranean dialogue“Ian Micallef

(Malta)


Khaled Osaily, the mayor of Hebron, the main city in Palestine,

addresses the Congress, in March 2009.

“Diversity must be a living experience in orderfor it to become an asset rather than a negativeconcept. It requires mobility in getting to know newcultures and new geographical areas”, underlinedKarl‑Heinz Lambertz, the Belgian Chair of theCommittee on Culture and Education and theWorking Group on Inter‑Regional Co‑operation, inEupen (Belgium) in February 2009. He was speakingat a seminar on promoting transfrontier culturaltourism as a means of bringing people closertogether. According to him, cultural tourism waspart and parcel of cross‑border co‑operation. “It is agrowth area, and is especially important in borderregions where different cultures, languages andadministrative structures live side by side everyday”, he added.

In addition, two conferences, in Strasbourg (France)and Maastricht (Netherlands), looked in depth atthe practical aspects of cross‑border co‑operationand good governance in this area.

Through its Chamber of Regions in particular, theCongress carried out many activities highlighting theeconomic and political benefits of inter‑regional andtransfrontier co‑operation. Bridging the urban‑ruraldivide, improving territorial cohesion, strengtheningcultural ties between communities and finding jointresponses which transcend national boundaries are thatmany examples of the advantages of such co‑operation.2009 therefore saw further work on projects alreadylaunched in this area in previous years such as theAdriatic and Black Sea Euroregions.

Transfrontier co‑operation now takes on various forms,which are tailored to the different situations of theauthorities involved. As a tool for territorial cohesion, italso plays a part in promoting European values relatingto diversity and culture. The socio‑cultural dimensionsof transfrontier co‑operation and its application in thefield of cultural tourism and the recognition of thecultures of minority groups were discussed at variousconferences throughout Europe in 2009 at which theCongress made its voice heard and set out its values.

Transcending borders, territorial authorities consolidatecohesion of their communities


Transfrontier co-operation: a topical debate

A Seminar on the European dimension of cross-border co-operation was organised on 19 June 2009 by the University of Strasbourg,in partnership with the Congress and the Euro-Institut of Kehl (Germany).


A topical debate, transfrontier co-operation

A vector for economic and social cohesionThe seminar on the European dimension of cross‑border co‑operation held in June 2009 by the University of Strasbourg(France), in partnership with the Congress and the EuroInstitute of Kehl (Germany), analysed the respective contributionsof the European Union and the Council of Europe to local andregional co‑operation in Europe. According to Ulrich Bohner, thenSecretary General of the Congress, this co‑operation was nowplaying an increasingly important role in achieving greatereconomic and social cohesion in Europe. “Settling problems inborder regions through cross‑border co‑operation is most easilyimplemented at local and regional level, which has the addedvalue of policies being devised in close proximity to citizens andother local actors”, he explained. In his view, cross‑border co‑operation encouraged participation by citizens in the implement ‑ation of projects which would meet their needs, and couldalso be a tool for intercultural learning.

At the conference on practical approachestowards effective European transfrontierco‑operation in Maastricht in July 2009,the Congress considered the factorswhich facilitate or hinder such co‑operationat European level. “Co‑operation betweencommunities across national borders hasbeen rising in importance hand in handwith the growing decentralisation ofpowers towards territorial level, and theadvancing European integration at alllevels of governance”, stressed IanMicallef, acting President of the Congress.He pointed out that cross‑border co‑operation had become an indispensabletool for bridging the urban‑rural divide anddevelopment gaps between communities,and thereby raising the quality of localand regional governance as a whole. Theoutcomes of the conference provided input for discussion ofthe subject at the Conference of Ministers responsible for Localand Regional Government in Utrecht in November 2009.

A further debate held in Brdo (Slovenia) in June highlightedall the benefits which local authorities in south‑easternEurope had derived from transfrontier co‑operation.Slovenia, which was chairing the Committee of Ministers atthe time, also underlined the advantages of such co‑operationwith the Croatian, Austrian and Italian regions on its borders.The Congress was a driving force in the success of thesecross‑border programmes. Given its experience, it was thereforeparticularly well placed to develop similar co‑operationmodels at local and regional level in the Caucasus region,according to many local and regional elected representativesfrom that part of Europe.

In October, the Congress adopted a resolution and a recom‑mendation calling on states to give transfrontier co‑operationgreater support, in particular by ratifying the new protocol tothe Madrid Convention on the subject, which makes provisionfor the establishment of Euroregional Co‑operation Groupings.It calls on European regions to set up bi‑ or trilateral agree‑ments and arrangements, which will increase the stability ofthe regions concerned, while enabling them to work together inspecific areas such as health and the environment.

Moving towards new types of co‑operation

2009 also saw the development of new structures of trans‑frontier co‑operation, such as the Adriatic Eurodistrict.In March, Marija Katovic, Mayor of Kotor (Montenegro),presented the South Adriatic Eurodistrict to Congress members.

This recently established entity, whichwas made up of 17 local authorities inMontenegro, Albania and Italy, wasbased on an agreement which governedhow it was organised and operated.

During the same debate, Jean‑Paul Heider(France), Vice‑President of theAssociation of European BorderRegions, presented the Tri‑nationalMetropolitan Region of the UpperRhine, encompassing the French,German and Swiss regions betweenthe Jura, the Vosges, the Black Forestand the Palatinate Forest. Based on fourpillars (political, economic, scientific andcivil society), the region had launchedits first projects in 2009.

During the October session, RolandRies, mayor of Strasbourg (France), the

Council of Europe’s host city, presented the work done toimplement the Strasbourg‑Ortenau Eurodistrict, whichincludes French and German municipalities. “The conceptof transfrontier co‑operation is now fully integrated intoour local governance. Soon the Eurodistrict will move evenfurther along the path of integration, going beyond thesimple concept of co‑operation and drawing closer to thatof joint decision‑making”, he declared.

Regions are, of course, best equipped for conducting co‑operation programmes of their own initiative, but they arealso involved in developing new arrangements such as the“territories of co‑responsibility” launched in September onthe initiative of the city of Mulhouse (France). At the sametime, the Congress believes that carrying on with tried‑and‑tested approaches such as town twinning is one of the best

The establishment of the Euro-Caucasus entity for co-operation between municipalities across the Armenian-Georgian border is a goodimplementation of Congressstandards on trans frontierco-operation.

Ludmila Sfirloaga (Romania), President

of the Congress Chamber of Regions, June

2009.

means of winning public support for Europeanideals. It made this clear at the InternationalTwinning Conference held in Izmir (Turkey) atthe end of October.

To encourage debate about all new types oftransfrontier co‑operation, the Congress took partin November in the Conference of Regions withLegislative Powers. In addition, at the Octobersession, the Congress adopted a recommendationand a resolution on regions with legislativepowers. These texts, while inviting governmentsto continue to strengthen existing levels ofregional governance or to establish it wherenone exists, also address the question of how tobest represent these regions in light of the variedbodies of the Council of Europe. In addition thetexts are also concerned with the representationin these regions in the second chambers ofnational parliaments and special self‑governingstatus for regions in Europe

Euroregional structuresThe Congress monitored developments, on theground, in the Euroregions of the Black Sea andthe Adriatic set up under its direction It tookstock of the new schemes they had initiated, inparticular for the Black Sea in the areas of cultureand tourism. The Congress has also given itssupport to several new regional and transfrontierco‑operation entities such as the DanubeCouncil, which brings together the towns andregions along the river, and the Euro‑Caucasusentity designed to establish closer ties betweenmunicipalities on the Armenian‑Georgian border.

At the March 2009 session, the Congress held adebate on the development of the Black SeaEuroregion. Several specific Black Sea Euro ‑region projects were presented, including the“Black Sea Cruise” project, geared towardsdeveloping tourism and socio‑cultural infra‑structure in the Black Sea Basin. This involves,among other things, developing tourism serviceswith the opening of a ferry between Romaniaand Bulgaria (Constanta‑Varna‑Burgas), whichcould be extended to Odessa and Istanbul.

During the debate, it was also proposed that anetwork of associations of Black Sea localauthorities be set up, along the lines of theNALAS network for South‑East Europe.

What advantages can transfrontier co-operation bring to localauthorities, in particular in Slovenia?

Zlata Plostajner : Slovenia has been an active member of theCouncil of Europe for several years, especially in the field ofcross‑border and transfrontier co‑operation in the South‑EasternEurope. Slovenia has adopted several international agreementswith the countries of South‑Eastern Europe. Slovenia is also anactive member of the Framework Agreement of the Sava riverBasin and co‑founder of the Alps‑Adriatic Working Group. Since1994, we have prepared and implemented numerous projects inthe field of transport and border‑area infrastructure, environment,tourism and agriculture with the neighbouring countries of Italy,Austria, Hungary and Croatia. It is our objective to form the bestopportunities possible to ensure a quality way of life in the borderingareas.

In your view, how can the Congress of Local and RegionalAuthorities of the Council of Europe and its initiatives contributeto the development of transfrontier co-operation in South-East Europe?

Zlata Plostajner : In the last decades, the role of the Councilof Europe and thus also the role of the Congress in building thesystem of local self‑government in the new democracies ofCentral and Eastern Europe has been very important. The monitoringsystem of local self‑government set up by the Congress is an importantguide for each member state for further activities in their countries.Cross‑border and transfrontier co‑operation of local and regionalauthorities needs to be strengthened and promoted as it promotesand realises the basic objectives of the Council of Europe. I wouldalso like to underline the importance of the Council of Europe in thefield of local and regional democracy where, for several years now,a broad discussion on the documents on regional self‑governmenthas been underway.

Zlata Plostajner(Slovenia)

Minister for Local Self-Government

and Regional Development of

Slovenia


“It is our objective to form the best

opportunities possibleto ensure a quality

way of life in the bordering

areas“


In 2009, the Congress continued its co‑operation withthe Parliamentary Assembly and took part in the dis‑cussions of its committees, enabling the two bodies toagree common positions for the Conference of Ministersresponsible for Local and Regional Government held inUtrecht (Netherlands) in November. In their capacity asbodies involved in the observation of elections, theCongress and the Assembly also continued to take partin the discussions of the Council for DemocraticElections within the Council of Europe Commission forDemocracy through Law (Venice Commission).

In addition, the Congress and the European Committeeon Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR), as jointfounders of the European Local Democracy Week

The Congress continued its traditional co‑operationwith the international bodies representing local andregional governments and with national associationsof local and regional authorities. To improve synergywith the European Union, the Congress revised itsco‑operation agreement with the Committee of theRegions. Within the Council of Europe, it alsostepped up dialogue with the Committee ofMinisters and the Parliamentary Assembly. Lastly,the Congress continued to offer support to the networkswhich it helped to set up and organise, in particularthe ENTO training network, the Network ofAssociations of Local Authorities of South‑EastEurope (NALAS) and the Association of LocalDemocracy Agencies (ALDA).

Congress signs a new agreement with the EU Committee of the Regions

A network of strategic partnerships for the Congress

Acting Congress President Ian Micallef (right) and President of the EU Committee of the Regions Luc Van den Brande sign the newco-operation agreement, in Brussels, on 12 November 2009.

(ELDW), ensured that the joint event went smoothly in 2009and co‑ordinated the drafting of various texts concerning localand regional democracy, in particular the reference frameworkfor regional democracy. From 2010 on, co‑ordination of ELDW,which was previously shared with the CDLR, will be performedentirely by the Congress.

Dialogue with governments

In order to establish greater synergy with national govern‑ments, the Congress presented its position and contributedto the discussions at the conferences of ministers responsiblefor social cohesion, in Moscow (Russia) in February 2009;media and new communication services, in Reykjavik(Iceland) in May; as well as family affairs in Vienna (Austria)and justice in Tromso (Norway), both in June.

“Local and regional government is not in competition withnational authorities – they are complementary,” said the actingPresident of the Congress, Ian Micallef,during an exchange of views with theCommittee of Ministers in Strasbourgin September. He emphasised the com‑plementary nature of the action by thetwo bodies to promote the Council ofEurope’s fundamental objectives, inparticular in terms of monitoring localand regional democracy. While under‑lining the need for enhanced co‑operation,Ian Micallef proposed that a platform forinformal dialogue between the Com ‑mittee of Ministers and the Congress beset up.

Moreover, a protocol of intent was signedin May with a view to the preparation ofa co‑operation agreement with the Inter‑ParliamentaryAssembly of the Commonwealth of Independent States(CIS). The Congress also continued work on the preparationof co‑operation agreements with the Conference of EuropeanRegional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE), the Conference ofEuropean Regions with Legislative Power (REGLEG) and theAssociation of European Border Regions (AEBR).

A new agreement with the Committee of the Regions

At their bipartite annual meeting in Brussels in November, IanMicallef and Luc Van den Brande (Belgium), President of theCommittee of the Regions of the European Union, signed therevised co‑operation agreement between the two institutions.Under the new agreement, the Presidents of the Congress andthe Committee of the Regions, assisted by the Secretaries

General, will now be responsible for defining policy orientationand setting co‑operation priorities. The Committee of theRegions/Congress Contact Group will draw up a work pro‑gramme for the implementation of these priorities by therespective committees, commissions and working groups andwill be able to add other specific activities.

The revised agreement also reiterates the principle of com‑plementarity between the Congress and the Committee of theRegions, as well as respect for each institution’s responsibilitiesand nature. It provides that the choice of leading institutionin joint projects will be based on their specific functions andexperience.

“One of the keys to successful European integration is net‑working, and this new agreement further consolidates onesuch institutional network and partnership between theCongress and the Committee of the Regions,” said IanMicallef at the meeting. According to him, the two institutionsshare the common goal of advancing local and regional

democracy and improving governanceof our communities, and have greatpotential for creating synergies in pursuingthese common objectives.

Co‑operation networks

The Congress took a close interest in theactivities of the Network of Associations ofLocal Authorities of South‑East Europe(NALAS), which mainly concerneddecentralisation in this region and theimpact of the economic crisis on localauthorities. In December, it contributed tothe fifth General Assembly of NALAS inIstanbul (Turkey), which focused on the

role of local authorities in South‑East Europe in the EUintegration process, the means of involving them in the processand the challenges they are facing.

The Congress also took part in the events held by theAssociation of Local Democracy Agencies (ALDA), of which itwas one of the founders, and, at the ceremony marking theassociation’s 10th anniversary in Brussels in May, reiterated itsdesire to step up its interaction and partnerships with theagencies in the association.

The European Network of Training Organisations for Local andRegional Authorities (ENTO) held two major meetings inStrasbourg, at which it revised its statute and activity pro‑grammes. The Congress hopes that ENTO’s new working meth‑ods will also help to strengthen ties and co‑operation betweenthe two bodies. It underlined the added value which the ENTOnetwork’s expertise brings to the Congress’ action and highlightedtheir role as partners in consolidating democracy in Europe.

The new agree-ment consolidates thepartnership betweenthe Congress and the Committee ofthe Regions.

Ian Micallef (Malta), acting President

of the Congress, November 2009.


A network of strategic partnerships for the Congress

Appendix 1

Texts adopted by theCongress in 2009

Recommendations_________________

Recommendation 259Public water and sewer services for sustainable development

Recommendation 260Combating domestic violence against women

Recommendation 261Intercultural cities

Recommendation 262Equality and diversity in local authority employment and service provision

Recommendation 263The digital divide and e‑inclusion in the regions

Recommendation 264Observation of the elections to the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Adjara (Georgia) (3 November 2008)

Recommendation 265Good governance: a key factor for the sustainable economic development of regions

Recommendation 266The future of cultural tourism – towards a sustainablemodel

Recommendation 267Congress resources and its 2010 budget

Recommendation 268New budgetary perspectives

Recommendation 269Local elections in “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”(22 March 2009)

Recommendation 270Transfrontier co‑operation in Europe

Recommendation 271The global challenge of climate change: Local responses

Recommendation 272Preventing violence against children

Recommendation 273Equal access to local and regional elections

Recommendation 274E‑democracy: opportunities and risks for local authorities

Recommendation 275Creative cities – managing the cultural activity of cities

Recommendation 276Improving indoor air quality: a new challenge for local authorities

Recommendation 277First municipal elections of Yerevan (Armenia) (31 May 2009)

Recommendation 278Regions with legislative powers: towards multi‑level governance

Recommendation 279Overindebtedness of households: the responsibility of region

Resolutions___________

Resolution 277Verification of new members' credentials and new appointment procedures

Resolution 278Public water and sewer services for sustainable development

Resolution 279Combating domestic violence against women

Resolution 280Intercultural cities

Resolution 281Equality and diversity in local authority employment and service provision

Resolution 282The digital divide and e‑inclusion in the regions

Resolution 283Good governance: a key factor for the sustainable economic development of regions

Resolution 284The future of cultural tourism – towards a sustainable model



Resolution 285Verification of new members' credentials and new appointment procedures

Resolution 286Transfrontier co‑operation in Europe

Resolution 287Declaration on the 60th Anniversary of the Council of Europe

Resolution 288The global challenge of climate change: Local responses

Resolution 289Preventing violence against children

Resolution 290E‑democracy: opportunities and risks for local authorities

Resolution 291Creative cities – managing the cultural activity of cities

Resolution 292Improving indoor air quality: a new challenge for localauthorities

Resolution 293Regions with legislative powers: towards multi‑level governance

Resolution 294Overindebtedness of households: the responsibility of regions

Opinions_________

Opinion 30Opinion ‑ Draft Protocol N°3 to the European OutlineConvention on Transfrontier Co‑operation betweenTerritorial Communities or Authorities concerningEuroregional Co‑operation Groupings

Opinion 31Code of good practice for civil participation in the decision‑making process

Appendix 2

Calendar

2009 Calender for the Congress sessionsand meetings of the Bureau, StatutoryCommittees, Standing Committees andWorking Groups_______________

January

Monitoring visit to Turkey12‑14 January

Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers20 January

February

Seminar on cross border cultural tourism in Europe18 February

GT/CIR ‑ Working Group on Inter‑Regional Co‑operation19 February

NALAS and Task Force on Association Development19 February

March

Culture and Education Committee2 March

Sustainable Development Committee2 March

Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers2 March

Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers4 March

Institutional Committee4 March

Social Cohesion Committee4 March

16th Plenary Session3‑5 March

Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self‑Government27 March

Appendix 2

April

Committee on Social Cohesion28‑29 April

May

Pre‑electoral mission to Yerevan (Armenia)4‑5 May

GT/LEG ‑ Working Group 'Regions with legislative powers'6 May

Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers7 May

Institutional Committee15 May

Monitoring visit to Switzerland25‑27 May

Observation of municipal elections in Yerevan (Armenia)31 May ‑ 1 June

June

Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers9 June

Standing Committee10 June

Monitoring visit to Iceland15‑17 June

July

Bureau of the Congress7 July

September

GT/CIR ‑ Working Group on Inter‑Regional Co‑operation2 September

Visit by the acting President of the Congress to Azerbaijan10‑14 September

Culture and Education Committee18 September

Hearing on "Diverse cities, creative cities"19 September

Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers21 September

Group of Independent Experts on the European Charter of Local Self‑Government29‑30 September

October

Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers12 ‑14‑ 15 October

Institutional Committee12 October

Social Cohesion Committee12 October

LR‑IC ‑ Committee of Experts on local and regional government institutions and co‑operation12 October

17th Plenary Session13 ‑15 October

Sustainable Development Committee14 October

Culture and Education Committee15 October

November

Visit by the acting President of the Congress to Albania2 November

GT/LEG ‑ Working Group 'Regions with legislative powers'6 November

Meeting of Directors/Presidents of ENTO member institutions 9 November

December

Sustainable Development Committee1 December

Pre‑electoral mission to Azerbaijan7‑8 December

Monitoring visit to Belgium16‑18 December

Monitoring visit to the Russian Federation16‑17 December

Observation of local elections in Azerbaijan 20‑24 December


Appendix 2


Missions of the acting President of the Congress in 2009_____________________

5‑6 March, Prague (Czech Republic)Summit of the Regions and Cities of the Committee of the Regions

22‑24 April, Malmö (Sweden)General Assembly, CEMR, Municipalities and Regions of Europe

12 May Madrid (Spain)119th session of Committee of Ministers

14 May, St Petersbourg (Russia)32nd Plenary Session, CIS Interparliamentary Assembly

15 May, St Petersbourg (Russia)International Ecological Congress

26‑27 May, Brussels (Belgium)ALDA General Assembly and 10th Anniversary

29‑30 June, Stuttgart (Germany)Annual Conference on Cities for Children

6 July, Maastricht (The Netherlands)Conference on practical approaches towards effective transfrontier co‑operation

9 September, Strasbourg (France)1064 meeting of Committee of Ministers

10‑14 September, Baku (Azerbaijan)Official Visit

18 September, Paris (France)Contact Group “Congress/Committee of the Regions”

1‑2 November, Tirana (Albania)Official Visit

12 November, Brussels (Belgium)Signature of the revised co‑operation agreement between the Congress and the EU Committee of the Regions

16‑17 November, Utrecht (The Netherlands)Ministerial Conference for local and regional authorities

Observation of local and regional elections in 2009_______________

« The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia »22 March 2009Local elections

Yerevan (Armenia)4‑5 May 2009Pre‑electoral visit

Yerevan (Armenia)31 May 2009Municipal elections

Azerbaijan7‑8 December 2009Pre‑electoral visit

Azerbaijan23 December 2009Municipal elections

Documents

The state of the Congress 2009 - Council of Europe · 2009 also saw the Congress, armed with its new Charter, moving up a gear to a new dynamic of two full plenary sessions each year,