15th plenary session of the Congress – 27-29 May 2008

Minister Kiviniemi spells out ways to enhance Council of Europe’s work on grass-root democracy

[29/05/2008] “The three pillars of the Council of Europe – intergovernmental co-operation, the Congress and the Parliamentary Assembly – each have their roles to play in developing local and regional democracy,” said Finnish Minister of Public Administration and Local Government Mari Kiviniemi addressing the plenary session of the Council of Europe Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on 29 May.

According to her, making the work of the Council of Europe more visible and strengthening the involvement of member states are the key challenges to be faced in this process.

“The goal is to produce a system where all participants feel useful, where procedures are efficient but democratic, and where the outputs are worth the money and effort spent,” she said.

At the Conference of Ministers responsible for Local Government in Valencia 15-16 October 2007, Minister Mari Kiviniemi was entrusted with the task of presenting a personal report on the ways and means of enhancing the work of the Council of Europe on local and regional democracy. Her report should be ready by late 2008 to eventually be presented directly to the Ministerial Conference in the Netherlands in 2009.