Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local and Regional Government

Colloquy between the ministers and the representatives of the Congress and the Parliamentary Assembly

Speech by Ian Micallef, President of the Chamber of Local Authorities of the Council of Europe Congress

15 October 200 – Valencia, Spain

Madam Chair, Ministers, colleagues,

Following the Joint Meeting of the CDLR and the Congress Bureau, the Congress Bureau decided that one of the topics chosen for discussion would be the strategy for innovation and good governance at local level, including transparency in politics.

I would like to touch on some of the principles of good democratic governance at local level referring first and foremost to fair conduct of elections, representation and participation.  In today’s Europe we still have states where a number of shortcomings are noted during elections and this has been made public in our monitoring reports published following the observation of elections.  I do believe that states give more priority to the monitoring reports published by the Council of Europe institutions and take note of the proposals of the Venice Commission so as to ensure that this fundamental principle of democracy is fulfilled in the interest of all citizens to participate in the democratic process of their State.

The second point I wanted to raise relates to the value attached to the Resolutions and Reports adopted by the Congress on the state of local democracy in a particular Member State.  It is an appreciation of how the Charter for Local Self Government is being applied.  I feel that we should find ways of improving the follow-up procedure after the adoption of these reports and Resolutions.  In the Congress we have established our own follow-up procedure referred to as Compliance Procedure which we would like to see applied by the national authorities.  I take this opportunity to thank the Russian authorities for their comments which will be discussed soon by the Congress.  The discussion concerning the state of local democracy in a particular Member State by other members of the Congress creates a system of checks and balances to ensure that local authorities are administering their duties and exercising their powers in an effective and efficient manner, with a sound financial management and full respect to the rule of law.  On the other hand, states, whilst respecting the local authorities’ autonomy, are to apply the principles included in the European Charter of Local Self Government.

My final point relates to the need to increase the skills and capacity of local elected representatives and officials by the implementation of specific capacity-building programmes.  This should also focus on the need to involve more women, especially in those States where the participation of women in political affairs is extremely low.  The Congress means business in this respect, and the New Congress Charter as approved by the Committee of Ministers requires that at least 30% of a national delegation be women.  This will be applied for the May 2008 Plenary session.

To conclude, I appreciate if the Ministers could give their support to the Centre of Expertise which is a proposal of the Congress and the CDLR.

The representative of the Parliamentary Assembly has said that the different levels of governance are an orchestra working together.  I concur with his comments and feel that being an orchestra is essential but what the citizens expect from us is that we play the most harmonious symphony: which means that the principles of good governance are not only practised on a national level but are likewise fulfilled at the root of democracy, i.e. at local level.