Strasbourg, 15 September 2009 CDLR(2009)55
Item 9.4 of the agenda
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY
(CDLR)
CENTRE OF EXPERTISE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT REFORM
Report of the 5th meeting of the Advisory Board
(Strasbourg, 19 June 2009)
Secretariat Memorandum
prepared by the Directorate General of
Democracy and Political Affairs
Directorate of Democratic Institutions
 |
Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform
Directorate of Democratic Institutions
Council of Europe, Strasbourg
30 June 2009
CELGR(2009)4
MEETING REPORT
of the 5th meeting of the Advisory Board
19 June 2009
Council of Europe, Strasbourg, Room 14
1 Opening of the meeting
The meeting was opened and chaired by Mr Childerik Schaapveld, Director of democratic institutions, who welcomed the participants.
2 Adoption of the agenda
The agenda (doc. CELGR/AB(2009)OJ1) was adopted.
3 Presentation and discussion of the draft annual report of activities
Mr Alfonso Zardi (Head of the Department of local and regional democracy and good governance) introduced the report. In 2008, the activities of the Centre reached a peak : 26 programmes were launched or implemented in 13 countries, two new tools (benchmarking local finance and benchmarking public ethics) were finalised and new ones (Performance management and municipal planning) were launched, partnerships were developed and some co-operation agreements (with UNDP-RBEC, INET, Saint-Petersburg Academy for Public Administration) prepared and/or concluded. The Centre played an important role in the promotion of the Strategy for Innovation and good governance at local level and the development of the Label. Member states, local authorities and national and international agencies showed a great deal of interest and reactivity to the initiatives of the Centre. In a number of cases, the centre’s programmes and activities continued to be implemented with limited support from the Council of Europe, thus proving their self-sustainability. For 2009 and 2010, however, some concerns remain, as regards in particular staff (the position of head of the centre remained unfilled for most of 2009 and might be removed altogether in 2010) and the budgets (zero growth in 2010 and reduced funding from EU sources).
Mr. Ulrich Bohner (Secretary General of the Congress), stressed the positive interaction between the Centre and the Congress and suggested that the Centre could develop more its programmes in those member states which had been subject to the Congress’s monitoring procedures so that the latter’s recommendations may be implemented effectively – in respect of local authorities’ capacities, for instance. He insisted on the need for continuous interplay between the Centre’s secretariat and the Congress, so that the latter’s participation in the Centre’s programmes in selected countries may be envisaged and planned ahead of the events.
Mr Giovanni Di Stasi (Head of the Centre in 2008, now Special Envoy of the Secretary General for the Strategy and Transfrontier Co-operation) concurred with the analysis and confirmed that the Centre performed a very successful year in 2008. The spectrum of the beneficiary countries has enlarged to include Western European states and this should continue, since the Centre is for the whole Europe.
Ms Greta Billing (CDLR representative, Norway) discussed the Centre’s communication strategy, identifying the ministries of local government, the associations of local authorities and the ministries of foreign affairs as target groups. Communication tools and approaches should take that into account – especially as regards the MFAs, which are the main purveyor of funds for international development and assistance activities.
In the ensuing discussion, the members agreed that the Centre, now that it has been established on a permanent basis by the Committee of Ministers, should be given adequate resources to meet the objectives that have been given to it by the Budapest Conference and the Warsaw Summit, and which remain valid especially in times of economic turbulences and financial constraints in member states. They recommended that the European ministers responsible for local and regional government, meeting in Utrecht on 16-17 November 2009, be given an update of information on the Centre’s achievements and prospects, so that they can also reiterate their support for it.
The Board approved the annual report subject to the addition of a message to the Committee of ministers, along the lines highlighted above, that the secretariat would draft and submit for approval in writing to the members. Once approved, the message would be added to the report and the whole could be sent to the Committee of Ministers.
4 Discussion concerning the main lines of action for 2009 and beyond
The Board examined in particular Chapter III of the annual report for 2009 (CELGR(2009)1) and agreed that in 2009 and beyond, the main guiding principles of the Centre should be: developing partnerships with institutions and bodies that may serve as relays in the dissemination of programmes, presenting the centre’s programmes to the Ministries of Foreign affairs that may be interested in financing them in the framework of their assistance programmes in Europe, confirming the validity of the “three pronged” approach developed in 2006.
5 Discussion on the co-operation with the Congress and the CDLR
Following the remarks by Mr Bohner (see above, under 3.), the Board commended the Centre for its co-operation with the Congress, which should remain one of its priorities. Referring to document CELGR(2009)3, the Board recommended that it be updated by the Centre’s secretariat and discussed with the Congress so that the latter’s possible involvement in individual countries and programmes is included in the planning of activities at the earliest possible stage. A meeting between the two secretariats could take place, if possible, in early July already.
6 Other business
The Board took note of the brochure just published by the Secretariat on the Strategy for innovation and good governance and expressed its appreciation for the quality of the product. It encouraged the Secretariat to disseminate it in the framework of its communication strategy for local and regional democracy.
The Board said farewell to Mr Giovanni Di Stasi, whose secondment as Head of the Centre ended in December 2008, and thanked him warmly for the excellent work he did to consolidate and promote the Centre in the Council of Europe.
The Board also noticed that this was the last meeting Mr Bohner would attend in his capacity as Secretary General of the Congress, due to his forthcoming retirement, and thanked him for his outstanding contribution to the development of the Centre and the strengthening of the relationships between the Congress and the intergovernmental sector.
7 Date of the next meeting
The Board provisionally agreed to meet again on 3 December 2009.