Strasbourg, 8 February 2010 CDLR(2010)10
Item 10.4 of the agenda
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY
(CDLR)
OTHER ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY
European Local Democracy Week
Secretariat Memorandum
prepared by the Directorate General of
Democracy and Political Affairs
Directorate of Democratic Institutions
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Introduction
Launched by the European ministers responsible for local and regional government at the 15th session of their conference (Valencia, October 2007), the European Local Democracy Week has been since implemented in a growing number of countries.
This documents contains updated information on the events having taken place in 2009.
The Week is a joint venture of the Congress of local and regional authorities and the CDLR, via a joint working party two members of which are appointed by the CDLR (Mr Vyacheslav Tolkovanov and Mr Paul-Henri Philips).
Having regard to the “support and encouragement” that the CDLR should give the Week as requested by the European ministers responsible for local and regional government (see the Utrecht Declaration, III. C), the Committee could renew the mandate of its members in the Joint Working Party and its commitment to the Week.
This broader issue is taken up in the framework of item 7.1.3 of the agenda [document CDLR(2010)13].
Action required
The CDLR is invited to take note of the information contained in the appendix and renew the mandate of its members in the Joint Working Party.
Appendix
The European Local Democracy Week
The development of the ELDW
In 2007, a small joint steering group was established with the participation of members of the CDLR and the Congress. It developed the “concept” of the Week and established the contacts with the associations of local authorities of member States that would operate as “relays” to disseminate the idea and secure the participation of local authorities. A “start up” kit for local authorities was prepared (in English and French) and an active communication campaign launched. With important support of the Congress, a logo, a website (www.coe.int/demoweek), a poster and a number of gadgets were developed.
The concept is to encourage European municipalities to organise during the same period of the year – indicatively set for the week around the 15th of October, the anniversary of the European Charter of Local Self-Government – events aimed at attracting the inhabitants of the local community to enter into contact with their local councillors and mayors. This can be done in a variety of forms: “open door” days at the city hall, mayors and councillors taking part in public debates and answering citizens’ questions, mayors interacting with panels of specific groups of citizens (the young, the elderly), “mayor of the day” events in which ordinary people have a stint at the helm of the community, etc.
In 2007, approximately 20 events took place in different countries. Albeit limited in number, the feedback was very positive, and the steering group could confirm to the CDLR and the Congress that the Week could “fly”. The European Ministers then adopted the Week at their Valencia conference, in October 2007.
2008
In Spring 2008, the Week was celebrated at the International conference on “Improving governance at local level: tools and strategies” organised by the Slovak chairmanship of the Council of Europe (Piest’any, 16-18 April) and at the Forum for the Future of Democracy held in Madrid from 15 to 17 October. In the meantime, four cities (Madrid, Brussels Capital-Region, Odessa and Varna) were selected as “pilots” to project the image of the 2008 Week by hosting special events whilst providing cross-references to the action of their participating sister-cities around the continent.
The network of associations and organisations supporting and promoting the implementation of the Week was strengthened by the addition of about fifteen national or regional associations of local authorities and of such bodies as the Central and Eastern Europe Citizens Network (CEECN), the Capital Cities of the European Union, the Training and Learning for Community Development Network.
In some countries (Ukraine), the Week is officially recognised as a public event to be celebrated in all municipalities. In others (Hungary) the traditional “local government days” are organised in such a way as to coincide with the Week or adopt a European dimension too.
In 2008, an estimated 3000 municipalities in 25 member states undertook to organise events labelled “European Local Democracy Week”.
2009
In 2009, the number of participating municipalities has been comparable to 2008.
In 2009 the circle of “pilot cities” has been enlarged to include Bradashesh (Albania), Kutina (Croatia), Strasbourg (France), Ierapetra (Greece), Finlyandsky district of Saint-Petersburg (Russian federation), Iasi (Romania), Podkowa Lesna (Poland), Salford (United Kingdom) and Boryspil (Ukraine). Moreover the Region of Brussels Capital (Belgium) participated for the second time as a pilot city in 2009.
Taking advantage of the “intercultural cities” programme of the Directorate General IV (Education, Culture, Heritage and Youth) of the Council of Europe, the “intercultural cities 2009” were also invited to take part in the Week: Reggio Emilia (Italy), Neuchâtel (Switzerland), Lyon (France), Patras (Greece), Neukölln (Germany), Izhevsk (Russian Federation), Lublin (Poland), Oslo (Norway), Subotica (Serbia), Melitopol (Ukraine) and Tilburg (the Netherlands). However, this participation has only met with limited success and it is hoped that this element may be improved upon in 2010.
Assessment and prospects
The Week has gone through a preparatory phase with very limited funding, but it has proven to be an attractive European initiative with potential to bring citizens closer to local government. It is the occasion for raising local councillors’ and local civil servants’ awareness of democratic participation. It enables them to meet their fellow citizens in an informal, entertaining and sometimes festive setting. It is an excellent opportunity for debates on issues of local interest, so as to assess citizens’ needs more accurately, to establish a relationship of confidence and to pass on a message of mutual responsibility.
Participation in the Week is entirely voluntary but the idea is catching on and the hallmark of the Council of Europe – supported in particular by the promotional efforts of the Congress Secretariat, which has been enlarged to take on a larger role in co-ordinating the Week from 2010 – constitutes a powerful encouragement to join in.
Through the Week, the Council of Europe is enhancing its visibility of the Organisation and the values and principles for which it stands.
At national level, associations of local authorities and NGOs remain very instrumental in the promotion and organisation of the Week.
The implementation of the Week was included among the ways of promoting greater openness and transparency in local government, in the framework of the Strategy for Innovation and Good Governance at Local level, adopted in 2008.
On the occasion of the Utrecht conference, the European ministers – having taken note of the information on the Week – reiterated their support for the initiative (at the European level) and envisaged to encourage their municipalities to join (at their respective domestic level).