Strasbourg, 14 March 2012 CDLR(2012)8
Item 16 of the agenda
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY
(CDLR)
STRATEGY FOR INNOVATION AND GOOD GOVERNANCE
AT LOCAL LEVEL
For information and guidance
Secretariat Memorandum
prepared by the
Directorate of Democratic Governance, Culture and Diversity
Democracy, Institution-Building and Governance Department
 |
Introduction
The European Ministers responsible for local and regional government endorsed the Strategy of Innovation and Good Governance at Local Level (the Strategy) during the Valencia Ministerial Conference in 2007. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted the Strategy in March 2008.
Since 2008, awareness raising activities have been implemented in several countries, with a view to generating interest for and accession to the Strategy. The state of play is summarised in the Appendix to this document.
At the 17th session of their Council of Europe Conference (Kyiv, 3-4 November 2011), several Ministers responsible for local and regional government spoke about the Strategy and their interest for it. In the Kyiv declaration, the Ministers agreed “to invite the Committee of Ministers to examine how the Principles of good democratic governance at local and regional level can best be promoted and embedded in the practices of local and regional authorities and be supported by the adoption of the draft Recommendation on the principles of good democratic governance at local level”. The Committee of Ministers has not yet considered nor taken action on this invitation.
CDLR members may wish to provide the Committee with information on the implementation of the Strategy in their respective countries with a view to enabling proper planning and implementation of supporting action by the Secretariat.
Action required
The members are invited to have an exchange of views on the state of implementation of the Strategy, with a view to giving guidance to the Secretariat.
APPENDIX
The Strategy for innovation and Good Governance at Local Level
As per March 2012, Bulgaria and Norway have received accreditation from the Council of Europe’s Stakeholders’ Platform. Bulgaria has been the first European country to award European Labels of Governance Excellence (ELoGE), Norway should follow in 2012. The Netherlands have informed the Secretary General that they are officially committed to the twelve principles of good democratic governance.
The Secretariat is in dialogue with state/regional authorities and/or associations of local authorities in Austria, Belgium, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain and Ukraine as regards accession to and implementation of the Strategy. The most recent developments are summarized as follows.
Austria: The Association of Austrian Cities (Österreichischer Städtebund) is currently working on the Strategy. An ad-hoc meeting was organised in February 2012.
The Management Center of Innsbruck (MCI) has developed and implemented a training tool that includes good governance based on the Twelve Principles. Alumni had, as a practical test, to benchmark the practice of the City of Innsbruck using the tool developed for ELoGE.
In the absence of a decision from the Austrian Association and government, the Land of Tirol expressed an interest to implement ELoGE at regional level, with the practical help of MCI.
France: The local authorities of Bondy, Bordeaux, Bricquebec, Le Havre, Nevers, Strasbourg, Suresnes et la Communauté d’Agglomération de Vichy Val d’Allier, that piloted the testing of the benchmark have requested in writing (February 2012) both the Minister for local authorities (Mr Philippe Richert) and the President of the Association of French Mayors (Mr Jacques Pellissard) to take the necessary steps with a view to acceding to the Strategy and setting up the the national stakeholders’ platform.
Hungary: Following early expressions of interest (2009) by both the Hungarian Association (TÖÖSZ) and the Ministry of Interior, contacts have started again with TÖÖSZ with a view to possibly developing a joint approach to the Strategy with the Association of Austrian Cities.
Hungary introduced the Strategy and ELoGE among the activities to be financed by the Norwegian funds EEA. The implementation of the Strategy and ELoGE could start once the funding is obtained.
Italy:The testing of the benchmark will start in the city of Florence and other Italian cities that belong to the Improvement Network coordinated by Florence.
Malta: the implementation of the Strategy and the ELoGE is a part of the new capacity-building Project to be implemented in partnership with the CoE Centre for Local Government Reform, the Maltese authorities and the Association of Norwegian Municipalities (KS), and to be funded by the Norway 2009-2014 grants. The implementation will begin this year.
Norway: The Association of Norwegian Municipalities has launched the information campaign and is organising cities’ participation. The first Labels could be awarded in 2012.
Spain: The municipalities of Badalona, Getafe, Malaga, Pinedar de Mar, San Sebastian, and Siero continue the experimental testing of the benchmark. Results should be harvested in Spring 2012 so that the Association of Spanish Municipalities and Provinces as well as the Spanish government could take an informed decision as to accede to the Strategy and set up the the national stakeholders’ platform already in 2012.
Ukraine: The Odessa Regional Council initiated the self-assessment process according to the Council of Europe “Benchmark on the Label of Innovation and Good Governance”, with a help of CELOGORE (Centre for Local Government Research - local NGO). Further action to promote the Strategy is being taken in the framework of the programme on Strengthening the Capacities of Local Authorities in Ukraine implemented by the Council of Europe and funded by Denmark and Switzerland (2010-2013). The international Municipal Hearings dedicated to the Strategy were held in Kyiv with participation of the CoE and the President of Ukraine. The Ukrainian authorities informed of their wish to apply for the CoE accreditation of ELoGE in 2012.