Strasbourg, 15 March 2012                                                                CDLR-Bu(2012)7

BUREAU OF THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE

ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY

(CDLR)

MEETING REPORT

Meeting held on 17 February 2012

Council of Europe Office, Paris

Room 1

1.         Opening of the meeting

The Chair opened the meeting and welcomed the participants. The list of participants appears at Appendix 1.

2.        Adoption of the Agenda

The agenda of the meeting was adopted (see Appendix 2).

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

3.        Decisions of the Committee of Ministers concerning the CDLR

The Bureau took note of the decision by the Ministers’ Deputies (1132nd meeting, 1 February 2012) to take note of the abridged report of the 48th meeting of the CDLR.

The Chair informed the members about his participation in the GR-DEM meetings of 12 January, and of 2 February 2012 at which he provided the Ministers’ Deputies with information on the forthcoming London conference convened by the UK Chair of the Committee of Ministers.

The Secretariat informed the members of the Bureau that the report of the Secretary General on the Kyiv conference due to be examined at the same meeting of the GR-DEM had been postponed to a subsequent meeting.


4.        Information on other Council of Europe bodies

The Bureau took note of the information on the work programme of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, as well as of other relevant bodies (CoR, AER, UN Habitat). Members of the Bureau noted how activities of the Congress aligned with the strategic objectives of the Council of Europe, and recalled the importance the Governments, which they represented, attached to such alignment.

The Bureau noted the holding by the Congress (21 March, afternoon) of a debate on the financial crisis and hoped that the considerable work done by the CDLR and the Ministerial conference in this area would be taken into account, both in the debate and in any subsequent work on this issue.

The Secretariat informed the Bureau that the Chair of the CDLR has received an invitation, according to established practice, to attend the 22nd session of the Congress on 20-22 March 2012 [Note: the invitation has now been accepted by the Chair].

The Bureau gave its approval for the Secretariat to provide information about the work of Governments’ delegations in the CDLR and the Centre of Expertise for Local-government Reform during the spring session of the Congress.

The Chair informed the members of the Bureau about the outcomes of High Level Meeting on Local and Regional Democracy initiated and organised by the UK Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers on 13 February 2012 in London, which he attended as a member of the British delegation. It was conveyed that the UK Chairmanship is committed to finding solutions, on which there is wide consensus, to achieve that greater collaboration and coordination between all the actors in the field of local and regional democracy which those at the London meeting were seeking.

CDLR

5.        Implementation of the Intergovernmental Programme of activities in   2012

The Secretariat introduced the document which links the ongoing and planned activities of the CDLR with the objectives defined by its new Terms of reference and the corresponding expected results.

The Bureau gave instructions to the Secretariat as to the nature, outcomes and results to be expected from the various activities listed in the document, which would be submitted to the CDLR. The focus of the CDLR should be the effective implementation of its Terms of Reference. It was essential that all activities of the CDLR were, and were clearly perceived by all to be, specifically connected to the discharge of its Terms of Reference.


The members of the Bureau agreed that the electronic distribution of information should become more systematic and the tacit adoption procedure should be used more frequently by the CDLR. As a result, the CDLR members would be more reactive when action is required. It was suggested to prepare an information note for the attention of the CDLR meeting in April defining the modalities of how the electronic exchanges of information should be practiced.

It was also suggested that each of the reports which are currently in the process of preparation or are envisaged to be prepared by the CDLR should include an indication as to whom, which organ of the Council of Europe or other recipient, the report is addressed to.

The Bureau confirmed CDLR’s interest in contributing to a bi-national event on transfrontier cooperation to be organised by the ISIG of Gorizia (Italy), based on the SWOT analysis reports which have been produced. The CDLR should ask the Congress to be part of the overall Council of Europe’s input on this issue, and if agreed, this could be an early example of putting the ‘agenda in common’ into practice. The CoR, AER, CEMR and other relevant bodies should also be invited to cooperate.

Mr Paul-Henri Philips mentioned that the Brussels-Capital Region would be ready to host at its own expense a workshop on promoting the Additional protocol to ECLSG on citizen participation. He also suggested organising a round-table involving the Council of Europe, the EU and Benelux countries to discuss transfrontier cooperation with an aim to produce quick and concrete outcomes. This activity could be included in the work programme of the CDLR together with other envisaged workshops.

The Bureau agreed all the above suggestions and instructed the Secretariat to take all necessary steps to implement them.

6.        Preparation and draft agenda of the 49th CDLR meeting

The Bureau took note of the draft agenda of the 49th CDLR meeting and welcomed the new structure, in particular that the CDLR agenda is drawn up by reference to its new Terms of Reference, and specifically relates each activity to an element of those Terms.

The Bureau decided that the agenda of the CDLR should include an item devoted to the discussion of the functions and duties of CDLR general rapporteurs.

It was also decided to hold one or two topical exchanges at the next CDLR meeting. The topics should be determined through prior consultation with the members.


The Bureau was informed of the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of a Council of Europe Strategy for the Rights of the Child and agreed that the CDLR should be invited to contribute to it. Local authorities are most often at the forefront of dealing with matters related to child protection and the CDLR should pay due attention to this subject. The Committee could appoint one or more rapporteurs to be a member of the stakeholders network and as well as raise awareness within the CDLR. Participation in external meetings and raising awareness within the CDLR on specific subject matters should be entrusted to the same persons.

In line with its new terms of reference, the CDLR shall also appoint, at its forthcoming meeting, a rapporteur on gender equality.

OTHER

7.        Preparation of the joint meeting with the Bureau of the Congress

The Bureau noted that it had not be possible to hold the joint meeting in February, as suggested, and hoped that the Congress could accept that such a meeting would be held on 19 March or, were this still not possible, would suggest another date in the near future. The Secretariat was asked to make the necessary contacts with the Congress Secretariat.

Other business

Mr Auke van der Goot briefly introduced Mr Thomas Zandstra who was seconded from the Dutch Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations to the Democracy, Institution Building and Governance Department. The Secretariat expressed its gratitude for the support thus given to the CDLR and its activities. The Chair also welcomed Mr Zandstra, and expressed the UK Government’s thanks to the Dutch Government for reinforcing the Council of Europe’s work in the field of local and regional democracy in this way.

The Secretariat also informed the Bureau of the current and future staff situation in the Department and asked for Bureau members’ understanding if some inevitable delays should arise in the preparation of documents and/or activities.


APPENDIX 1

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

                                                                          

CHAIRMAN / PRESIDENT

Mr Paul ROWSELL, Deputy Director, Democracy and Local Governance, Department for Communities and Local Government, 3/J1, Eland House, Bressenden Place, LONDON SW1E 5DU, GB

Tel: (44) 303 44 42568; E-mail: [email protected]

OTHER MEMBERS / AUTRES MEMBRES

Mr Jesper LORENZ GRADERT, Head of Section, Ministry of the Interior and Health, Slotsholmsgade 10-12, 1216, COPENHAGEN K

Tel: (45) 7228 2524; E-mail: [email protected]

Mrs Miroslava-Nina MIŠKOVIĆ, Head of Independent Division for International Cooperation, Ministry of Public Administration, Maksimirska 63, 10000 ZAGREB

Tel: (385) 1 2357 532; Fax: (385) 1 2357 609; E-mail: [email protected]

M. Paul-Henri PHILIPS, Adjoint du Directeur Général, Administration des pouvoirs locaux, Ministère de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, 20, B – 1035 BRUXELLES

Tel : (32) 2 800 32 77; Cel-phone: (32) 499 58 81 05; Fax :(32) 2 800 38 00;

E-mail : [email protected]

Ms Paqui SANTONJA, Special Adviser, Directorate General for Regional Cooperation, Ministry of Finances and Public Admnistrations, MADRID

Tel: (34) 91 273 46 59; Fax: (34) 91 273 46 10; E-mail: [email protected]

Mr Auke van der GOOT, Senior Adviser, Europe and Local and Regional Governance Unit, Directorate-General for Governance and Kingdom Relations, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, P.O Box 20011, NL - 2500 EA THE HAGUE

Tel: (31) 70 426 7386; Fax: (31) 70 426 7655; E-mail: [email protected]

Other participant / Autre participant

Mr Thomas ZANDSTRA, Directorate General for Kingdom Relations and Governance, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, P.O Box 20011, NL - 2500 EA THE HAGUE

Tel: (31) 70 426 7704; Fax: (31) 70 426 7655; E-mail: [email protected]


SECRETARIAT

Mr Alfonso ZARDI, Head of Democracy, Institution-Building and Governance Department/ Chef du Service de la démocratie, du renforcement des institutions et de la gouvernance - Directorate of Democratic Governance, Culture and Diversity / Direction de la gouvernance démocratique, de la culture et de la diversité, Directorate General of Democracy / Direction générale de la démocratie

Tel : +33 (0)3 88 41 39 06; Fax : +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84; E-mail : [email protected]

Ms Lilit NIKOGHOSYAN, Directorate of Democratic Governance, Culture and Diversity / Direction de la gouvernance démocratique, de la culture et de la diversité, Directorate General of Democracy / Direction générale de la démocratie

Tel : +33 (0)3 88 41 35 04; Fax : +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84;

E-mail : [email protected]


APPENDIX 2

AGENDA

         

1.

Opening of the meeting

2.

Adoption of the agenda

[CDLR-Bu(2012)OJ1]

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

3.

Decisions of the Committee of Ministers concerning the CDLR

[CDLR-Bu(2012)1]

4.

Information on other Council of Europe bodies

[CDLR-Bu(2012)2]

CDLR

5.

Implementation of the intergovernmental programme of activities for 2012

[CDLR-Bu(2012)3]

-      Additional information on transfrontier co-operation event: possible contribution by the CDLR

[CDLR-Bu(2012)4]

-      Additional information on the Report on the impact of the Lisbon Treaty on the ECLSG

[CDLR-Bu(2012)5]

6.

Adoption of the draft agenda for the 49th meeting of the CDLR 

[CDLR(2012)OJ1 prov.]

OTHER

7.

Preparation of the joint meeting with the Bureau of the Congress

[CDLR-Bu(2012)6]

8.

Other business