Strasbourg, 17 July 2014                                                                    GT-GD(2014)4rev

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON DEMOCRACY AND GOVERNANCE

(CDDG)

WORKING GROUP ON DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE
(GT-GD)

MEETING REPORT[1]

3 June 2014

1.         Opening of the meeting

The meeting was opened by Mr Alfonso Zardi, Head of the Department for Democratic Institutions and Governance, who welcomed the members of the working group.

Mr Zardi presented the tasks which the European Committee on Democracy and Governance (CDDG) had assigned to the group, as set out in document GT-GD(2014)1.

The list of participants appears in Appendix 1.

           

2.         Election of the Chair and the Vice-Chair

Mr Paul-Henri Philips (Belgium) was elected Chair.

3.         Adoption of the agenda

The agenda as adopted appears in Appendix 2.

4.         Promotion and visibility of the twelve principles of good democratic         governance at local level

After going over the origin and purpose of the Strategy for Innovation and Good Governance at Local Level, which sets out the 12 principles, Mr Zardi referred to the challenges facing its implementation and notably the reluctance of some countries’ local and national authorities to become involved in the Strategy because of the requirements relating to the procedures for accrediting a national platform and awarding the European label.

For these reasons, a critical review of the implementation of the Strategy had been conducted at the end of 2013 and had given rise to an expert report and proposals by the Secretariat for simplifying the procedures (GT-GD(2014)3).

Group members from countries which applied the Strategy and from other countries which would be interested in applying it reported on their national experience in this respect.

Mr Philips (Belgium) believed that the award of the European label should be durable in time and no longer limited as was currently the case. The award process should also be less formal and more efficient. Mr Philips raised two additional issues. The first concerned the representativeness and credibility of the replies to the questionnaires used for an opinion survey among elected representatives and citizens.  The second concerned the possible need to conceptualise – rearrange and clarify – the 12 principles.

Mr Baltazar (Austria) agreed that the questionnaires were complex and not sufficiently pragmatic.  The trials in his country had led to increased workloads and bureaucracy.  He proposed that best practices in good local governance be collected and a prize/the label be awarded for the best ones.  In his view, that would increase the level of interest among both local and national authorities.

Ms Dragova (Bulgaria) explained that although the Bulgarian authorities had decided to continue their involvement with the Strategy, there was a strong need to encourage local authorities in this connection and also to provide clarification concerning the link between the national side and the European nature of the Strategy.

Mr Feraille (France) underlined the importance of the principle of subsidiarity and said that the Strategy needed to be better adapted to local circumstances and situations.  Local authorities should also be encouraged more to apply the Strategy and assessed less in this respect.

Being unable to attend the meeting, Ms Ulland-Billing (Norway) shared her opinion by electronic mean. She acknowledged the need for more flexibility of and simplifying the procedures and tools for the implementation of the Strategy. Even though Norway has followed the required procedures at the national level without any problems, municipalities have experienced difficulties with the benchmark for self-evaluation which they deemed being burdensome. Ms Ulland-Billing considered that the tools should be made more flexible and adaptable to national (or federal) circumstances so that other countries could use them.

The Secretariat underlined that the Council of Europe was willing to support governments which would wish to implement the Strategy, even if they decide not to become involved in the process and procedure for awarding the European label.

The representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe highlighted the Assembly’s continuous contribution in promoting the Strategy and its support for making the tool more attractive for central governments.

The Group identified and discussed a number of proposals for simplifying the procedures for joining the Strategy, accrediting the national platform and awarding the European label.  It agreed to continue the exchanges between members by email over the summer and asked the Secretariat to compile all the proposals in a consolidated document so that the Group could discuss them in depth at its second meeting.

Moreover, the Group instructed the Secretariat to present in a separate document the advantages and disadvantages for local authorities of applying for the European label.

Lastly, the Group agreed to exchange views by email concerning a possible conceptualisation of the 12 principles of good democratic governance at local level with a view to making them more suitable and attractive for local authorities.

5.         Other business and date of the next meeting

The Group agreed to hold its second meeting at the beginning of October 2014.  The Chair would set the date in liaison with the Secretariat.

APPENDIX 1

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

MEMBERS / MEMBRES

Mr Alexander BALTHASAR, Head of the Institute for State Organization and Administrative Reform, Federal Chancellery of Austria, Ballhausplatz 1, 1014 WIEN, Austria, Tel: (43) 1 53115 202806 ; Fax: (43) 1 53109 202806;

E-mail: [email protected]

Ms Hannah BROOK, Democracy Division, Department for Communities and Local Government, Zone 3/J1, Eland House, Bressenden Place, LONDON SW1E 5DU, United Kingdom, Tel: (44) 303 4441858; E-mail: [email protected]

Mrs Desislava DRAGOVA, Senior expert, Ministry of Regional Development, 17-19 St. Kiril I Metodii Str., 1202 SOFIA, Bulgaria, Tel : +(359) 2 9405 428;
E-mail: [email protected]

M. Damien FERAILLE, Bureau des structures territoriales, Direction Générale des Collectivités locales, Ministère de l'Intérieur, 1 bis, place des Saussaies, 75800 PARIS, France, Tel: (33) 01 49 27 31 78 ; E-mail: [email protected]

M. Paul-Henri PHILIPS, Chargé des Relations internationales, Bruxelles Pouvoirs Locaux, Service public régional de Bruxelles, Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, 20, B – 1035 BRUXELLES, Belgique, Tel : (32) 2 800 32 77; Fax :(32) 2 800 38 00;

E-mail : [email protected]

Apologised for absence / excusée

Mrs Greta Ulland BILLING, Senior International Adviser, Department for Local Government,  Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, Postbox 8112 DEP,
0032 OSLO, Norway, Tel: (47) 22 24 72 25; Fax: (47) 22 24 27 35;

E-mail: [email protected]

OTHER PARTICIPANTS / AUTRES PARTICIPANTS

PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY / ASSEMBLEE PARLEMENTAIRE

Mrs Maren LAMBRECHT-FEIGL, Secretary to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, Tel: (33) 3 90 21 47 78; Fax: (33) 3 90 21 56 49;
E-mail: [email protected]

CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES / CONGRES DES POUVOIRS LOCAUX ET REGIONAUX

Mrs Nichola HOWSON, Co-secretary to the Governance Committee / Co-secrétaire de la Commission de la gouvernance, Tel: (33) 3.88.41.22.39; Fax: (33) 3.88.41.27.51;
E-mail: [email protected]

CONFERENCE OF INGOS / CONFERENCE DES OING

Apologised for absence / excusé

SECRETARIAT

Ms Claudia LUCIANI, Director of Democratic Governance - Directrice de la gouvernance démocratique / Directorate General of Democracy - Direction générale de la démocratie

Tel : +33 (0)3 88 41 21 49 ; Fax : +33 (0)3 88 41 27 55;

E-mail : [email protected]

Mr Alfonso ZARDI, Head of Democratic Institutions and Governance Department - Chef du Service des institutions et de la gouvernance démocratiques/  Directorate of Democratic Governance - Direction de la gouvernance démocratique/ 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]

Mr Daniel POPESCU, Head of Good Governance Division - Chef de la Division de la bonne gouvernance/ Directorate of Democratic Governance - Direction de la gouvernance démocratique/ Directorate General of Democracy- Direction générale de la Démocratie

Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 36 08; Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84; E-mail: [email protected]

Ms Severina SPASSOVA, Senior project manager - Responsable principale de projets/  Directorate of Democratic Governance - Direction de la gouvernance démocratique/ Directorate General of Democracy - Direction générale de la Démocratie

Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 25 75; Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84;

E-mail: [email protected]

APPENDIX 2

AGENDA