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Strasbourg, 24 March 2009                                                                 LR-GG(2009)7

                      EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY

                                                                     (CDLR)

COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON GOOD DEMOCRATIC

GOVERNANCE AT LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL

(LR-GG)

DRAFT MEETING REPORT

10-11 February 2009

1.         Opening of the meeting

Mr Alfonso Zardi, Head of the Department of local and regional democracy and good governance, opened the meeting on behalf of the Secretary General and welcomed the participants (the list of participants appears in appendix 1).

2.         Election of the Chair and Vice-Chair

Mr Paul-Henri PHILIPS (Belgium) and Mr Natalino ATTARD (Malta) were elected respectively Chair and Vice-Chair by acclamation.

3.         Adoption of the agenda

The Agenda as adopted is set out in appendix 2.

4.         Preparation of the 16th Session of the Ministerial Conference in Utrecht (16-17 November 2009) – item discussed at the joint meeting with the LR-IC Committee, on 10 February

The Committee held an in-depth discussion on the basis of the draft agenda and the information provided by the Dutch delegation on the state of progress of the preparatory work undertaken in respect of the Utrecht ministerial session. The Secretariat described the suggested transition between the Budapest Agenda (as revised in Valencia) and the Utrecht Agenda with the help of two Power Point graphs (see Appendix 3).

Several delegations supported the suggestion to include other partners, such as the Forum for the Future of Democracy and the Association of European Border Regions (AEBR), not only in the Ministerial session, but also in its preparatory events (Conferences of the University of Twente in Enschede on 2-3 April and of the City of Maastricht in July 2009). With regard to the two latter events, the Dutch delegation was asked to reinforce communication about them, in order to raise their visibility and awareness at national level and within the Council of Europe (with regard to the Congress for example), and to keep the members of the CDLR and its sub-committees informed about any developments including possible invitations sent to ministers in order to allow for smooth processing of them at national level.

The Committee agreed with the basic concept of the session, i.e. to take stock, on the one hand, of the achievements of the Budapest Agenda and, on the other, to adopt a new one (the Utrecht Agenda) listing the challenges to be addressed between 2010 and 2014 through action at the intergovernmental level. The Committee also agreed that the Kiviniemi report, the Strategy for Innovation and Good Governance and the European Local Democracy Week should appear on the agenda.

In their statements, both the German and British delegations without disagreeing with the overall approach sketched above, insisted on the need to make the session an event at which decisions are made and substantial political statements are delivered. A summary of their statements appears at Appendix 4.

Other delegations pointed out the need to ensure that the results of the intergovernmental work be better known outside the Council of Europe, that better co-ordination exists between the work of the Council of Europe and that of the European Union and that “transversal” issues are properly identified so that ministers can have a genuine political exchange.

The Secretariat was asked to take these comments into consideration for the revision of the draft agenda, as well as for the drawing up of the draft programme, and to forward the revised documents to the CDLR Bureau for further refinement.

The Committee finally adopted the four different questionnaires to be launched with regard to preparing the Ministerial session and agreed that they be sent out directly after the Committee meeting to all CDLR members and to the members of the three expert Committees (IC, GG and FS).

5.         Draft additional Protocol to the ECLSG on democratic participation at local level and draft explanatory report

Mr Alfonso de Salas, Head of the Human rights intergovernmental cooperation division, presented the new Council of Europe Convention on access to official documents, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 27 November 2008. Discussion then took place on some of the definitions used by the convention and the links to be forged between that instrument and the draft additional Protocol.  

As regards to the draft additional Protocol was concerned, the Committee agreed on a new article B merging the previous articles B and C. It was also agreed that the text should mention promoting new information technologies, as proposed by the Congress.  The Committee furthermore asked the Secretariat to supplement the Preamble and revise the final provisions of the draft Protocol. In the light of discussion and the wording ultimately chosen for the protocol text, the Committee asked the Secretariat to specify the scope of the notions of "official documents" and "nationals" in the explanatory report.

The Committee agreed to ask the Council of Europe's legal advice department for an opinion on the draft in its revised form. The revised draft would be submitted to the CDLR in April 2009 for adoption and transmission to the Committee of Ministers for adoption and a decision to open it for signature on the occasion of the 16th session of the Ministerial conference.

6.         Co-operation with the Forum for the Future of Democracy

Mr Michael Remmert, Head of the Forum for the future of democracy unit, reported on the latest developments in this area.  In particular, he reiterated that, in the conclusions of the Madrid session (15-17 October 2008), the Forum had called the CDLR to examine the potential of participatory budgeting and use of ICT in order to involve people more in local and regional authority decisions. He also informed the Committee that a conference on e-democracy would be organised in 2009 and that the Forum's next session would be held in Kyiv on 21 – 23 October 2009, on the theme of electoral systems, including at local level.

The Committee confirmed its interest in these themes and was willing to contribute, if wished by the CDLR, to the Kyiv Forum, whose theme had a "local" dimension of interest to it.

7.         Promotion of the CLEAR analysis tool

The Committee was informed that the CLEAR tool was to be adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 11 March 2009, as an appendix to the Recommendation on the evaluation, auditing and monitoring of participation and participation policies at local and regional level.  The member States were invited to make extensive use of the tool. 

8.         Updating of the Handbook on public ethics at local level

Mr Paul-Henri Philips (Belgium), rapporteur on public ethics, presented the approach taken by the CDLR (see document LR-GG(2009)5) to implementing this activity (covering the outline plan for the new handbook and the detailed methodology for analysing national information received since 2005).  Work was scheduled for completion by mid-2010.  The Committee approved of this approach and instructed the Secretariat to take the necessary steps.

9.         Evaluation of compliance with public ethics standards at local and regional levels

Mr Paul-Henri Philips (Belgium), rapporteur on public ethics, outlined the benefits of an additional public ethics activity aimed at assessing compliance with public ethics standards at local and regional levels, to be undertaken in close collaboration with work on the preparation of the new handbook on public ethics (see item 8), and proposed a line of action for preparing a report in this area (see document LR-GG(2009)6). The Committee agreed. 

10.      Other business

None.

11.      Date of the next meeting

The date of the next meeting will be decided by the CDLR at its meeting in April 2009.

Appendix 1

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS

MEMBERS / MEMBRES

CHAIRMAN / PRESIDENT

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

Tél : (32) 2 800 32 77 ; Fax : (32) 2800 38 00; E-mail: [email protected]

ARMENIA / ARMENIE

Mr Artur SOGHOMONYAN, Head of the Department of Community Service Affairs, Ministry of Territorial Administration, YEREVAN, Armenia

Tel: (37410) 511 322; Fax: (37410) 511 322; E-mail: [email protected];

[email protected]

AZERBAIJAN / AZERBAÏDJAN

Mr Tokay BAYRAMOV, Leading adviser, Department on Administrative Supervision over Municipalities Actions, Centre of work with municipalities, Ministry of Justice, B. Safaroglu str. 141, AZ 1009

Tel: (994 55) 609 20 20; Fax: (99412) 59 63 408; E-mail: [email protected]

Mr Elgiz MAHERRAMOV, Lawyer, Department on Administrative Supervision over Municipalities Actions, Centre of work with municipalities, Ministry of Justice, B. Safaroglu str. 141, AZ 1009

Tel: (994 55) 277 00 11; Fax: (99412) 59 63 408; E-mail: [email protected]

BELGIUM / BELGIQUE

Mr Edwin LEFEBRE, Deputy Director, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Agency for Home Affairs, Boudewijnlaan 30, B - 1000 BRUSSELS

Tel : (32) 2 553 40 16; Fax :(32) 2 553 39 52; E-mail: [email protected]

Mme Annie BIEFNOT-VANBOTERDAL, Directrice générale, Chargée de mission auprès du Gouvernement Wallon, 18/19, rue de la Seuwe, B - 7000 MONS

Tél: +(32) (0) 65 22 06 84; +(32) (0) 47- 46 79 38; Fax:+(32) (0) 65 22 06 99;

E-mail:[email protected]

Madame Christine RAMELOT, Attachée à la Direction de la Prospective et du Développement local, Direction Générale opérationnelle des Pouvoirs locaux, de l'Action sociale et de la Santé – Service public de Wallonie, Rue Van Opré, 91 – B-5100 JAMBES (NAMUR)

Tél. (32) 81 32 36 48; Fax: (32) 81.32 37 44; E-mail: [email protected]

BULGARIA / BULGARIE

Mrs Penka YORDANOVA - Director of Administrative Territorial Structure and Local Self-Government Directorate Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, 17-19 St. Kiril I Metodii Str., 1202 SOFIA

Tel: (359) 2 9405442; Fax: (359) 2 9872517; E-mail:[email protected]

Ms Margarita BONCHEVA, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, 17-19 St. Kiril I Metodii Str., 1202 SOFIA;

Tel : (359) 2 9405628 ; Fax : (359) 2 9872517; E-mail: [email protected]

FINLAND / FINLANDE

Mr Arto LUHTALA, Ministerial Councelor, Department for Municipal Affairs, Ministry of Finance, PO Box 28, FIN – 00023 GOVERNMENT

Tel: (358) 40 830 9194; E-mail: [email protected]

FRANCE

Mme Séverine REYMUND, Bureau des structures territoriales, Direction Générale des Collectivités locales, Ministère de l'Intérieur, 1 bis, place des Saussaies, F - 75800 PARIS

Fax: (33) 01 49 27 49 79; E-mail: [email protected]

GEORGIA / GEORGIE

Mr Bidzina GIORGADZE, Advisor to the State Minister on the Regional Issues of Georgia, Ingorokova Str. 7, 0134 TBILISSI, Georgia

Tel: +995 32 28 25 22; +995 32 28 12 22; e-mail: [email protected]

GERMANY / ALLEMAGNE

Dr. Olaf DEUTSCHBEIN, Federal Ministry of the Interior, Deputy Head of Division, Local Government Affairs, Alt Moabit 101d, D - 10559 BERLIN

Tel: (49) 1888 681 2740; Fax: (49) 1888 681 52740;

E-mail: [email protected]

GREECE / GRECE

Dr Antonios KARVOUNIS, General Directorate of Local Government, Directorate of Organisation and Function of Local Government, Department of Organisation and Function of Local Government, Ministry of the Interior, 27 Stadiou Str. GR – 10183 ATHENS

Tel: (30) 210 374 45 17; Fax: (30) 210 374 43 83;

e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

IRELAND / IRLANDE

Mr Tom SHERIDAN, Local Government Policy Section, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Custom House, DUBLIN 1

Tel: (353) 1 888 2361; Fax: (353) 1 888 2643; E-mail: [email protected]

ITALY / ITALIE

Mme Daniela LUCISANO, Vice-Prefetto, PDC – Dipartimento per gli Affari regionali, Via della Stamperia 8 – I – 00187 ROMA

Tel: (39) 06 677 96 237; Fax: (39) 06 677 94 005; E-mail: [email protected]

LATVIA / LETTONIE

Ms Madara GRINHOFA, Jurisconsult of Legal Department, Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government, Lacplesa str. 27, LV – 1011 RIGA

Tel : (371) 6 777 03 49; Fax: (371) 6 7770479; E-mail: [email protected]

LITHUANIA / LITUANIE

Ms Rasa MACIULYTE, Head of Division for Local Self-Government Policy of Public Administration Department, Ministry of the Interior, Šventaragio Str. 2, LT - 01510 VILNIUS, LITHUANIA

Tel: (370) 5 271 8936; Fax: (370) 5 271 8915; E-mail: [email protected]

LUXEMBOURG / LUXEMBOURG

Mme Françoise KUTH, Attachée de Gouvernement, Ministère de l'Intérieur et de l'Aménagement du territoire, 19, rue Beaumont, L – 1219 LUXEMBOURG

Tél. + 352 247 84623; Fax: + 352 26 20 26 93; e-mail: [email protected]

MALTA / MALTE

Mr Natalino ATTARD, Director, Department for Local Government, 26 Archbishop Street, VALLETTA VLT 1443 Malta

Tel: (356) 21 248442; Fax: (356) 21 247629; E-mail: [email protected]

NETHERLANDS / PAYS-BAS

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]

Mr Tom LEEUWESTEIN, Head of 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 6468; Fax : (31) 70 426 7655 ; E-mail: [email protected]

NORWAY / NORVEGE

Mrs Greta BILLING, Deputy Director General, Department of Local Government, The Royal Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Postbox 8112 DEP,

N - 0032 OSLO

Tel: (47) 22 24 72 25; Fax: (47) 22 24 27 35; E-mail: [email protected]

ROMANIA / ROUMANIE

Ms Monica DIMITRIU, Head of Unit, National Agency of Civil Servants, European Integration, International relations and Programs with external assistance Unit, Str. Smardan No. 3, BUCAREST, Romania

Tel.: + 40 722 47 51 19; Fax: + 40 213 15 26 86;

E-mail: [email protected]

SAN MARINO/ SAINT-MARIN

Apologised for absence / Excusé

SLOVAK REPUBLIC / REPUBLIQUE SLOVAQUE

Ms Zuzana BARBORÍKOVÁ, Head of Unit, Department for co-ordination and modernisation of Public administration, Public administration section, Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, Drieňová 22, 826 86 BRATISLAVA

Tél : (421) 2 4859 2217 ; Fax: (421) 2 43 33 46 74;

E-mail: [email protected]

SLOVENIA / SLOVENIE

Mrs Neza VODUSEK, Senior Advisor, Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy, Kotnikova 28, 1501 LJUBLJANA, Slovenia

Tel: + 386 1 434 15 10; Fax: + 386 1 434 15 38; e-mail: [email protected]

SPAIN / ESPAGNE

M. Manuel Julio SANCHEZ SENN, Conseiller technique, Sous-direction Générale du régime juridique et des relations institutionnelles, Direction Générale de la Coopération Locale, Ministère des Administrations Publiques, Plaza de España 17, E – 28071 MADRID

Tel : (34) 91 273 35 77 ; E-mail : [email protected]

SWEDEN / SUEDE

Mrs Katarina SUNDBERG, Deputy Director, Division for Democratic Issues, Ministry of Intergration and gender equality, S - 103 33 STOCKHOLM

Tel: (46) 8 405 21 08; Fax: (46) 8 405 43 23 E-mail : [email protected]

"THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA" / "L'EX-REPUBLIQUE YOUGOSLAVE DE MACEDOINE"

Mrs Lirie ELEZI, Department for International Co-operation, Ministry of Local Self Government of the Republic of Macedonia - , Dame Gruev 14, 1000 SKOPJE

Tel: +389 2 3 106 302; Fax: +389 2 3 106 303; e-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

TURKEY / TURQUIE

Mr Ilker HAKTANKACMAZ, Head of the International Funding Unit, Directorate General of Local Authorities, Ministry of the interior, Devlet Mahallesi Inönü Bulvari No. 4 Bakanliklar – 06644 ANKARA

Tel: +90 312 425 72 14; Fax: +90 312 418 72 08;

E-mail: [email protected]

UKRAINE

Mr Vyacheslav TOLKOVANOV, Director of the Directorate for International Relations, Investment Development and European Integration Issues, Ministry of Regional Development and Construction of Ukraine, 9, Velyka Zytomyrska street, KYIV, 01025

Tel: 38 044 590 4777; Fax: 38 044 278 6535; E-mail: [email protected]

UNITED KINGDOM / ROYAUME-UNI

Mr Paul ROWSELL, Deputy Director, Local Democracy, Department for Communities and Local Government, 5/A1, Eland House, Bressenden Place, LONDON SW1E 5DU, GB

Tel: (44) 20 7944 4230; Fax: (44) 20 7944 4109; E-mail: [email protected]

Ms Victoria JONES, Team Leader, Local Governance – European and International, Local Government Policy and Performance Directorate, Department for Communities and Local Government,5/A2, Eland House, Bressenden Place, LONDON SW1E 5DU, GB

Tel: (44) 20 7944 8146; Fax: (44) 20 7944 4109; E-mail: [email protected]

OTHER PARTICIPANTS / AUTRES PARTICIPANTS

CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE / CONGRES DES POUVOIRS LOCAUX ET REGIONAUX DU CONSEIL DE L’EUROPE

MrChristopher NEWBURY, Councillor, Wiltshire County Council, Member, West Wiltshire District Council, 6 Leighton Green, BA13 3PN-WESTBURY – Wiltshire, UNITED KINGDOM
Tel. (44) 1373 822 508; Fax (44) 1373 300 775;

E-mail: [email protected]

Ms Almut SCHROEDER, Première Co-secrétaire de la Commission Institutionnelle / First Co-secretary of the Institutional Committee / Congrès des Pouvoirs Locaux et Régionaux du Conseil de l'Europe / Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Tél. +33(0)3 90 21 47 47; e-mail: [email protected]

OBSERVERS / OBSERVATEURS

ASSEMBLY OF EUROPEAN REGIONS (AER) / ASSEMBLEE DES REGIONS D'EUROPE (ARE)

M. le Professeur Charles RICQ, Directeur du Centre d'Observation Européen des Régions (COEUR), Professeur à l’Université de Genève, Chemin de la Renardière, CH - 1272 GENOLIER (Genève)

Tel: (41) 22 366 40 66; Fax: (41) 22 366 40 65; E-mail: [email protected]

CEMR-CCRE

Mrs Marit SCHWEIKER, Policy Officer, Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Square de Meeûs 1, B-1000 BRUXELLES

tel. +32 2 500.05.44; e-mail: [email protected]

OTHER PARTICIPANT / AUTRE PARTICIPANT

HOLY-SEE / SAINT-SIEGE

Apologised for absence / Excusé

SECRETARIAT

M. Alfonso ZARDI, Head of Department of Local and Regional Democracy and Good Governance / Chef du Service de la démocratie locale et régionale et de la bonne gouvernance - Directorate of Democratic Institutions / Direction des institutions démocratiques - Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction Générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques

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

Mrs Maren LAMBRECHT-FEIGL, Administrator/Administratrice – Directotrate of Democratic Institutions/ Direction des institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques

Tel : +33 (0)3 90 21 47 78 ; Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84;

E-mail: [email protected]

Ms Severina SPASSOVA, Directorate of Democratic Institutions / Direction des institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction Générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques

Tel: (33) 3 90 21 52 75; Fax: (33) 3 88 41 27 84; e-mail: [email protected]

Ms Sylwia BOROWIECKA, Trainee / Stagiaire – Directorate of Democratic Institutions / Direction des Institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction Générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques

Tel (33) 3 88 41 23 78; Fax: (33) 3 88 41 27 84; E-mail: [email protected]

Mme Yvonne MANGOLD, Secrétariat, Direction des institutions démocratiques / Directorate of Democratic Institutions

Tel : (33) 3 90 21 41 16; Fax : (33) 3 88 41 27 84; E-mail : [email protected]

Other Secretariat Members / Autres membres du Secrétariat

M. Alfonso DE SALAS, Head of the Human Rights Intergovernmental Cooperation Division / Chef de la Division de la coopération intergouvernementale en matière de droits de l'homme – Secretary of the CDDH / Secrétaire du CDDH

Tel: 0033 3 88 41 23 24; e-mail: [email protected]

Mr Michael REMMERT, Project Manager "Good Governance in the Information Society" / Directeur de Projet "Bonne gouvernance dans la société de l'information" – Department for Democratic Participation / Service de la participation démocratique – Directorate of Democratic Institutions / Direction des institutions démocratiques

Tel: +33 3 88 41 34 05; Fax: +33 3 90 21 52 85; e-mail: [email protected]

Appendix 2

AGENDA

N.B. the first meeting day is a joint meeting with the LR-IC Committee to deal with item 4

1.

Opening of the meeting

2.

Election of the Chair and Vice-Chair

3.

Adoption of the agenda

[LR-GG(2009)OJ1]

4.

Preparation of the 16th Session of the Ministerial

Conference in Utrecht (16-17 November 2009)

[LR-GG(2009)1]

5.

Draft additional Protocol to the ECLSG on democratic participation at local level and draft Explanatory Report

[LR-GG(2009)2]

6.

Co-operation with the Forum for the Future of Democracy

[LR-GG(2009)3]

7.

Promotion of the CLEAR analytical Tool

[LR-GG(2009)4]

8.

Updating of the handbook on Public Ethics at local level

[LR-GG(2009)5]

9.

Evaluation of compliance with standards of Public Ethics at local and regional level

[LR-GG(2009)6]

10.

Other business

11.

Date of the next meeting


Appendix 3


 

Appendix 4

Statements on the agenda for the Utrecht Ministerial conference

made by the German and the UK delegations

at the joint LR-IC/LR-GG meeting on 10 February 2009

Germany considered the agenda for the Utrecht conference in a broader context. It should not solely focus on the issues of local and regional democracy. The agenda should also fit into a wider CoE context. In Germany’s view, the emphasis on very specific projects without clarity on the general direction for the next decade will lead to incoherency of future work. The central question should therefore be: Where do we want to go with the CoE?  The aims should be to increase public awareness, to further develop the Warsaw principles and to go some way towards redressing the imbalance between the profile of the CoE and the EU (for a long time the CoE was kind of a role model for the EU – we should aspire to this innovative potential again).

These questions become especially relevant if we keep in mind the CoE’s 60th anniversary which they wanted to be a forward looking event – what to do next rather than looking back over the previous 60 years. The ILO for example used such an event with the special public awareness to promote 8 of their 182 conventions as ‘core conventions’, to bundle all activities in order to achieve substantial progress with these obligations and to create a systematic follow-up that creates constant public awareness. Therefore, Germany wanted the Kiviniemi report to be a centrepiece of the conference, to point the way to enhancing and strengthening the CDLR particularly in respect of democratic co-operation in “wider Europe”. But these measures need to be embedded in an overall CoE-strategy that includes at least the Congress. Without a coordinated and harmonised mid-term strategy of the other bodies in the CoE there will be no progress in the CDLR either.

The United Kingdom stressed it was important that the conference agenda should not appear to ministers to be too dry. There should be a developed link between the fireside chat and the rest of the agenda. The fireside chat should focus on what the Ministers themselves chose to discuss – issues of interest to them where it would be clear that they would be fully engaged. 

So, for example, whilst UK ministers would want to discuss issues of importance and relevance, it was very likely that they would want this to be in the overriding context of the economic situation. There could be no doubt that the financial crisis and  economic downturn would be of critical importance to local and regional government. 

Three major issues of interest to ministers might be identified:

So, whilst the current draft conference agenda has important, relevant and worthy components, we should ensure that it is packaged & presented in such a way as to secure full ministerial interest.  Ministers should be able clearly to recognise how the conference agenda can be used as the basis for future action in a non-technical, less arid context.  The UK considers that this plays into Germany’s views expressed at LR-GG/LR-IC about a forward-looking CoE/conference directed towards promoting democratic forms of government.