Network of Associations of Local Authorities of South-East Europe (NALAS) - Fifth General Assembly

Istanbul, Turkey, 10-12 December 2009

“EU Integration – Challenge for Local Governments in South-East Europe”

Speech by Ludmila Sfirloaga, President of the Chamber of Regions

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe

Prime Minister,

Mr President,

Dear members of NALAS,

Dear members of the Union of Municipalities of Marmara,

Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is with great pleasure that I speak to you today and welcome you here, in Istanbul, the largest city of the country of Turkey whose Union of Municipalities of Marmara was among the latest to join your Network.

It is heartening to see NALAS, the Network which was born during the Congress’ Plenary Session in May 2004, to have grown into a force of 14 South-East European associations. Your Network represents today some 4000 local authorities elected directly by more than 80 million citizens in this region. In the spirit of cooperation that transcends borders, your Network spans not only the vast geographical area but also political space, as it includes associations from three member states of the European Union – Bulgaria, Slovenia and Romania.

Today, NALAS has set itself up as a partner and project promoter at European level, strengthening the relationship between local authorities and national governments and playing an increasingly important role in “adapting”, if I may say so, local self-government to the European integration process.

The theme of this conference is EU integration as a challenge for local governments in South-East Europe. Indeed, local governments play a crucial role in “preparing the ground” for such integration, by making sure that democracy takes root and begins to function at local level, that the needs and expectations of citizens are met by the authorities closest to them, and that democratic principles are not only declared “up on top” but are lived at grassroots.

However, this is next to impossible if local governments themselves depend on the largesse of central authorities, if they are not democratically elected or do not operate in a proper legal framework. Such a framework would give them the necessary competences and resources to respond to people’s demands. Finally, even if all these criteria are met, it is not yet a foolproof guarantee of the efficiency and good quality of local governance. This quality will suffer in the absence of transparency, accountability, a strong ethical component, and citizens’ participation.

These are some of the ingredients, and challenges, for the development of local self-government and local democracy, without which the whole integration process will be stalled. However, we all know that the process of European integration is not limited to the European Union. It is broader and larger, involving the entire continent. It is a process of democracy-building and harmonisation of standards and practices. The Council of Europe has kept this process going, and has been advancing it for 60 years.

Within the Council of Europe, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities is working to make sure that these standards and practices are applied in our communities, at territorial level. In this work, we rely on associations of local and regional authorities and their networks, such as NALAS. You are our partners in relaying Congress action in the field.

One of the main challenges before us, as I have just mentioned, is to establish a proper legal framework for local self-government, through the adoption of appropriate legislation. Another challenge is to make sure that the principles of local democracy are upheld in practice and, in applying these principles, to raise the quality of local governance. Finally, yet another challenge is to spread the positive experience and good practice in an effort to boost the development of less successful communities and reduce disparities between municipalities and regions.

It is the vocation of NALAS to play a role in responding to these challenges. For our part, we in the Congress are convinced that the stringent implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government lays the ground for addressing them effectively. The Congress has accumulated a wealth of experience in this field, by monitoring the application of the Charter’s principles and provisions. This experience is at your disposal.

At the same time, we count on local and regional authorities, their associations and networks to help us to make sure that the Charter is properly implemented. We count on you to play the role of an “early warning” system, drawing our attention to specific situations of concern for the functioning of local democracy, and to accompany our monitoring activities and their follow-up.

We also count on you to contribute to our action for enhancing cross-border cooperation between communities, which is a key factor in ensuring a better territorial cohesion. For example, the Congress has launched two Euroregions of a new generation, which bring together local and regional authorities from both EU and non-EU countries. They are the Adriatic and the Black Sea Euroregions. I am convinced that participation in these cooperation platforms will help territorial authorities also to address the challenges of EU integration, and I invite municipalities and regions represented in your Network to become their members.

In particular, I strongly hope that Turkish cities and regions, as well as their counterparts in the Black Sea area, will be active in joining the Black Sea Euroregion.

For its part, the Congress will continue to stand by you, support your action and lend a helping hand with its experience and partnership.

I wish you a very successful conference.

Thank you.