20^th anniversary of the ratification by Italy of the European Charter of Local Self Government

Public administration, the base of democratic institutions: Congress takes part in a seminar of the Italian School Training

6 July 2010

A properly functioning public administration is crucial for the democratic development of each country. It has been reaffirmed during the study seminar on "The role of training for an Italian model for accessing the carrier of local management, organised by the Italian School of Public Administration on 6 July 2010 in Rome, to celebrate 20 years since Italy ratified the European Charter of Local Self Government.

 
The seminar - which involved academics, European personality of administrative regulations and senior Italian officials - highlighted how the exchange of information and dialogue between different cultures and European background are crucial in the training of young officers that most often pass from the university to work without a proper system of selection and update.

A decisive and appreciated contribution to the debate was provided by the intervention of senior representatives of the Council of Europe, such as Andreas Kiefer, Secretary General of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, his predecessor Ulrich Bohner, Congress Vice-President Fabio Pellegrini, and Roberto Fasino representing Head of Department at the Secretariat of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

Opening the conference, immediately after the introduction of the Director of SSPAL Baldovino De Sensi, Andreas Kiefer spoke about the evolution of democracy in European local and regional level. Having explained the Congress structure and the distinction from the Committee of Regions of the European Union, the Secretary General stressed the benefits of the economic and political decentralisation, which promotes a more democratic control and the regional development.

Ulrich Bohner spoke about the role of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in promoting local democracy and the great principles that it embedded. "There is no true democracy - said - without democracy at local level," he said.

Roberto Fasino explained the mission of the Council of Europe, the functioning of its organs and its standard-setting process, with an emphasis on the role of government officials. Addressing the question of training, the Parliamentary Assembly official noted that managers must integrate the vision of national systems with an analysis of the overall context in which they operate, by taking into account European and global realities.

Fabio Pellegrini recalled how the impact of European Charter of Local Self-Government on the Italian government is a history to be rediscovered. "The recent abolition of the municipal tax on real estate in Italy is a sign of regression,” said the Congress Vice-President. “During the 1990s, to increase the financial autonomy of local authorities, we tried to boost their income. With the current financial cut to the local governments and the abolition of this tax, Municipalities are registering the dependence of the financial transfers from state institutions". He also stressed the importance of the new additional protocol to the Charter on the right of citizen participation in local public life, stressing that the principles of participatory democracy should be applied at all levels of government.