3rd General Meeting of the

National Associations of local and regional authorities

Strasbourg, 16 September 2010

Opening Speech by Ian MICALLEF, President a.i. of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe

Dear colleagues,

When four and a half years ago, in February 2006, the Council of Europe Congress organised the very first Conference of Presidents and Secretaries General of national associations of local and regional authorities, our intention was to build a bridge, a permanent link between the Congress and its privileged partners in member states. Today, as I welcome you to the 3rd General Meeting of national and European associations, I am pleased to say that this initiative has taken root and gained momentum.

Local and regional authorities do not have representative structures in national settings, like parliaments, but their associations play a key role of representing territorial communities at the level of the entire country. This makes them the main national interlocutor of the Congress, itself a pan-European political assembly of territorial governments and parliaments. As the Congress also acts as a forum for exchange and dialogue for its members from 47 countries, we are convinced that this opportunity must also be extended to national associations, whose role and importance in helping the Congress to carry out its mission cannot be underestimated.

We all do indeed have a common mission. The primary responsibility of national associations is to represent and defend the interests of local and regional communities vis-à-vis national authorities, to be the voice of cities and regions at the national level – the role played by the Congress at the level of the entire continent. Much as the Congress does Europe-wide, associations provide a forum for experience-sharing and dialogue among territorial communities, and contribute to national policy-making with regard to local and regional self-government. In the long run, we all share a common cause of strengthening territorial democracy in each and every European country.

This is why the Congress naturally relies on national associations to relay its action at the national level and put pressure on governments to have them respect the principles of local democracy – first and foremost, the European Charter of Local Self-Government, our cornerstone treaty. We also rely on national associations – on you – to make sure that Congress recommendations are implemented and put into practice, both by national authorities and in local and regional communities. Finally, we count on you to serve as an “early-warning system” and raise alarm whenever you feel that the principles of local democracy, and the provisions of the Charter, might not be observed or even violated, and the autonomy of territorial communities – your autonomy – might be in danger.

We in the Congress are stretching out a helping hand to assist associations in this mission. Your representatives have the right to follow the work of the Congress and participate in its meetings, albeit without a right to vote. The associations are consulted in the preparations of Congress reports, especially monitoring reports on the situation of local and regional democracy in your countries – every monitoring mission of the Congress necessarily includes meetings with national associations, and this practice has recently been made an obligation when the Congress adopted its monitoring rules this last June.

We always seek and welcome your contribution to our activities, which serves to expand our knowledge of the situation in your countries, and to target our action better. On the other hand, through your input into our work, you have an opportunity to participate in European policy-making, and to influence decision-making both in your own countries and on the scale of the continent. For example, it is in this spirit that back in 2006, the Congress Bureau decided to invite national associations to take part in our missions to observe local and regional elections.

However, let us ask ourselves if this link is working well today. Sadly, I would have to say “no”. Out of the 13 points identified for possible co-operation at the first meeting in 2006, no or little progress has been made on many of the counts. The purpose of the meetings as the one we are having today is exactly to look at the ways in which we can boost our co-operation, to understand why it might not be working, and to see how we can do it better in practical terms.

The General Meetings of associations are a forum for us in the Congress to get to know better your needs and expectations, and to have your input and your say in the priorities for Congress action and in its work plan. At the same time, we would like you to hear what the Congress expects from national associations, in terms of relaying its action in your countries, in terms of contributing to its reports and recommendations, in terms of monitoring the situation and alerting us to possible violations of democratic principles.

Our overall goal is to make our action more targeted, to increase its national and European impact, and to make it more effective and efficient. We see national associations as our main partners in helping us to achieve this goal. The texts adopted by the Congress, its resolutions and recommendations, must certainly take into account the needs and interests of local and regional communities, and national associations have a crucial role in communicating them to us. But once adopted, these texts must become “alive” at the national level, must be implemented in your countries, and a key role in making it happen belongs to national associations as well.

The field of application is vast indeed. I have already mentioned the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which is a binding treaty for national governments. However, there is also a wide range of Congress proposals of non-binding nature: the Code of conduct for political integrity of local and regional elected representatives, the European Urban Charter, the Charter on youth participation, and many others. National associations can make a difference in making sure that these texts are applied in practice. They can also make a tangible contribution to other Congress initiatives, such as the European Local Democracy Week, which was first marked in 2007 and which has since become a truly pan-European annual event.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

This Meeting today has a special vocation, in addition to being a forum for dialogue and co-operation. As you are aware, last year the Congress launched a process of comprehensive reform of its priorities, structures and working methods. This process coincided with the overall reform of the Council of Europe, undertaken several months later by its Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.

The purpose of the reform is to make the Congress more efficient, more visible and more relevant to the needs and expectations of our citizens, in coherence with the requirements of the present time. The reform represents a strategic shift for the Council of Europe and the Congress, which will result in a refocusing of, and new impetus for, our institution.

The first discussion of the reform package was held this past June during the meeting of the Congress’ Standing Committee, which adopted the rules of procedure for monitoring and for election observation as well as a recommendation on the Congress’ resources. As you know, the process of consultations was launched during the summer, and national associations were asked to contribute their opinions and proposals on the reform. The next discussion, which we hope will result in the adoption a second stage of the reform package, will take place during the 19th Session of the Congress in October.

Needless to say, this reform process is also an opportunity to put in place the mechanisms, procedures and practices necessary to improve our co-operation. Thus, the objective of our meeting today is two-fold: first, to have your input into the Congress’ reform and second, to use the reform as a tool for setting up a co-operation framework that would bring us – the Congress and the associations – and our action closer together. The kind of framework in which the Congress would correspond to your expectations, your needs would be taken into account in our action, while national associations would become genuine “agents” of the Congress on the ground, in the field in your countries.

This is why it is a great pleasure for me to welcome you here today. We especially appreciate the participation of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions, and its Secretary General, Mr Frederic Vallier. This association has a special place in the European architecture of local and regional governance, as it brings together under one roof national associations of local and regional authorities themselves, serving as the ultimate European association of national associations. We look forward to its contribution to our discussions, much as we anticipate with great interest constructive input from every one of you.

I would also like to warmly welcome Klaus Klipp, Secretary General of the Assembly of European Regions, our very active partner, representing nearly 300 regions all over Europe.

AER and CEMR are indispensable partners in promoting and enhancing local and regional democracy and they support the Congress actively in other CoE-structures, where they enjoy observer status.

Dear colleagues,

Our future action, our work for the common good of our communities is being shaped today. Let us take it in our own hands and make it worth for our citizens, who elected us to defend their interests. We must do it together, and today is the moment for you to have your say. We are here to listen to you, and to hear you.

Thank you.