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Ref. CG-PR018 (2017)

Local and regional democracy in Finland

Strasbourg, 30 March 2017 - On 28 March, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, holding its Session in Strasbourg (France), adopted a report on local and regional democracy in Finland following a monitoring visit to the country in May 2016. The Congress rapporteurs, Artur Torres Pereira (Portugal, EPP/CCE) and Karim Van Overmeire, (Belgium, NR), expressed their satisfaction with the general situation of local democracy in Finland and highlighted the culture of consultation and close cooperation between Finnish central and local authorities. The rapporteurs supported the creation of a second tier of local government that fosters decentralisation at regional level, in accordance with the previous recommendations of the Congress "Finland has always enjoyed a very high level of local autonomy deeply rooted in its history", said Karim Van Overmeire.

They welcomed in particular the intention of the Finnish authorities as confirmed by Jari Partanen, State Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government and Public Reforms of Finland, to extend the application of the Charter to the regional level of government that will be practically established in 2019. They called on the Finnish government to ensure that new regional authorities have freedom of action with regard to their own resources. "The constitutional basis for this new tier of local self-government seems rather weak to be able to provide for genuine regional self-government entities, in particular with regard to their right to levy taxes and dispose of own resources. " explained Artur Torres Pereira. State Secretary Partanen underlined that "Finland would undertake to apply the Charter in entirety to local government, namely the municipalities, also in the future”. The Congress also invited the Finnish authorities to consider the creation of a special status for the capital city Helsinki and its metropolitan area and promote participative democracy within local authorities in order to avoid technocratic and bureaucratic abuses.

Finland ratified the European Charter of Local Self Government on 1991. The countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires compliance with a minimum number of rights which form the European foundation for local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe makes sure that these principles are observed.

Recommendation CG32(2017)08

Presentation by Artur Torres Pereira

Presentation by Karim Van Overmeire

Speech Jari Partanen

Video

File 32nd Session

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities

Planning, Coordination and institutional Communication Unit

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The Congress has two chambers, the Chamber of Local Authorities and the Chamber of Regions. It brings together 324 full and 324 substitute members representing more than 200 000 European territorial communities.

President of the Congress: Gudrun Mosler-Törnström (Austria, SOC), President of the Chamber of Local Authorities: Anders Knape (Sweden, EPP/CCE), President of the Chamber of Regions: Gunn Marit Helgesen (Norway, EPP-CCE)

Political Groups: Socialist Group (SOC), Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CCE), Independent and Liberal Democrat Group (ILDG), European Conservatives & Reformists Group  (ECR)