|
|
|
T +33(0)390214895 www.coe.int/congress [email protected] |
|
Ref. CG-CP033 (2016) 31st Session of the Congress: local and regional democracy in Croatia Strasbourg, 21 October 2016 – On 20 October 2016, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation on the state of local and regional democracy in Croatia following a monitoring visit to Zagreb, Rijeka, Omisalj and Krk in March 2016. This is third monitoring report since the ratification of the European Charter of Local Self Government by Croatia in 1997. It was drafted by the co-rapporteurs Luzette Kroon (Netherlands, EPP/ECC) and Ole Haabeth (Norway, SOC), and presented by Luzette Kroon. The co-rapporteurs noted with satisfaction that the Charter had been fully incorporated into Croatian national legislation, thereby complying with the Congress’ wishes that all provisions of the Charter be applied. They also welcomed the introduction since the last monitoring visit in 2007 of direct elections for mayors and prefects and a financial equalisation policy. In September 2015 the local authorities had enacted legislation on voluntary mergers of local authorities to simplify territorial divisions and the provision of public services. Nevertheless the Congress expressed its concern at several points, in particular the inadequacy of the resources made available to local and regional authorities to exercise their powers and responsibilities, the decrease in local tax revenue and the absence of official consultation of local and regional elected representatives. The Congress recommended that the national authorities draw up a clear list of powers and responsibilities allocated to the different tiers of government and that they enact legislation on procedures for the consultation of local authority representatives. It also invited them to review the distribution of financial resources to ensure that they are proportionate to local authorities’ responsibilities and to revise the 2015 law to make voluntary mergers more attractive. Finally, the Congress called on the Croatian Government to sign and ratify the additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority (CETS No. 207). The composition of the Croatian national delegation was renewed at the 31st Session of the Congress. Croatia became a member of the Council of Europe on 6 November 1996. It signed the European Charter of Local Self Government on 11 October 1997. Croatia has not yet either signed or ratified the additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority (CETS No. 207). File: 31st Session of the Congress Interpretation : Mediabox : Practical information : *** Congress of Local and Regional Authorities Planning, Coordination and institutional Communication Unit Tel: +33 (0)3 90 21 48 95 Fax:+33 (0)3 88 41 27 51 |
|
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. |
