Strasbourg, 6 September 2010
LR-FS(2010)6
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY
(CDLR)
COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL
FINANCE AND PUBLIC SERVICES
(LR-FS)
MEETING REPORT
28 – 29 June 2010
1.
Opening of the meeting
Mr Alfonso Zardi, Head of the Department of Local and Regional Democracy and Good
Governance, opened the meeting on behalf of the Secretary General and welcomed the
participants (the list of participants appears in Appendix I).
2.
Election of the Chair and Vice-Chair
Mr Markku Mollari (Finland) was elected to the Chair.
3.
Adoption of the agenda
The agenda, as set out in Appendix II, was adopted.
4.
Programme of activities of the LR-IC for 2010-2013
-
Draft list of activities
Target groups and check list for development of communication action plans
The Committee first discussed the document prepared by the Secretariat (LR-FS(2010)1)
in general and then reviewed it point by point. The document included the activities
stemming directly from the Utrecht Declaration and activities proposed by member states
in the replies to the questionnaire, supplemented with proposals by the Bureau and
CDLR.
2
The Committee reviewed all the activities listed in the document, and agreed on the
objectives, impact, time-frame, and rapporteurs responsible for the implementation of
the activities. It agreed to use the framework document to describe and monitor the
implementation of the activities, and instructed the Secretariat to prepare the updated
version of the document incorporating the comments and amendments.
An in-depth debate was held regarding the outputs within the activity on Report on
participatory budgeting. In a tour de table members reported on experiences and
developments in their own country with regard to this issue. The general conclusion was
that the interest for this issue is significantly higher than the experience. The envisaged
report should provide insight of the legislation and identification of practices of
participatory budgeting in the member states. However, the first step would be to
organize a workshop with concrete examples of participatory budgeting at local level.
Such a workshop could be held as part of a forthcoming meeting.
This output will be implemented in co-operation with the LR-GG Committee. The LR-FS
Committee appointed Ms Annie Biefnot-Vanboterdal (Belgium) as its rapporteur. She will
work together with Ms Neza Vodusek (Slovenia), the LR-GG rapporteur. The Secretariat
was asked to ensure the co-ordination. Finally, the Committee decided to pay particular
attention to the communication aspects of this activity. It was also suggested that the
workshop might be held as part of a joint meeting between the two committees.
On the basis of this in-depth review the LR-FS adopted its programme of activities 20102013 for the implementation of the Utrecht Agenda. In doing so, it took care to reflect the
priority that Ministers had, through their voting at Utrecht, given to the challenges and to
identify outputs that meet the highest level of support.
5.
-
Economies of scale / The policy choice between promoting co-operation
between or amalgamation (merger) of local authorities
Presentation on the Nordic experience with inter municipal partnership
Following the workshop held at the previous LR-FS meeting (10-11 December 2009) on
the policy choice between promoting co-operation between or amalgamation (merger) of
local authorities, the Committee invited Mr Antti Moisio from the Finnish Ministry of
Finance to share the Nordic countries’ experience on inter municipal co-operation. Mr
Moisio presented the main features of the Nordic local government, the sub-national
government structure and inter-municipal co-operation, as well as the tasks, organisation
and financing of the inter-municipal co-operation. He focused on the Finnish case of
municipal partnerships and presented the Government’s plans to reform the system of
municipal co-operation. Other delegations (Belgium, Iceland, Luxembourg) also shared
experiences in their own countries on inter-municipal co-operation and amalgamation.
3
The Committee agreed that this topic is of high importance to member States and fits in
well with the challenges identified in the Utrecht Agenda. Whilst different systems are in
place in each member State and each should find the solutions most appropriate to the
challenges with which local authorities are confronted, the exchange of information and
experience between member States is very valuable.
The Committee therefore agreed to pursue activity in this area with
presentations/workshops at the meetings. This could lead to the drawing up of a
document that would bring together in a clearly structured fashion the full range of
issues, questions and options that can be identified on the basis of the material and
discussion at the workshops. This document could then be the basis for a manual for
policy makers and/or could be used to supplement or update Recommendation
Rec(2004)12 on the processes of reform of boundaries and/or structure of local and
regional authorities.
6.
Follow-up to the Kiviniemi report: steps and measures agreed in the
Utrecht Declaration
The Committee took note of the steps and measures agreed in the Utrecht Declaration in
order to follow-up on the report by Minister Kiviniemi. Particular emphasis was put on the
importance of ensuring awareness and co-ordination through appropriate communication
inside the ministries responsible for local and regional government, as well as with other
ministries, notably the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Committee was informed of the
concrete suggestions for action already made by the other two sub-committees LR-GG
and LR-IC, and agreed that members and the Committee would bear these measures in
mind in the conduct of future work. The Committee encouraged members to have
contacts with the Permanent representations of their countries during their stay in
Strasbourg.
7.
Central funding of new competences for local authorities
The Committee examined in depth the revised version of the text proposals and
discussion points for guidelines for the central funding of new competences for local
authorities as prepared by the consultant expert Mr Jørgen Lotz and contained in
document LR-FS(2010)4. All proposals and suggestions from the members were
integrated into the text, and the Committee agreed on the next steps. The document will
be submitted to the CDLR for adoption and for further decision on whether the guidelines
should be turned into a draft Recommendation by the Committee of Ministers.
8.
Conference on impact of the economic downturn on local government
across Europe and the Responses to it (11-12 October 2010)
Further to the decision by Ministers at Utrecht that a review conference was to be held in
2010, the CDLR decided at its meeting in March 2010, to organise the Conference on the
impact of the economic crisis on local government and the responses to it. The
conference will be held in Strasbourg on 11 and 12 October (morning), preceding the 46th
meeting of the CDLR, and will be organised in co-operation with LGI (Local Government
and Public Service Reform Initiative of the Open Society Institute).
4
Professor Ken Davey from LGI informed the Committee on the objectives, themes, target
participants and expected outcome of the Conference. He also suggested that the title of
the Conference be changed to put more emphasis on the notion of “responses to
recession”, the main objective of the Conference being the comparison of experiences
and practical examples of what the member States are doing to respond to the crisis.
Four workshops are planned during the conference on the following topics: (1) Intergovernmental finance; (2) Efficiency and costs reduction; (3) Promoting economic
recovery; and (4) Coping with the social impacts of the recession. Each of the workshop
will run twice so participants will have opportunity to attend two thematic sessions.
In addition to CDLR members, Conference participants will include representatives of
Ministries of Finance, local government associations, other international organisations
and technical specialists contributing to workshops, as well as the Congress and the
Parliamentary Assembly.
The conclusions of the conference will be presented to the CDLR for consideration in the
planning of the next Ministerial Conference in 2011.
The draft programme will be finalised by the CDLR Bureau at its meeting on 5 July 2010.
Professor Davey also shared with the Committee the first results from the survey on the
impact of the economic downturn on local government across Europe.
9.
Other business
The Secretariat informed the Committee about the Peer Review that was carried out in
Reykjavik (Iceland), 23-25 June 2010. The Peer Team consisted of peers from
Netherlands, Denmark and Norway as well as consultant experts form Denmark and
Germany. The Team worked for three days with the Icelandic Joint Commission on local
finance reform. Mr Halldarson (Iceland) told the Committee that this first test of the
CDLR Peer Review tool was a success from the viewpoint of the main beneficiary. The
CDLR will be informed and will examine the results of this first Peer Review at its meeting
in October 2010.
Other members were encouraged to consider using the Peer Review as a new instrument
for mutual learning between member States.
10.
Date of the next meeting
The next meeting will be held in Strasbourg on 6-7 December 2010.
5
APPENDIX I
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
MEMBERS / MEMBRES
CHAIRMAN / PRESIDENT
Mr Markku MÖLLÄRI, Senior Officer, Department for Municipal Affairs, Ministry of
Finance, PO Box 28, FIN – 00023 GOVERNMENT
Tel: (358) 9 160 32210; Fax: (358) 9 160 32230; E-mail: [email protected]
BELGIUM / BELGIQUE
Mme Annie BIEFNOT-VANBOTERDAL, Directeur général, Chargée de mission auprès du
Gouvernement Wallon, 18/19 Rue de la Seuwe, 7000 MONS
Tél: (32) (0) 65 22 06 84; Fax: (32) (0) 65 22 06 99;
E-mail: [email protected]
M. Xavier KALBUSCH, Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft, Gospert 1, 4700
EUPEN
Tél : (32) (0)87 59 63 00 ; Fax : (32) (0)87 55 28 91 ; E-mail :
[email protected]; [email protected]
CYPRUS / CHYPRE
Mr Georgios ANTONIADES, Famagusta District Officer
Tel: (357) 22 867 673; Fax: (357) 22 867 654; E-mail: [email protected]
CZECH REPUBLIC / REPUBLIQUE TCHEQUE
Mr Petr FEJTEK, Department for Effective Public Administration, Unit for Regulatory
Reform and Public Administration Quality, Ministry of Interior of the Czech Republic, nám.
Hrdinů 3, 140 21 Praha 4
Tel.: + 420 974 816 267; Fax: + 420 974 816 807; E-mail: [email protected]
FINLAND / FINLANDE
Mr Antti MOISIO
E-mail : [email protected]
ICELAND / ISLANDE
Mr Johannes Finnur HALLDORSSON, Office for Local Government, Ministry of Transport,
Communication and Local Government, Hafnarhúsinu v/Tryggvagötu, 150 REYKJAVIK
Tel: (354) 545 8232; E-mail: [email protected]
ITALY / ITALIE
Apologised for absence/ Excusé
6
LUXEMBOURG
M. Claude NILLES, Conseiller de direction, Ministère de l’Intérieur et à la Grande Région,
19 rue Beaumont, L – 1219 LUXEMBOURG
Tél : (352) 2478 4681; E-mail : [email protected]
MOLDOVA
Mme Liuba IVANCIUCOVA, Chef adjoint de la Direction générale de la synthèse
budgétaire, Ministère des Finances de la République de Moldova, 7 rue Cosmonauţilor,
MD – 2005 CHISINAU
Tél :+ 373 22 243793 ; E-mail : [email protected]
NETHERLANDS / PAYS-BAS
Apologised for absence/ Excusé
NORWAY / NORVEGE
Apologised for absence/ Excusé
PORTUGAL
Mrs Maria Alexandra SANTOS CARAPETO, Direction Générale des Collectivités Locales, Rua
José Estevão, 137-7°, P – 1169-058 LISBOA
Tel : (351) 213 133 000/057; E-mail: [email protected]
RUSSIAN FEDERATION / FEDERATION DE RUSSIE
Mr Mikhail VINOGRADOV, Deputy Director, Department of International Relations and
Cross-Border Cooperation, Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation, ul.
Stroiteley 8, building 2, 119311 MOSCOW
Tel: (7) 495 980 2547, ext. 35003; Fax: (7) 495 930 6413;
E-mail: [email protected]
SLOVENIA / SLOVENIE
Mr Franci ZOHAR, Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy, Slovenska cesta
54, 1000 LJUBLJANA, Slovenia
Tel: + 386 1 43 41 12; E-mail: [email protected]
SWEDEN / SUEDE
Apologised for absence/ Excusé
UNITED KINGDOM / ROYAUME-UNI
Ms Victoria JONES, Team Leader, European and International Democracy and Local
Governance, Department for Communities and Local Government, 3/J1, Eland House,
Bressenden Place, LONDON SW1E 5DU, GB
Tel: (44) 303 44 42585; E-mail: [email protected]
7
PARTICIPANTS / PARTICIPANTS
CONFERENCE OF INGOS OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE / CONFERENCE DES OING
DU CONSEIL DE L’EUROPE
M. Rémy BERTHIER, 2 rue des Marronniers, 67310 Wasselonne, France
Tél : 06 30 52 34 53 ; E-mail: [email protected]
OBSERVERS / OBSERVATEURS
ASSEMBLY OF EUROPEAN REGIONS (AER) / ASSEMBLEE DES REGIONS
D'EUROPE (ARE)
Mrs Agnès CICCARONE, Senior Policy Coordinator, Standing Committee on Institutional
Affairs, Assembly of Europe Regions, 6 rue Oberlin, 67000 STRASBOURG
Tél: 33 3 88 22 74 32; E-mail: [email protected]
OTHER PARTICIPANT / AUTRE PARTICIPANT
HOLY-SEE / SAINT-SIEGE
Apologised for absence/ Excusé
EXPERT-CONSULTANTS / CONSULTANT-EXPERTS
Professor Jørgen LOTZ, Sonderengen 66, 2870 DYSSEGAARD, Denmark
Tel : (45) 39 42 21 92 ; E-mail: [email protected]
OTHER / AUTRE
Prof. Ken DAVEY, Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative (LGI),
Haymesbrook - Haymes Drive, Cleeve Hill – Cheltenham GL52 3QQ, UK
Tel : +44 (0) 124 25 26 232; E-Mail: [email protected]
8
SECRETARIAT
Mr Alfonso ZARDI, Head of the Department of Local and Regional Democracy and Good
Governance / Chef du Service de la démocratie locale et régionale et de la bonne
gouvernance - Directorate of Democratic Institutions/ Direction des institutions
démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction
générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques
Tel : +33 (0)3 88 41 39 06; Fax : +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84; E-mail : [email protected]
Mr Frank STEKETEE, Administrator / Administrateur – Directorate of Democratic
Institutions/ Direction des institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy
and Political Affairs / Direction générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 39 61; Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84; E-mail: [email protected]
Mrs Vesna ATANASOVA, Administrator / Administratrice – Directorate of Democratic
Institutions/ Direction des institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy
and Political Affairs / Direction générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques
Tel: +33 (0)3 88 41 31 68; Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84;
E-mail: [email protected]
Mrs Gabriela MATEI, Administrator / Administratrice - Division of Programmes for
Democratic Stability / Division des Programmes pour la Stabilité démocratique –
Directorate of Democratic Institutions/ Direction des institutions démocratiques,
Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction générale de la
démocratie et des affaires politiques
Tel: (33) 3 88 41 54 73; Fax: (33) 3 88 41 27 84; E-mail: [email protected]
9
APPENDIX II
AGENDA
1.
Opening of the meeting by the Secretariat
2.
Election of the Chair and the Vice-Chair
3.
Adoption of the agenda
4.
Programme of activities of the LR-FS for 2010-2013:
- Draft list of activities
- Target groups and check list for
development of communication actions plans
[LR-FS(2010)OJ1 rev.]
[LR-FS(2010)1]
[LR-FS(2010)2]
5.
Economies of scale / The policy choice between promoting cooperation between or amalgamation (merger) of local
authorities
Presentation
on
the
Nordic
experience
with
intermunicipal partnerships.
6.
Follow-up to the Kiviniemi report: steps and measures agreed
in the Utrecht Declaration
[LR-FS(2010)3]
7.
Central funding of new competences for local authorities
[LR-FS(2010)4]
8.
Conference on the impact of the economic downturn on local
government across Europe and the Responses to it (11-12
October 2010)
[LR-FS(2010)5]
9.
Other business
10.
Date of the next meeting (6-7 December 2010)