Reply to Recommendation 18 (1996) of the Congress of Local and Regional authorities of Europe (CLRAE) on "guiding principles for the action of the Congress when preparing reports on Local and Regional democracy in member states and applicant states. - Council of Europe. Committee of Ministers, Ministers'Deputies - Decision 612/9.2 Appendix 4 (December 1997)

612^th meeting –16 December 1997

APPENDIX 4

(item 9.2)

REPLY TO RECOMMENDATION 18 (1996) OF THE

CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES OF EUROPE (CLRAE)

ON "GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE ACTION OF THE

CONGRESS WHEN PREPARING REPORTS ON

LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY IN MEMBER STATES

AND APPLICANT STATES"

The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 18 (1996) of the CLRAE with interest since it has itself decided to include issues relating to local democracy in its activities concerned with monitoring the honouring of commitments of the Council of Europe's member States. It will therefore take particular note of paragraph 10 in which the Congress "asks the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers to take account of the recommendations and observations … " in the Recommendation.

Bearing in mind the wishes of the Congress in the context of the preparation of events and publications to mark the Council of Europe's 50th anniversary, the Committee of Ministers has decided to hold joint meetings of the relevant Deputies' Working Group (GT-50) and the CLRAE (the first of which took place on 23 September), as is the case with the Parliamentary Assembly.

It also seems desirable to hold tripartite meetings of the Parliamentary Assembly, the Congress and the Committee of Ministers. The Committee of Ministers invites the Congress to develop its own initiatives in close collaboration with the Parliamentary Assembly and, where appropriate, the NGOs which plan to be associated with this event.