616th meeting – 21 January 1998
Item 2.3
THE STATE OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
AND FEDERALISM IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
Draft reply to CLRAE Recommendation 30 (1997)
(CM/Del/Dec(98)614/2.1a, GREL(98)3 and 4)
Decision
The Deputies adopted the following reply to Recommendation 30 (1997) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe on the state of local self-government and federalism in the Russian Federation:
"The Committee of Ministers, called upon by CLRAE Recommendation 30 (1997) on the state of local self-government and federalism in the Russian Federation to focus Project RUS II ("the functioning of local government and the training of local elected representatives") of the Joint Programme between the European Commission and the Council of Europe for the Russian Federation on a certain number of priorities, recalls that the Joint Programme is a common undertaking between three partners: the Council of Europe, the European Commission and the competent Russian authorities; any decision concerning the content of the Programme and its modalities of implementation requires the agreement of the three parties concerned. For this purpose a Programme Steering Committee has been established with the participation of all competent institutions.
Concerning the specific requests included in relevant paragraph (No. 7) of the Recommendation, the Committee would reply as follows:
(i) Expertise on draft laws in relation to the principles set up by the European Charter of Local Self-Government: the proposals submitted to the European Commission for a third stage of the Joint Programme for Russia include the formation of working groups of experts for the appraisal of legislation concerning the organisational principles of municipal services in the Russian Federation and the status and responsibilities of local self-government members and staff, as well as the examination of the problems relating to the ratification of the European Charter for Local Self-Government. The competent Russian partners for these activities are the Council of the Federation, the Committee on Local Government of the State Duma, and the Presidential Council for Local Self-Government;
(ii) Exchange of and dissemination on legislation concerning local self-government and activities of the constitutional and administrative supervisory mechanisms in different geographical areas in Russia: the Joint Programme does not foresee the setting up of centres of information specifically devoted to local government in different regions of Russia, as requested by the CLRAE. However, the Moscow based Information and Documentation Centre on the Council of Europe and the two regional centres to be created in Yekaterinburg and Saratov (on the basis of existing Human Rights libraries) contribute to the documentation and information on the Council of Europe activities in the fields of local government and constitutional matters dealing with the functioning of federalism in Russia. In addition, it should be noted that most activities developed within the context of Part A of the Joint Programme (Constitutional arrangements and institution building) which includes Project RUS I (helping to improve the functioning of effective federal structures) and RUS II are taking place in different parts of the territory of the Russian Federation; the various seminars and conferences organised in these regions play a useful role in the dissemination of information on these issues;
(iii) Support for the training of staff (both municipal and regional staff and elected representatives): part B of Project RUS II is specifically devoted to the question of training of staff. It consists of a training programme for municipal managers and elected local authorities on the theme "effective management of local public services having regard to the need for openness, the strategic function and the criterion of efficiency in local government decision-making". Subject to the agreement of all parties and the availability of resources this programme will include meetings of working groups to prepare a strategy for training, elaboration and publication of training material, courses and training sessions. This programme will be implemented in close co-operation with the European Network of Training Organisations for Local and Regional Authorities (ENTO) and should result in the setting up of training institutions and programmes in Russia ;
(iv) Establishment of a permanent unit in Russia, providing information and advice on local and regional government: the setting up of such a specialised information unit on local and regional government is not foreseen in the present co-operation programmes. However, as was indicated under (ii) the existing Centre in Moscow and the regional Centres to be created in Yekaterinburg and Saratov could be useful in the development of information activities in the field of local and regionalgovernment. This question could be examined further in the framework of the discussions on the reform of structures within the Council of Europe."