678th meeting – 8-9 September 1999
Item 12.1
6th Session of the Congress of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe
(CLRAE)
(15-17 June 1999)
Texts adopted
(CM/Del/Dec(99)677bis/12.1, CM/Inf(99)44)
Decisions
The Deputies:
concerning Recommendation 54 (1999) on Local and Regional Information Society
1. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to their Governments, drawing their attention particularly to paragraphs 12 to 17;
2. agreed to forward this Recommendation to the Steering Committee on the Mass Media (CDMM) for information;
3. adopted Decision N° CM/725/090999 assigning ad hoc terms of reference to the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ), the Steering Committee on the Mass Media (CDMM) and the Council for Cultural Co-operation (CDCC), asking them to give an opinion on the necessity and feasibility of elaborating a European Information Technology Charter to establish a set of principles on problems relating to the development of new technologies in this field, as proposed in paragraph 18 of this Recommendation; the terms of reference appear at Appendix 18 to the present volume of Decisions;
4. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to this Recommendation in the light of the opinion mentioned under decision 3 above;
concerning Recommendation 55 (1999) on Local and Regional Democracy in the Netherlands
5. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to the Government of the Netherlands;
6. agreed to bear this Recommendation in mind in the framework of future monitoring of commitments undertaken by the Netherlands in the field of local democracy;
7. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 55 (1999) on Local and Regional Democracy in the Netherlands. It agreed to transmit it to the Government of the Netherlands and to bear it in mind in the framework of future monitoring of the Netherlands' commitments in the field of local democracy.";
concerning Recommendation 56 (1999) on the Statutory Reinforcement and Revision of the Congress Charter
8. took note of the proposed amendments to Statutory Resolution (94)3 establishing the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe and to the Charter of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe;
9. invited their Rapporteur on Local Authorities to consider, after consultation, the amendments to the above-mentioned texts, taking account of the work done within the GT-SAGES, with a view to preparing a draft reply to the Recommendation;
10. agreed to bear in mind the CLRAE recommendation as to the implementation of possible future reforms during the budget debate for 2000;
concerning Recommendation 57 (1999) on Local and Regional Economic Instruments for the Environment
11. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to their Governments;
12. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to this Recommendation in liaison with the Rapporteur for Environment;
concerning Recommendation 58 (1999) on the Kosovo Crisis
13. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to their Governments and to the European Commission;
14. agreed to hold an exchange of views with CLRAE representatives on the implementation of the Programme of Stability for South-East Europe in the light of missions carried out by the CLRAE Secretariat in Kosovo in mid-June 1999;
15. agreed to bear in mind the CLRAE proposal concerning a special budget for the Programme of Stability for South-East Europe and a contribution to the Pact of Stability initiated by the European Union by using the unspent budgetary balance for 1998 and 1999;
16. invited the Venice Commission and the CLRAE to make available expertise, when need be, for the definite elaboration of a special status for Kosovo;
17. instructed their Rapporteur Group on Democratic Stability (GR-EDS) to consider Recommendation 58, in particular, the possibility of negotiating with the European Commission a system of joint Programmes, including local and regional democracy, at its forthcoming meeting with a view to preparing a draft reply;
concerning Recommendation 59 (1999) on Europe 2000 - Youth participation: the role of young people as citizens
18. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to their Governments;
19. agreed to forward this Recommendation to the managers of the European Youth Centres and European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, asking them to transmit it, in turn, to youth organisations and youth participation bodies with whom they are in partnership;
20. agreed to bear in mind the CLRAE recommendation concerning the interdisciplinary project to foster civic education during the budget debate on the programme of intergovernmental activities for 2000 in the light of a report by their Rapporteur on Intergovernmental Programme of Activities;
21. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to this Recommendation;
concerning Recommendation 60 (1999) on the Political Integrity of Local and Regional Elected Representatives
22. agreed to transmit the Recommendation to their Governments and to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe;
23. took note of the European Code of conduct for the political integrity of local and regional elected representatives as set out in the Appendix to the Recommendation;
24. asked the Multidisciplinary Group on Corruption (GMC) to take account of the above-mentioned Code of conduct in its work;
25. agreed to involve the Congress in the work of the GMC by allowing CLRAE representative to participate in its discussions of issues relating to local and regional authorities;
26. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to the Recommendation;
concerning Recommendation 61 (1999) on the Role of Local and Regional Mediators/Ombudsmen in defending Citizens' Rights
27. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to their Governments;
28. took note of "principles guiding the institution of the mediator at local and regional level", as set out in Resolution 80 (1999) on the same subject;
29. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to the Recommendation;
concerning Recommendation 62 (1999) on Local Authorities and Employability
30. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to their Governments;
31. invited their Rapporteur Group on Social Questions and Health (GR-SOC) to consider the desirability and the feasibility of undertaking a survey of current and likely future employability programmes in member States, with a view to preparing a Recommendation on the subject;
32. invited the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to the Recommendation;
concerning Recommendation 63 (1999) on Local Democracy in San Marino
33. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to the governmental authorities of the Republic of San Marino;
34. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 63 (1999) on Local Democracy in San Marino. It agreed to transmit it to the Government of the Republic of San Marino and to bear it in mind in the framework of future monitoring of San Marino's commitments in the field of local democracy".
concerning Recommendation 64 (1999) on Local Finances in the Federal Republic of Germany
35. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany;
36. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered CLRAE Recommendation 64 (1999) on Local Finances in the Federal Republic of Germany. It agreed to transmit it to the German Government and agreed to bear it in mind in the framework of future monitoring of Germany's commitments in the field of local democracy.";
concerning Recommendation 65 (1999) on the Current State of and Prospects for Regionalisation in Europe
37. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to their Governments;
38. agreed to bear in mind the CLRAE recommendation concerning the specific studies on regions and regionalisation based on the experiments carried out in member States during the budget debate on the programme of intergovernmental activities for 2000 in the light of a reply by their Rapporteur on Intergovernmental Programme of Activities;
39. asked their Rapporteur Group on Democratic Stability (GR-EDS) to study paragraph 9. b and c of the Recommendation;
40. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to this Recommendation;
concerning Recommendation 66 (1999) on Regional Democracy in Finland
41. agreed to transmit it to the Government of Finland;
42. adopted the following reply to this Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered CLRAE Recommendation 66 (1999) on Regional Democracy in Finland. It agreed to transmit it to the Government of Finland and to bear it in mind in the framework of future monitoring of Finland's commitments in the field of local democracy."
concerning Recommendation 67 (1999) on the 5th Conference on Mediterranean and Black Sea Basins
43. agreed to transmit this Recommendation to their Governments;
44. invited their Rapporteur Group on Legal Affairs (GR-J) to consider the feasibility of opening Council of Europe Conventions in the field of environment, transfrontier co-operation or local self-government to Mediterranean countries, not members of the Council of Europe, which have clearly expressed their desire to sign and ratify them;
45. invited their Rapporteur on Co-operation in the Mediterranean Basin to consider extending the scope of his mandate to include the countries of the Black Sea Basin and to report back;
46. invited their Rapporteur on Co-operation in the Mediterranean Basin to consider possible follow-up action on Congress Recommendation 50 (1998) concerning the Interregional Observatory on Mediterranean Migration proposed by the Apulia Region, with a view to preparing a draft reply to this Recommendation;
47. invited the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to forward, for opinion, to the Committee of Advisers on the Development of Transfrontier Co-operation in Central and Eastern Europe the proposal to include in the intergovernmental programme of activities on transfrontier co-operation the drawing up of a draft intergovernmental outline agreement on decentralised co-operation in the Black Sea Basin;
concerning Recommendation 68 (1999) on Women's Participation in Political Life in the Regions of Europe
48. agreed to transmit it to their Governments;
49. agreed to forward it to the Steering Committee for Equality between Men and Women (CDEG) for information, so that it could bear it in mind in its future work;
50. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to this Recommendation;
concerning Recommendation 69 (1999) on Regional Economic Partnership - A Factor for Social Cohesion
51. agreed to transmit it to their Governments;
52. agreed to transmit it to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) for information;
53. agreed to bear in mind, during the budget debate on the intergovernmental programme of activities for 2000, CLRAE's recommendation concerning the appropriate administrative and budgetary resources for the development, at local and regional level, initiatives to further social cohesion, including in South-East Europe;
54. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to the Recommendation;
concerning Opinion 12 (1999) on the initial draft World Charter of Local Self-Government
55. took note of Opinion 12 (1996);
56. expressed support for the United Nations' initiative of preparing a World Charter of local Self-Government;
57. instructed the Secretariat to prepare draft replies to Parliamentary Assembly Recommendation 1285 (1996) and CLRAE Recommendation 20 (1996);
concerning Resolutions from 76 to 86 (1999)
58. took note of these Resolutions;