719th meeting – 6 September 2000
Item 12.1
7th Plenary Session of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE) (Strasbourg, 23-25 May 2000)
(CM(2000)100)
Decisions
The Deputies
Concerning Recommendation 74 (2000) on the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe: specific projects on local democracy and transfrontier co-operation
1. agreed to forward the Recommendation to their governments, drawing particular attention to paragraphs 11 and 14;
2. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) for information;
3. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the Special Co-ordinator of the Stability Pact, the European Commission, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for information;
4. invited their Rapporteur Group for Democratic Stability (GR-EDS) to examine the Recommendation at a forthcoming meeting with a view to preparing a draft reply;
Concerning Recommendation 75 (2000) on the draft European Outline Convention on Mountain Regions
5. agreed to forward the draft European Outline Convention on Mountain Regions to the 12th Conference of Ministers responsible for Regional Planning (CEMAT), to be held in Hanover on 7 and 8 September 2000;
6. agreed to resume consideration of the draft outline Convention in the light of views expressed at the 12th CEMAT;
Concerning Recommendation 76 (2000) on the participation of foreign residents in local public life
7. agreed to forward the Recommendation to their governments, drawing particular attention to paragraphs 11 to 14;
8. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the European Commission, drawing its attention to paragraph 19;
9. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the European Committee on Legal Co-operation (CDCJ), the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH), the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) and the European Committee for Social Cohesion (CDCS) so that they could take account of it when preparing their future programmes of activities, in particular in connection with the Council of Europe's contribution to the Year against Racism (2001) proclaimed by the United Nations;
10. instructed the Secretariat to prepare a draft reply to the Recommendation;
Concerning Recommendation 77 (2000) on local and regional democracy in the Czech Republic
11. decided to forward the Recommendation to the governmental and parliamentary authorities of the Czech Republic;
12. decided to bear the Recommendation in mind when examining the honouring of member states' commitments in respect of local democracy;
13. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 77 (2000) on local and regional democracy in the Czech Republic. It agreed to transmit it to the Government of the Czech Republic and to bear it in mind in the framework of future monitoring of the Czech Republic’s commitments in respect of local democracy.";
Concerning Recommendation 78 (2000) on local and regional democracy in France
14. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the governmental and parliamentary authorities of France;
15. agreed to bear the Recommendation in mind when examining the commitments taken by member states in the field of local democracy;
16. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 78 (2000) on local and regional democracy in France. It agreed to transmit it to the Government of France and to bear it in mind in the framework of future monitoring of France’s commitments in the field of local democracy.";
Concerning Recommendation 79 (2000) on "the financial resources of local authorities in relation to their responsibilities: a litmus test for subsidiarity" based on the 4th general report on political monitoring of the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government
(Application of Article 3, paragraph 1, Article 4, paragraphs 1-5 and Article 9 of the Charter)
17. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the governmental and parliamentary authorities of the Council of Europe member states;
18. decided to forward the Recommendation to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) and instruct it:
- to take account of the considerations set out in Appendix I of Recommendation 79 (2000) in its future work concerning the question of local authorities’ financial resources in relation to their responsibilities;
- to examine the possibility of holding an international conference together with the CLRAE on the above question in order to promote frank, constructive dialogue on local self-government between representatives of the relevant authorities in the Council of Europe’s member states;
19. taking into account the CDLR opinion on the initiative of a World Charter of Local Self-Government, decided to support the idea of a World Charter of Local Self-Government (the Permanent Representatives of the Council of Europe’s member states to the United Nations, both in New York and Nairobi, would be informed of the above support);
Concerning Recommendation 80 (2000) on "crime and urban insecurity in Europe"
20. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the relevant national authorities, drawing their attention in particular to paragraphs 2 to 8;
21. requested the Secretary General to bring to the attention of the Parliamentary Assembly paragraphs 9 to 12 of the Recommendation;
22. agreed to bear in mind the proposals contained in paragraphs 13 to 18 of the Recommendation in relation to the strengthening of the intergovernmental programme on crime prevention and reduction;
23. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the European Commission, drawing its attention to the proposals contained in paragraphs 19 to 21;
Concerning Recommendation 81 (2000) on the situation of local democracy in Estonia
24. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the Estonian governmental and parliamentary authorities;
25. agreed to bear the Recommendation in mind when examining the honouring of Estonia’s commitments in respect of local democracy;
26. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 81 (2000) on the situation of local democracy in Estonia. It agreed to transmit it to the Government and Parliament of Estonia and to bear it in mind in the framework of future monitoring of Estonia’s commitments in respect of local democracy.";
27. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the governmental and parliamentary authorities of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia";
28. agreed to bear the Recommendation in mind when examining the honouring of member states’ commitments in respect of local democracy;
29. agreed to consider the question of support for the efforts of the authorities of "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" to implement the principles of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in the context of the Stability Pact, particularly that of the establishment of a training institution for local authority staff;
30. adopted the following reply to this Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 82 (2000) on the situation of local democracy in "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". It agreed to transmit it to the Government and to bear it in mind in the framework of future monitoring of this country’s commitments in respect of local democracy.";
31. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the governments of member states;
32. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Authorities (CDLR), inviting it to take account of its conclusions when drawing up its future work programme;
33. adopted Decision No. CM/758/06092000 assigning ad hoc terms of reference to the CDLR , as set out in Appendix 9 to the present volume of Decisions;
34. adopted the following reply to this Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 83 (2000) on evaluation of regionalisation in Central Europe, especially in Poland, and transmitted it to governments of member states, as well as to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR), inviting it to take it into account when defining its future programme of activities. The CDLR has been instructed to consider member states’ experience of recent administrative and territorial reforms and to prepare a report designed to analyse the difficulties and obstacles encountered and to identify means of dealing with them effectively.";
Concerning Recommendation 84 (2000) on regional democracy in Moldova
35. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the governmental and parliamentary authorities of Moldova;
36. agreed to associate the Congress with the Council of Europe's major intergovernmental initiatives on local and regional democracy in Moldova;
37. agreed to bear the Recommendation in mind when examining the commitments taken by member states in the field of local democracy;
38. adopted the following reply to the Recommendation:
"The Committee of Ministers has considered Recommendation 84 (2000) on regional democracy in Moldova. It agreed to transmit it to the Government of Moldova and to bear it in mind in the framework of the future monitoring of Moldova’s commitments in the field of local democracy.";
Concerning Recommendation 85 (2000) on democratic stability through transfrontier co-operation in Europe
39. took note of the appendix to the Recommendation setting out the Final Declaration of the 7th European Conference of Border Regions, held in Timisoara, Romania;
40. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) for it to take account of paragraphs 33-35 in its future work;
41. adopted Decision No. CM/759/06092000 assigning ad hoc terms of reference to the CDLR asking it to:
- prepare a study on the specific problems of towns separated by a frontier;
- take stock of the implementation of the European Outline Convention on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities as it appears at Appendix 10 to this volume of Decisions;
42. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the CEMAT with a view to the Hanover Conference (September 2000);
43. agreed to forward the Recommendation to member states;
44. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the European Commission, drawing attention, in particular, to paragraphs 38 to 43;
45. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the OSCE, drawing attention, in particular, to paragraphs 44 to 46;
46. invited the GR-EDS to study the possibility of embarking, in the context of the Stability Pact, on negotiations on the preparation of a multilateral agreement between the countries of south-eastern Europe concerning transfrontier and inter-territorial co-operation between local and regional authorities;
Concerning Recommendation 86 (2000) on the financial transparency of political parties and their democratic functioning at regional level
47. invited the GRECO to express an opinion on the Recommendation and, in particular, on the desirability of drafting guidelines for ensuring the financial transparency of political parties at national, regional and local level;
48. agreed to forward the Recommendation to the governments of member states, drawing attention, in particular, to paragraphs 11 and 12;
Concerning Resolution 89 (2000) on verification of the appointment procedures and composition of national delegations and special guest delegations to the CLRAE
49. took note of the Resolution;
Concerning Resolution 90 (2000) on the revision of the rules of procedure of the Congress following the adoption by the Committee of Ministers of a new Statutory Resolution (2000) 1 and a new Charter of the Congress
50. took note of the Resolution and of the changes made by the Congress to its Rules of Procedure;
51. noted, in particular, that new working bodies had been set up in the Congress, namely the four statutory committees (the Institutional Committee, the Culture and Education Committee, the Committee on Sustainable Development and the Committee on Social Cohesion), whose powers and methods of operation are specified in Chapter XI of the Rules of Procedure (Rules 35 to 41);
Concerning resolutions from 91 to 105 (2000) of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE)
52. took note of these Resolutions;
Concerning Opinion 13 (2000) on the draft European Landscape Convention prepared by the Select Committee of Experts set up by the Committee of Ministers
53. noted that Opinion 13 (2000) had already been considered in the framework of the adoption of the European Landscape Convention (CM/Del/Dec(2000)718/9.1);
Concerning Opinion 14 (2000) on the draft Recommendation of the Committee of Ministers, prepared by the CDLR, on "local taxation, financial equalisation and grants to local authorities"
54. took note of the Opinion 14 (2000);
55. noted that the Opinion had been submitted to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) at its 25th meeting (7-9 June 2000).