Strasbourg, 21 décembre 2010                                                          CDLR-Bu(2011)2

Item 4 of the agenda

                                                                                                                         

BUREAU OF THE

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY

(CDLR)

INFORMATION ON OTHER COUNCIL OF EUROPE BODIES

Secretariat Memorandum

prepared by the

Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs

Directorate of Democratic Institutions

This document is public. It will not be distributed at the meeting. Please bring this copy.

Ce document est public. Il ne sera pas distribué en réunion. Prière de vous munir de cet exemplaire.

 Introduction

The calendar of meetings of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe for 2011 appears in Appendix I. The priorities of the Congress for 2011-2012 appear in Appendix II. More detailed information on sessions can be downloaded from the Congress website www.coe.int/congress

The fourth part of the Plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) was held on 4-8 October 2010. The work programme (version of January 2011) of the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs of the Parliamentary Assembly appears in Appendix III. The priorities of the Committee for 2011-2012 appear in Appendix IV. Other information on the sessions of the PACE (order of business, working documents, other documents adopted, speeches and verbatim reports) may be found on its website http://assembly.coe.int

Action required

The CDLR Bureau members are invited to take note of the work of the above-mentioned bodies of the Council of Europe.

APPENDIX I

CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES

C

 

TIMETABLE OF EVENTS / CALENDRIER DES ÉVÉNEMENTS

 

Date / Date	Place / Lieu	Event / Evénement	Entity / Entité	Représentants du Congrès	Contact (Name/Nom & Email)	Web Site / Site Web
14/01/2011	Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers Bureau du Congrès et de ses chambres	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Bureau	Dolores Rios [email protected]
31/01/2011	Council of Europe, Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	ENELC General Assembly RECEP Assemblée Générale	Congress : co-organiser Congrès : coorganisateur	G Doganoglu	Giampaolo Cordiale [email protected]
07/02/2011	Paris FRANCE / FRANCE	Contact Group Committee of the Regions / Congress Groupe de contact Comité des Régions / Congrès	Congress : co-organiser Congrès : coorganisateur	Members of  the Contact Group COR/Congress	Giampaolo Cordiale [email protected]
15/02/2011 15/02/2011	Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	Follow-up Expert Meeting: Resolution 316 - Rights and duties of local and regional elected representatives Réunion de suivi expert: Résolution 316 - Droits et devoirs des élus locaux et régionaux	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur		Giampaolo CORDIALE [email protected]
18/02/2011	Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers Bureau du Congrès et de ses chambres	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Bureau	Dolores Rios [email protected]
21/03/2011	Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	Bureaux of the Congress and its Chambers Bureau du Congrès et de ses chambres	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Bureau	Dolores Rios [email protected]
22/03/2011 24/03/2011	Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	20th Session of the Congress 20ème Session du Congrès	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Congress	Dolores Rios [email protected]	http://www.coe.int/congress
16/06/2011	Strasbourg to be confirmed FRANCE / FRANCE	Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers Bureau du Congrès et de ses chambres	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Bureau	Dolores Rios [email protected]
16/09/2011	Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers Bureau du Congrès et de ses chambres	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Bureau	Dolores Rios [email protected]
17/10/2011	Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers Bureau du Congrès et de ses chambres	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Bureau	Dolores Rios [email protected]
18/10/2011 20/10/2011	Strasbourg FRANCE / FRANCE	21st Session of the Congress 21ème Session du Congrès	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Congress	Dolores Rios [email protected]	http://www.coe.int/congress
02/12/2011	Paris to be confirmed FRANCE / FRANCE	Bureau of the Congress and its Chambers Bureau du Congrès et de ses chambres	Congress : organiser Congrès : organisateur	Members of  the Bureau	Dolores Rios [email protected]

APPENDIX II

STANDING COMMITTEE

Strasbourg, 18 June 2010

Priorities of the Congress for 2011-2012

Resolution 304 (2010)[1]

1. In October 2010, at the 19^th session, the newly elected Congress members will fix the priorities of the Congress for the coming two years.

2. In the light of this, the Congress,

a. having examined the draft priorities 2011-2012, as found in the appendix to this text, marks its full support for the orientations set out in this document;

b. invites the Bureau of the Congress to prepare a revised text in time for the 19^th Session of the Congress, following its consultations on this subject with the national associations of local and regional authorities.

Appendix

Priorities of the Congress 2011-2012

1. The Congress is the Council of Europe's assembly of local and regional representatives, a political body of territorial representatives who hold an elected mandate in their own country.

2. Its mission is to be a watchdog for local and regional democracy in Europe, a partner of governments and a reference point for territorial democracy, notably through monitoring the European Charter of Local Self-Government, through political dialogue with the Committee of Ministers and with local, regional and national authorities of member States. It also develops special thematic work through its recommendations and resolutions.

3. In 2011-2012 the Congress will further align its activities and strategy with the priorities of the Council of Europe, focusing its work to develop local and regional democracy in five areas, at the same time taking account of the reforms initiated by Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland and supported by the Committee of Ministers. It will adapt its structures accordingly.

4. In accordance with its revised cooperation agreement with the European Union Committee of the Regions (12 November 2009), the Congress will endeavour to translate these priorities through the Contact Group in a joint work programme with the committees of the Committee of the Regions, primarily the Commission for Citizenship, Governance, Institutional and External Affairs (CIVEX).

I. Monitoring: a new dynamic

5. The Congress will bring a new dynamic to its monitoring activities, making them more frequent, more regular, more systematic and more open to political dialogue, enabling the Congress to fulfil its mission as a monitoring body of the Council of Europe.  These activities have to be coordinated with the other Council of Europe monitoring mechanisms, to ensure greater impact and tangible developments in member States.

6. The cornerstone of the monitoring activities of the Congress remains the benchmark Council of Europe treaty, the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which sets standards for both local and regional democracy in the Council of Europe States parties. At the same time the Congress will be widening and deepening the scope of its monitoring activities to take into account the Council of Europe Reference Framework for Regional Democracy, approved by the Ministers responsible for local and regional government in Utrecht in 2009, and Congress Resolution 296 (2010) on the role of local and regional authorities in the implementation of human rights, adopted as part of the follow-up to the Forum for the Future of Democracy's Sigtuna conference.

II. Election observation: widening the scope

7. The citizens' right to exercise their democratic choice in free and fair local elections is the sine qua non of democracy. It is a prerequisite to the health of local communities within a genuinely democratic society. Above all it is the first step in the political participation that is enshrined in the preamble to the European Charter of Local Self-government and its Additional Protocol on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.

8. An election is not just one day: it is far more than the act of voting, it includes the campaign and the complex process of enabling citizens to make an informed choice in a pluralistic political landscape. To make an accurate assessment of the conduct of the election, the whole process needs to be examined, including the political, legal and media systems. The Congress will therefore systematize its practice of conducting pre-electoral missions, to ensure a proper understanding of the context and process of elections. Cooperation will be developed with the relevant Council of Europe bodies in this respect. In carrying out its election observation mission, the Congress will continue to involve the Committee of the Regions of the European Union in developing its observation capacity. It will also continue to cooperate, when appropriate, with the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR). To ensure the effectiveness of election observation, the Congress will continue to implement political follow-up to its recommendations and resolutions.

III. Targeted post-monitoring and observation assistance

9. To achieve real results with respect to the recommendations of its monitoring and election observation missions, the Congress will organise specific cooperation programmes with the member States concerned to address the major issues that it has highlighted as requiring attention and to increase their knowhow and capacity for local governance and election organisation. 

10. Such programmes should involve local and regional representatives, not just those of the countries concerned, but also those from other European countries who are willing to share their acquis and expertise on a peer-to-peer basis.

11. The Congress will seek to co-finance such activities through voluntary contributions and support from the European Union and other international partners.

IV. The new local dimension of human rights

12. Human rights are not exclusively the concern of national authorities. The respect of human rights has to be addressed at the local level. It is a key responsibility of territorial authorities, interdependent with good local and regional governance.

13. In accordance with its 2008 joint declaration with the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, the Congress will work to make local and regional authorities aware of their responsibilities for the implementation of human rights. It is the role of local and regional authorities to ensure that their activities are fully compliant with Council of Europe human rights standards, such as, for instance, ensuring equal access to public services. We need to ensure that our communities are providing the same protection to all persons living in their territories. 

14. In this respect, the Congress will promote the implementation of good practices and mechanisms of mediation, such as independent local and regional ombudsmen.

V. Streamlining thematic activities

15. The Congress will reorientate its thematic activities within its statutory committees in the light of the core values of the Council of Europe and of the reform of the Congress.

16. These activities will treat issues that are addressed during the monitoring activities of the Congress, notably the application of the European Charter of Local Self-government and the Reference Framework for Regional Democracy and related human rights issues, such as the full participation of all citizens in local political life and the related questions of equality of opportunity in local life and freedom of assembly and expression.

17. In implementing these objectives, the Congress will bear in mind the need to avoid overlap and duplication of work and instead to develop synergies with other relevant Council of Europe bodies, such the European Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) and the Council of Europe Centre of Expertise for Local Self-Government Reform.

APPENDIX III

PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs

Commission de l’environnement, de l’agriculture et des questions territoriales

Work Programme

This document indicates in chronological order: o    Reports in preparation and rapporteurs o    Committee and sub-committee meetings / Sessions / Standing Committee (in bold) and Other events relevant to the Committee’s work or fields of competence: Ø     “for information” Ø     to which representatives have been appointed Ø    to which representative are to be appointed (“to decide” or “to confirm”) Abbreviations are explained on the final page.

Secretariat of the Committee         (Fax: +33 3 88 41 27 17)

Mrs Agnès NOLLINGER, Head of Secretariat               tel: +33 3 88 41 22 88         [email protected]

Mrs Dana KARANJAC, Secretary                                     tel: +33 3 90 21 48 77         [email protected]

Mrs Olga KOSTENKO, Secretary                                     tel: +33 3 88 41 34 73         [email protected]

Mrs Marie-Anne MENGER (Europe Prize)                     tel :+33 3 88 41 21 08         [email protected]

Mrs Hazel BASTIER, Senior Assistant                             tel: +33 3 88 41 30 93         [email protected]

Mrs Eliza KOPEC, Assistant                                              tel: +33 3 90 21 45 95         [email protected]
REPORTS IN PREPARATION[2]

·         Armed conflicts and the environment (Doc. 11741, ref 3505 of 26 January 2009, extended to … by the Assembly Bureau on 13 December 2010) (Mr Huseynov, Azerbaijan, ALDE)

·         Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): a solution for the future? (Doc. 11816, ref. 3532 of 29 May 2009) (Mr Le Grand, France, EPP/CD)

·         The need for independent and credible environmental assessments (Doc. 11892, ref. 3562 of 29 May 2009) (Mr Preda, Romania, EPP/CD)

·         The potential dangers of electromagnetic fields and their effect on the environment (Doc. 11894, ref. 3563 of 29 May 2009) (Mr Huss, Luxembourg, SOC)

·         Reforms of the Common Fisheries and the Common Agricultural Policies (Doc. 11902, ref. 3583 of 22 June 2009 and Doc. 12050, ref. 3630 of 25 January 2010) (Mr Korkeaoja, Finland, ALDE)

·         Need to assess progress in implementation of the Bern Convention (Doc. 11983, ref. 3605 of 2 October 2009) (Mr Lotman, Estonia, UEL) (adopted by the Committee on 25 November 2010)

·         Preventing natural disasters (Doc. 12049, ref 3616 of 20 November 2009 for report to the Standing Committee) (Mrs Marin, France, EPP/CD)

·         The impact of the world economic crisis on local and regional authorities (Doc. 12063, ref 3623 of 25 January 2010, opinion by the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development) (Mr Meale, United Kingdom, SOC)

·         The environmental impact of sunken shipwrecks (Doc. 12092, ref. 3635 of 25 January 2010) (Mrs Papadimitriou, Greece, EPP/CD)

·         Water - a source of countless conflicts (Doc. 12176, ref. 3670 of 26 April 2010) (Mr Marquet, Monaco, ALDE)

·         The administrative organisation of large metropolises: a key to strengthening local democracy in Europe (Rapporteur to be appointed)

·         Nanotechnologies, a new danger to the environment? (Rapporteur to be appointed)

Opinions and contributions

·         The real situation of rural women in Europe (Doc. 11773, ref. 3519 of 26/01/09) (Report by the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men) (Mrs John-Calame, Switzerland, SOC)

·      The economic importance of raw materials contained in “end-of-life products” including their energy potential (Doc. 11896, ref. 3565 of 29 May 2009) (Report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development) (Rapporteur to be appointed)

·      Over-indebtedness of States: a danger for democracy and human rights (Doc. 12177, ref. 3671 of 26 April)  (Report of the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development) (Mr Meale, United Kingdom, SOC)

MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE AND SUB-COMMITTEES / SESSIONS / STANDING COMMITTEE and OTHER EVENTS WITHIN THE COMMITTEE’S COMPETENCE

2 0 1 1

JANUARY

FEBRUARY

MARCH

APRIL

JUNE

* Subject to authorisation of the Bureau                     ** To be confirmed

Abbreviations

S/c DEV	Sub-Committee on Sustainable Development
S/c LOC	Sub-Committee on Local and Regional Democracy
S/c AGR	Sub-Committee on Agriculture and Food
S/c PRIX	Sub-Committee on the Europe Prize
CALRE	Conference of European Regions with Legislative Powers
CDLR	European Committee on Local and Regional Democracy
CEMAT	European Conference of Ministers of Regional Planning
Congress	Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
CIHEAM	International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies
IPU	Interparliamentary Union

Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs

Commission de l’environnement, de l’agriculture et des questions territoriales

AS/ENA (2010) 43

15 November 2010

AENA10_43

Priorities of the committee for the years 2011-2012

Working document

prepared by the Secretariat

The committee has always taken the view that its activities should not be restricted in the light of certain general priorities, while a few guidelines should exist so as to avoid dispersion and at the same time keep in step with the major principles of the Council of Europe: human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

At its meeting in Bucharest on 18 and 19 February 2010, the committee decided that it would “focus on the environment, energy and environmental technologies and reinforce its work on local and regional democracy”.

The committee stressed the importance of underlining the link between climate change and human rights and to focus, among other things, on new technologies for a carbon-free society, particularly in the energy and transport sectors; on energy efficiency; on recycling and substitution of materials in industry; on nanotechnologies; on food security and use of natural resources; on economic incentives necessary to induce change.

In follow up to PACE Recommendation 1885(2009) on drafting an additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights concerning the right to a healthy environment and Recommendation 1883(2009) on the challenges posed by climate change, the Committee would pursue the proposals made by the Committee of Ministers, supportive of the idea that there should be more research done in the Council of Europe and to try:

• to look into specificities with respect to human rights in Europe (case law of the Court) – proposing to update the existing Manual with new court cases

• to examine the possibility of adopting a wider and multidisciplinary approach to climate change in the Council of Europe, making synergies between the work of the various entities such as the Assembly, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities; the Secretariat of the Bern Convention and the European Landscape Convention; the Conference of Ministers responsible for spatial planning (CEMAT); the Major Hazards Agreement (EUR-OPA), the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH) and the European Social Charter

• to consider holding a conference to examine the issue of human rights and climate change from different aspects  (human rights; legal affairs; environment; social cohesion and social rights) as proposed by the Steering Committee for Human Rights (CDDH)

 

In follow up to PACE Resolution 1693 (2009) and in view of the growing problems linked with access and the right to safe drinking water, the committee plans to continue its work in this area, focusing on the issue of conflicts over access to water. The committee also plans to hold a conference to prepare the VIth World Water Forum, to be held in Marseille in 2012.

The committee will continue to monitor the state of the environment in the most vulnerable regions (for example the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Arctic).

It will also continue to build up its contacts with NGOs, as stipulated in Resolution 1589 (2007), which calls for closer co-operation between the Conferences of INGOs and the committees of the Parliamentary Assembly.

In view of the foregoing, the committee plans to focus on the following areas of work, keeping always in mind the link between environment and human rights:

Environment

• Active involvement in the global negotiation process on climate change (Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change) in co-operation with IPU and joint initiatives with the intergovernmental sector of the Council of Europe

• Monitoring the work of the intergovernmental sector in follow up to PACE Recommendation 1885 (2009) on drafting an additional protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights and taking an active part in any joint initiatives

• Water-related conflicts, the issue of water and access and the right to water resources. A conference to prepare the 6^th World Water Forum (Marseille 2012) is planned.

• The seas and oceans and the many challenges facing them (the Baltic Sea, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea)

• The environmental situation in the Far North (the Arctic).

The committee stressed also the necessity to make a closer link between environment and health, recalling that everybody has the right to live and work in a healthy environment. It therefore proposes to pursue its work on:

• The impact of electromagnetic fields and their effects on the environment

• Asbestos and its effects on the environment

• Nanotechnologies and their impact on the environment

• Food security and the use of natural resources

• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

Energy

• Follow up to Written Declaration n°452 (2010) on a new energy model;

• Follow up to the Conference on the future of nuclear energy;

• Energy efficiency in transport

Local and regional democracy

• The impact of the financial crisis on local and regional authorities

• Continued co-operation with the regions holding legislative powers (CALRE), taking into account the agreement signed between the Parliamentary Assembly and CALRE;

• Follow-up to the Utrecht Declaration

• Introducing the twelve principles of the Strategy of good governance at the local level into the criteria for awarding the Europe Prize, Plaque, Flag and Diploma

• Continuing work on enhancing the capacity of regional authorities to plan and implement cross-border co-operation projects

• Continuing work on reducing institutional complexity between the different levels of government and on improving their co-operation

• Taking an active part in events held during Local Democracy Week

• Looking at administrative organisation of large metropolises as a key to strengthening local democracy in Europe

• Supporting the work of the Black Sea and Adriatic Euroregions as models of interregional co-operation.

The committee also proposed to organise more joint meetings or events with the Congress on issues of common interest.