Strasbourg, 24 April 2008 LR-DP(2008)10
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY
(CDLR)
COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS ON DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
AND PUBLIC ETHICS AT LOCAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL
(LR-DP)
MEETING REPORT
3-4 March 2008
1. Opening of the meeting
The LR-DP Committee met in Strasbourg on 3-4 March with Mr Paul-Henri PHILIPS (Belgium) in the Chair. The list of participants appears at Appendix 1.
2. Election of the Vice-Chair
The Committee elected Mrs Greta BILLING as Vice-Chair by acclamation.
3. Adoption of the agenda
The Agenda as adopted appears at Appendix 2.
Activities on democratic participation
4. The CLEAR Tool
The Committee took up the examination of the second wave of testing of the CLEAR tool on the basis of document LR-DP(2008)1.
The representatives from Belgium informed the Committee that an evaluation meeting had been held a few days before the Committee meeting and that a report would be sent in shortly.
The discussion of the results pointed up the need to make the following adjustments to the tool and the documents accompanying it:
- the addition of a glossary in which the main concepts and terms are explained, whilst avoiding it becoming too cumbersome;
- see whether it is possible in the questionnaire to make a distinction between core and optional questions;
- simplify the presentation of the tool and its methodology, bearing in mind the tool may be used by persons not necessarily trained in social sciences;
- enhance the pedagogical aspect of the information provided;
- try to identify indicators for each of the five elements of CLEAR.
The Committee agreed it would be useful to set up a small working group of the countries that had tested the CLEAR tool which would aim to achieve the desired improvements. The Secretariat was asked to make necessary arrangements for this. The Congress was also to be invited to any such meeting.
The Committee agreed that the results of this work should be sent to the CDLR for consideration at its meeting in June.
5. Preparation of a draft Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government
The Committee discussed the preparation of an additional protocol to the ECLSG on citizen’s participation on the basis of document LR-DP(2008)2, which collated the work carried out so far.
The Committee noted that the Ministerial Conference had in its Valencia Declaration given clear political support to the elaboration of an additional protocol and that it had asked for the work to be completed by the end of 2008.
The Committee agreed to take its work forward on the basis of the draft proposed jointly by Spain and the United Kingdom at the CDLR meeting in June 2007. It examined the draft and made several proposals for modification.
The Secretariat was asked to consolidate these modifications and to propose wordings on three points, namely the possibility to restrict the right to vote to nationals of the state, the range of local authorities to which the provisions would apply and a provision on the territorial scope of application. It was further requested that this revised version be sent to all members of the LR-DP and the CDLR and that, if deemed necessary, a meeting of an informal open-ended drafting group be convened in April 2008 at which the text could be further examined with a view to presenting it to the CDLR for consideration at its meeting in June 2008. All LR-DP and CDLR members would be invited to attend this meeting at their own expense.
The Secretariat was further requested to consult with the Legal Adviser’s Office with a view to identifying any legal issues that might still need to be addressed concerning the additional protocol.
The representative of the Congress, Mr Keith WHITMORE, Chair of the Institutional Committee, indicated that the Congress was supportive of the new approach embodied in the draft additional protocol, namely to include rights of citizens. He stated the Congress would contribute actively to the preparatory work being carried out, but would also be examining the draft once the CDLR had completed its work and before the Committee of Ministers would be seized of it.
6. Survey on the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2001)19 on the Participation of citizens in local public life
The Committee examined the results of the survey and praised the way in which they had been presented. The Committee also examined and approved the draft analysis and the draft comparative analysis (2004/2008) prepared by the Secretariat. The Secretariat presented a powerpoint presentation on the latter which will be made available on the local democracy web-site.
The Committee agreed that the results of the survey might be complemented by more qualitative information to understand better the practical reality behind the answers given in the survey. Also in other respects the survey could give rise to future work to strengthen citizens’ participation in public life at local level.
At the request of the Committee Mr Edwin LEFEBRE, member of the Committee for Belgium (Flanders) accepted to act as rapporteur to prepare proposals for further work on this topic in time for the next meeting.
7. Survey on the obstacles to acceeding to the Convention on the Participation of foreigners in public life at local level
The Committee held a tour de table of all delegations present in order to confirm or update the information contained in the table appended to document LR-DP(2008)4. The table with up to date information is to be sent out to members of the CDLR in order that a fully updated version can be arrived at in June 2008.
8. European Local Democracy Week
The Chair recalled that the Local Democracy Week had been officially launched at the 15th session of the Ministerial Conference and that preparations were now underway for the 2008 edition. A logo for the local democracy week had very recently been decided and was distributed in the meeting. On the side of the Directorate for Democratic Institutions, Mr Jos LEMMERS, Head of the Department for Democratic Participation had been entrusted with this activity, which is carried out together with the Congress.
On behalf of the Congress, Mr WHITMORE informed the Committee that the Congress continued to be a full partner in the Local Democracy Week and avoided a potential resource problem. He pointed to the continuing need to have more partners join in the project and was pleased to note the increasing co-operation with the CEMR, both in terms of the ideas it has and because of the network of associations of local authorities it has. He considered that Eurocities would be next prime partner to attract.
The Chair and Mr WHITMORE drew attention to the fact that the Slovak Chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers would be holding an event in April 2008 at which inter alia a session would be dedicated to the Local Democracy Week. Members of the Committee were encouraged to participate in the Slovak Conference.
9. Forum for the future of democracy – 2008
Mrs Katarina SUNDBERG (Sweden) informed the Committee of the follow-up action that is envisaged in respect of the 2007 session of the Forum in Sigtuna (Sweden). In particular she highlighted the initiative by the Swedish association of local authorities to take further the idea of developing local action plans on human rights. She encouraged the CDLR and the LR-DP Committee in particular to contribute to the follow-up work wherever possible. Though this has not been decided yet, she indicated that it might be the case that the CDLR would be invited to join the Forum’s Advisory Board.
Mr Auke VAN DER GOOT (Netherlands) suggested that the draft additional protocol might be one of the subjects at the event to be organised by the Swedish association of local authorities. The Chair agreed to look into this.
Mr Jaime PEREZ DE LA CRUZ (Spain) informed the Committee about the 2008 session of the Forum that would be held in Madrid in October and would be focused on e-democracy and e-governance. He expressed the hope that many members would be included in their national delegations to the Forum.
10. Work of the Ad hoc Committee on e-democracy (CAHDE)
The Chair, who also represented the CDLR in the CAHDE, recalled that the last plenary meeting of the CAHDE had taken place in September 2007 and that since two informal working group meeting had been held, one in Vienna and one in London, at which e-tools had been presented. The CAHDE is working on producing a glossary of generally agreed definitions in the area of e-government and e-democracy as well as recommendations which will also be taken up at the 2008 session of the Forum for the Future of Democracy in Madrid (October 2008). The Chair would keep the committee informed of developments.
The CAHDE will hold a plenary session in May 2008 at which the draft Recommendation will be discussed, as well as the themes for the Forum in Madrid put forward by the Chair of the CAHDE, Mr Thomas BUCHSBAUM.
Activities on Public Ethics at local and regional level
11. Evaluation of compliance with standards of public ethics at local and regional level
Mr Paul ROWSELL (UK), Mrs Monica DIMITRIU (Romania) and Mr Paulius SKARDZIUS (Lithuania) made presentations to the committee on the systems in their countries for ensuring with standards of public ethics at local level.
Together with the presentations made at the previous meeting and the one still to be made on Ukraine, these presentations together will be the basis for the Committee to discuss further work on the topic at the next meeting. The Committee also agreed to designate a rapporteur on the topic at the next meeting.
12. Updating of the Handbook
The Committee once again appealed to all members and members of the CDLR who had not yet done so to provide the necessary information that would enable the updating of the Handbook on Public Ethics.
13. Preparation of national handbooks and thematic documents
Mrs Monica DIMITRIU (Romania) informed the Committee that the Academy of Public administration was developing a benchmark on public ethics together with the Council of Europe’s Centre of Expertise for Local Government Reform. A Romanian version of the Handbook had already been prepared in 2004.
Mr Emmanuel CAMUT (France) informed the Committee a number of documents had been prepared in France, notably the “guide des maires” and the “guide des marchés publics”.
The Chair informed the Committee that the Handbook had meanwhile also been translated into Dutch.
The Secretariat invited all delegations to include relevant material on the LOREG database, once the revised version had become accessible, which was expected to be the case by June.
Other issues
14. Other business
The Chair informed the Committee that he had attended, not in his capacity of Chair, the launching event of the “Observatory of local autonomy” (OLA) in Lille (France) and that he would keep the Committee informed of any relevant activities it carried out, as well as ensure that it is made aware of relevant Council of Europe work.
In response to the request by Mr VAN DER GOOT (Netherlands), Mr WHITMORE agreed that Committee members would be sent relevant working documents of the Congress.
The Committee accepted Mr LEFEBRE’s offer to make a presentation on policies to enhance public ethics at local level in Flanders.
15. Date of the next meeting
The Committee noted that the date for the next meeting initially retained (15-16 September 2008) would now coincide with the recently decided meeting of the High Level Group on Governance. It therefore opted to hold the meeting on 8-9 September, subject to confirmation that a meeting room would be available.
Appendix 1
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
CHAIRMAN / PRESIDENT
M. Paul-Henri PHILIPS, Adjoint du Directeur Général, Administration des pouvoirs locaux, Ministère de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, Boulevard du Jardin Botanique, 20, B – 1035 BRUXELLES
Tél : (32) 2 800 32 77 ; Fax : (32) 2800 38 00; E-mail : [email protected]
BELGIUM / BELGIQUE
Mr Edwin LEFEBRE, Deputy Director, Ministry of the Flemish Community, Agency for Home Affairs, Boudewijnlaan 30, B - 1000 BRUSSELS
Tel : (32) 2 553 40 16; Fax :(32) 2 553 39 52; E-mail : [email protected]
Mme Annie VANBOTERDAL-BIEFNOT, Directrice générale, Direction générale des pouvoirs locaux, Ministère de la Région Wallonne, Résidence Concorde, Rue Van Opré 95, 5100 JAMBES (NAMUR)
Tél: (32) 81 32 37 01; Fax: (32) 81 30 90 93; E-mail: [email protected]
Madame Christine RAMELOT, Attachée à la Cellule Institutions de la Division des Communes, Direction Générale des Pouvoirs Locaux, Ministère de la Région Wallonne, Rue Van Opré, 91 – B-5100 JAMBES (NAMUR)
Tél. (32) 81 32 36 48; Fax: (32) 81.32 37 44; E-mail: [email protected]
BULGARIA / BULGARIE
Mrs Zornitsa HADZHIDIMITROVA, Senior Expert in Administrative-territorial structure and local self-government, Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works, 17-19 St. Kiril I Metodii, 1202 SOFIA Bulgaria
Tel : (359) 29 40 52 23 ; E-mail : [email protected]
DENMARK / DANEMARK
Apologised for absence / Excusé
FINLAND / FINLANDE
Ms Inga NYHOLM, Senior Officer, Department for Municipal Affairs, Ministry of Finance, P.O. Box 28, FIN – 00023 GOVERNMENT, FINLAND
Tel: (358) 9 160 32212; Fax: (358) 9 160 32230; E-mail: [email protected]
FRANCE
M. Emmanuel CAMUT, Bureau des structures territoriales, Direction Générale des Collectivités locales, Ministère de l'Intérieur, 1 bis, place des Saussaies, F - 75800 PARIS
Fax: (33) 01 49 27 49 79 ; E-mail:[email protected]
GREECE / GRECE
Mrs Paoula STERGIOU, Ministry of the Interior, 27 Stadiou Str. GR – 10183 ATHENS
Tel: (30) 210 37 44 378; Fax: (30) 210 37 44 383; E-mail: [email protected];
HUNGARY / HONGRIE
Dr Ildikó FORGÁCS, Ministry of Local Government and Territorial Development, Roosevelt Square 1-3, H - 1051 BUDAPEST
Tel.36 1 441 16 80; Fax: 36 1 441 1087; E-mail: [email protected]
IRELAND / IRLANDE
Mr Tom SHERIDAN, Local Government Policy Section, Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Custom House, DUBLIN 1
Tel: (353) 1 888 2361; Fax: (353) 1 888 2643; E-mail: [email protected]
LATVIA / LETTONIE
Ms Kristīne JAUNZEME, Director of Legal Department, Ministry of Regional Development and Local governments, Lacplesa str. 27, LV – 1011 RIGA
Tel : (371) 777 04 64; Fax: (371) 7770479; E-mail: [email protected]
LITHUANIA / LITUANIE
Mr Paulius SKARDŽIUS, Director of Public Administration Department, Ministry of the Interior, Ŝventaragio Str. 2, LT - 01510 VILNIUS, LITHUANIA
Tel: (370) 5 271 7071; Fax: (370) 5 271 8915; E-mail: [email protected]
LUXEMBOURG / LUXEMBOURG
Mme Françoise KUTH, Attachée de Gouvernement, Ministère de l'Intérieur et de l'Aménagement du territoire, 19, rue Beaumont, L – 1219 LUXEMBOURG
Tél. + 352 247 84623; Fax: + 352 26 20 26 93; e-mail: [email protected]
NETHERLANDS / PAYS-BAS
Mr Auke van der GOOT, Senior Adviser, Local and Regional Governance and Europe Division, Directorate General for Governance and Kingdom Relations, Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, P.O Box 20011, NL - 2500 EA THE HAGUE
Tel: (31) 70 426 7386; Fax: (31) 70 426 7668; E-mail: [email protected]
NORWAY / NORVEGE
Mrs Greta BILLING, Deputy Director General, Department of Local Government, The Royal Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Postbox 8112 DEP,
N - 0032 OSLO
Tel: (47) 22 24 72 25; Fax: (47) 22 24 27 35; E-mail: [email protected]
ROMANIA / ROUMANIE
Ms Monica DIMITRIU, Head of Office, National Agency of Civil Servants, European Integration, International relations and Programs with external assistance Unit, Str. Smardan No. 3, BUCAREST, Romania
Tel.: + 40 722 47 51 19; Fax: + 40 213 15 26 86;
E-mail: [email protected]
SAN MARINO / SAINT-MARIN
Mr Paolo RONDELLI, Dipartimento Affari Interni, Palazzo Giovagnali, Via della Capannaccia 13, 47890 SAN MARINO
Tel : (+378) 0549 88 3401 ; Fax : (+378) 0549 883404 ;
E-mail : [email protected]
SERBIA / SERBIE
Mrs Danica MILOVANOVIC, Counsellor for International Cooperation, Ministry of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republic of Serbia, Bircaninova 6, 11000 BELGRADE, Serbia
Tel. +381 11 268 5345; Fax:+ 381 11 268 53 96;
e-mail: [email protected]
SLOVAK REPUBLIC / REPUBLIQUE SLOVAQUE
Ms Zuzana BARBORÍKOVÁ, Head of Unit, Department for co-ordination and modernisation of Public administration, Public administration section, Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, Drieňová 22, 826 86 BRATISLAVA
Tél : (421) 2 4859 2217 ; Fax: (421) 2 43 33 46 74;
E-mail: [email protected]
SLOVENIA / SLOVENIE
Mrs Neza VODUSEK, Secretary, Government Office for Local Self-Government and Regional Policy, Kotnikova 28, 1501 LJUBLJANA, Slovenia
Tel: + 386 1 434 15 10; Fax: + 386 1 434 15 38; e-mail: [email protected]
SPAIN / ESPAGNE
Mr Jaime PÉREZ DE LA CRUZ, Legal Affairs Deputy Director, General Directorate of Local Co-operation, Secretary of State of Territorial Co-operation, Ministry of Public
Administration, Santa Engracia, 7, E - 28071 MADRID
Tel: (34) 91 273 37 04; Fax: (34) 91 273 35 66; E-mail: [email protected]
SWEDEN / SUEDE
Mr Marcus BRIXSKIOLD, Director, Division for Democratic Issues, Ministry of integration and gender equality, S - 103 33 STOCKHOLM
Tel: +(46) 8 405 37 61; Fax: (46) 8 405 43 23; E-mail : [email protected]
Mrs Katarina SUNDBERG, Deputy Director, Division for Democratic Issues, Ministry of Intergration and gender equality, S - 103 33 STOCKHOLM
Tel: (46) 8 405 21 08; Fax: (46) 8 405 43 23 E-mail : [email protected]
SWITZERLAND / SUISSE
Apologised for absence / Excusé
UKRAINE
Mr Vyacheslav TOLKOVANOV, Adviser of the President of the Foundation for Local Self-Government of Ukraine, L.Ukrainka bld. 26, app. 230, KYIV 01133, UKRAINE
Tel: 380 44 286 48 63; Fax: 380 44 286 37 81; E-mail: [email protected]
UNITED KINGDOM / ROYAUME-UNI
Mr Paul ROWSELL, Deputy Director, Local Democracy, Communities and Local Government, Zone 5/B3, Eland House, Bressenden Place, LONDON SW1E 5DU, GB
Tel: (44) 20 7944 4230; Fax: (44) 20 7944 4109; E-mail: [email protected]
Mr Clive KINGMAN, Policy Adviser, International and Governance Team, Local Democracy Directorate, Communities and Local Government, 5/A3, Eland House, Bressenden Place, LONDON SW1E 5DU, GB
Tel: (44) 20 7944 4087; Fax: (44) 20 7944 4109; E-mail: [email protected]
PARTICIPANTS
CONGRESS OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES OF THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE / CONGRES DES POUVOIRS LOCAUX ET REGIONAUX DU CONSEIL DE L’EUROPE
|
Mr Keith WHITMORE, Manchester Metropolitan City Council 28 Scarisbrick Road, Levenshulme M19 2BS-MANCHESTER ROYAUME-UNI Tel. (44) 161 234 3002; Fax (44) 161 234 3296;E-mail: [email protected] |
Ms Almut SCHROEDER, Première Co-secrétaire de la Commission Institutionnelle / First Co-secretary of the Institutional Committee / Congrès des Pouvoirs Locaux et Régionaux du Conseil de l'Europe / Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
e-mail: [email protected]
(OECD-OCDE)
Apologised for absence / Excusé
SECRETARIAT
M. Alfonso ZARDI, Head of Department of Local and Regional Democracy and Good Governance / Chef du Service de la démocratie locale et régionale et de la bonne gouvernance - Directorate of Democratic Institutions / Direction des institutions démocratiques - Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction Générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques
Tel : (33) 3 88 41 39 06; Fax : (33) 3 88 41 27 84; E-mail : [email protected]
M. Frank STEKETEE, Administrator / Administrateur – Directorate of Democratic Institutions / Direction des institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction Générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques
Mrs Maren LAMBRECHT, Administrator / Administratrice – Directotrate of Democratic Institutions/ Direction des institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques
Tel : +33 (0)3 90 21 47 78 ; Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84; E-mail: [email protected]
Ms Severina SPASSOVA, Directorate of Democratic Institutions / Direction des institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction Générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques
Tel: (33) 3 90 21 52 75; Fax: (33) 3 88 41 27 84; e-mail: [email protected]
Ms Alina STRUGUT, Trainee / Stagiaire - Directorate of Democratic Institutions / Direction des institutions démocratiques, Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs / Direction Générale de la démocratie et des affaires politiques
E-mail: alina.strugut@coe. Int
Mme Yvonne MANGOLD, Secrétariat, Tel : (33) 3 90 21 41 16; Fax : (33) 3 88 41 27 84; E-mail : [email protected]
Appendix 2
AGENDA
3-4 March 2008
Strasbourg, Palais de l'Europe
Room 6
|
1. |
Opening of the meeting |
|
|
2. |
Election of the Vice-Chair |
|
|
3. |
Adoption of the agenda |
[LR-DP(2008)OJ1rev.2] |
|
Activities on democratic participation |
||
|
4. |
The CLEAR Tool: second wave of testing and validation |
|
|
– The CLEAR Tool |
[LR-DP(2008)9] |
|
|
– The CLEAR Tool: results of the second wave of testing |
[LR-DP(2008)1] |
|
|
5. |
Preparation of a draft Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government |
[LR-DP(2008)2] |
|
6. |
Survey on the implementation of Recommendation Rec(2001)19 on the Participation of citizens in local public life: |
|
|
– Results of the survey |
[LR-DP(2008)3] |
|
|
– Draft analysis of the results |
[LR-DP(2008)8+addendum] |
|
|
7. |
Survey on the obstacles to acceeding to the Convention on the Participation of foreigners in public life at local level |
[LR-DP(2008)4] |
|
8. |
European Local Democracy Week |
|
|
9. |
Forum for the future of democracy - 2008 |
|
|
10. |
Work of the Ad hoc Committee on e-democracy (CAHDE) |
|
|
Activities on Public Ethics at local and regional level |
||
|
11. |
Evaluation of compliance with standards of public ethics at local and regional level - presentations |
[LR-DP(2008)5] |
|
12. |
Updating of the Handbook |
[LR-DP(2008)6] |
|
13. |
Preparation of national handbooks and thematic documents |
[LR-DP(2008)7] |
|
Other issues |
||
|
14. |
Other business |
|
|
15. |
Date of the next meeting |
|