Local and Regional Democracy and Good Governance

General

European Committee on Local and Regional
Democracy

Centre of Expertise
for Local Government Reform

Strategy for Innovation
and Good Governance
Reform

Programmes for Democratic Stability

Resources in Local and Regional Democracy

 

Conference : Local government: responses to recession across Europe

 STRASBOURG (France), 11-12 October 2010

 About the conference
 
How have local budgets fared in the recession? And, more importantly, how are central and local governments across Europe coping with the prevailing fiscal crisis? What can be done to minimise harm to the public services they perform?

These were the questions discussed at the conference called for by Ministers at the 16th session of the Council of Europe Conference for European Ministers responsible for local and regional democracy (Utrecht, Netherlands
2009) in preparation for Ministers next Conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, 2011.

The Conference was jointly organised by the Council of Europe and the Local Government and Public Service Reform Initiative of the Open Society Foundation (LGI).		  


Conference Publication:
The Impact of the Economic Downturn on Local Government in Europe: what is happening? What can be done?

Conference Objectives 

  give an updated analysis of the financial impacts of the crisis on local government in 2010,
  exchange experience on policy responses to the crisis by member states against the backdrop
    of the guidelines identified in the Utrecht Declaration,
  identify possible themes for deliberation by Ministers in 2011.

Opening speeches (list incomplete, update in progress)

  “Putting human rights at the heart of economic recovery plans”. Speech of the Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, at the International Conference on “Local government: Responses to recession across Europe”, Strasbourg



Speech by Mr Jean Louis Laurens, Director General of Democracy and Political Affairs, Council of Europe


 

Workshops
(click on workshop title for working documents etc):
A: Inter-governmental finance
B: Doing more with less: promoting efficiency
C: Local government contributions to economic recovery and sustainable development
D: Coping with the social impacts of recession and demographic change

 

 

 


 


Other resources

  Council of Europe reports on local finance
  Council of Europe handbook, including Recommendations from the Committee of Ministers
  Questionnaire 1 sent to national observers for updating the report on the Impact of the Economic Downturn at Local Level; what is happening? what can be done about it?
  Questionnaire 2 sent to CDLR members for updating the above-mentioned report
  Questionnaire 3 sent to both national observers and CDLR members

 


 

  

More Information
   Venue:
Council of Europe Palais de l'Europe, Strasbourg
11-12 October 2010
 
New!! Conference conclusions
Conference description and programme
 
List of speakers
 
List of participants
 

Practical Information for participants