Local and Regional Democracy and Good Governance

“Good local and regional governance in turbulent times: the challenge of change” -

Conference of European Ministers -
16-17 November 2009, Utrecht Netherlands
The challenge facing ministers at a difficult time

The global financial crisis has given a severe jolt to the very foundations of the world's economy and economic governance. While signs of a recovery are emerging, it is clear that the after-effects of the recession will continue to be felt for a long time. Local and regional authorities which, in Europe, manage proportions of public expenditure ranging up to as high as 80% are in the forefront of efforts to find a way out of the crisis, through exceptional investment expenditure, spending in the social sphere or on vocational retraining, etc. Their ability to cope with these exceptional challenges, which will remain long after the recession has come to an end, were the focal point of the discussions among the European Ministers responsible for local and regional government when they met in Utrecht (Netherlands) on 16 and 17 November 2009.  more

   !New! Utrecht Declaration
   Conference Documents
   Conference website

News on the Conference from the member states
 1.   UK Government signs up to historic European agreement on local democracy

2.   Netherlands: Recht op deelname aan lokaal bestuur in Europees verdrag vastgelegd (only in Dutch)

... from other international bodies

 1.   Mission Opérationnelle transfrontalière - The Third Protocol to the Madrid Outline Convention
 
 
News from the member States:

United Kingdom: Total Place: better for less

 A new pilot programme in the UK is looking at how a ‘whole area’ approach to public services can lead to better services at less cost. Following sustained investment in public services over recent years which has led to significant improvement in quality for the public, the expectations of citizens continue to rise – but the impact of the economic downturn means the public sector needs to find radical new solutions to not only deliver better value for money, but also better local services more tailored to local needs. Total Place seeks to identify and avoid overlap and duplication between organisations, delivering a step change in both service improvement and efficiency between the different agencies at local level, as well as in their interaction with central Government. more

Italy: New Act on Fiscal Federalism

On 5 May 2009, the Italian Parliament passed a new act on fiscal federalism (Law No. 42/2009). Under this act, some of the principles on finance from the European Charter on Local Self-Government and promoted by the Council of Europe are now fully reflected in the Italian legal and institutional system.

The act was designed to improve and strengthen careful and accurate financial accountability, which enables all possible responsibilities across the different levels of government to be identified and established, and optimises the use of public finance.