A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe carried out a monitoring visit to Hungary from 19 to 21 March 2019, to assess the implementation of the provisions of the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which the country ratified in 1994.
Two co-rapporteurs on local and regional democracy in Hungary, Mr Marc COOLS, Belgium (L, ILDG), and Mr Jean-Pierre LIOUVILLE, France (R, SOC), considered how local self-government has evolved in the country since the adoption of the Congress’s last recommendation, on 29 October 2013.
Meetings were scheduled to take place in Budapest, Budaörs, Salgótarján and Rákóczibánya, in particular with Sándor PINTÉR, Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister, Péter BENŐ BANAI, State Secretary responsible for budgetary affairs at the Ministry of Finance, László DOMOKOS, President of the National Audit Office, Csaba HENDE, Vice-President of the National Assembly, Constitutional Court judges and László SZÉKELY, the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights.
The delegation also hold exchanges with the Deputy Mayor of Budapest, Gábor BAGDY, the Mayor of the 6th District of Budapest, Zsófia HASSAY, the President of the General Assembly of the County of Nógrád, Nándor SKUCZI, and the mayors of Budaörs, Salgótarján and Rákóczibánya. Meetings were also planned with representatives of several Hungarian associations of local and regionally authorities and with members of the Hungarian delegation to the Congress.
The draft report and draft recommendation should be on the agenda for approval by the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Monitoring Committee) at its next meeting, on 3 July 2019, before being presented for adoption during the 37th session of the Congress in October 2019.
Hungary ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 1994. Countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires compliance with a minimum number of rights, which form the European bedrock of local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities makes sure that these principles are observed.
Monitoring of the European Charter of Local Self-Government
Contact:
Svitlana PERVERTEN, Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Co-Secretary of the Monitoring Committee, Telephone: +33 (0) 3 90 21 64 27
Email: [email protected]
