The Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by member States of the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Monitoring Committee) is responsible for monitoring the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government and its additional Protocol on the right to participate in the affairs of local authorities by Council of Europe Member States that have ratified these legal instruments. It organises monitoring visits and drafts reports and recommendations on the state of local and regional democracy in the Member States concerned and also examines specific issues related to local and regional democracy. Through post-monitoring political dialogue, it ensures that its recommendations to Member States are followed up.

The Monitoring Committee undertakes in particular:

  • a general regular country-by-country monitoring mission to each Member State approximately every five years;
  • the examination of a particular aspect of the Charter, by decision of the Bureau or the Commission;
  • fact-finding missions to examine, by decision of the Bureau, specific cases of concern.

In its work, the Committee takes into account:

  • the conclusions and recommendations of the Congress concerning election observation missions;
  • the human rights situation at local and regional level in Europe and, in accordance with Resolution 296 (2010), prepares a regular report on this specific issue.

The Committee contributes to the post-monitoring dialogue and develops, as appropriate, targeted assistance programmes on issues of common interest identified during the monitoring visits, in order to provide concrete assistance to local and regional authorities and to ensure the effective follow-up of its recommendations.

News

Back Albania: substantial progress made, but responsibilities between central and local levels need to be clearly divided

Albania: substantial progress made, but responsibilities between central and local levels need to be clearly divided

Albania has achieved substantial decentralisation progress, but more efforts, particularly in clarifying responsibilities between central and local authorities, need to be made, concludes a report approved by the Council of Europe’s Congress of Local and Regional Authorities today.

The report and recommendation presented by the co-rapporteurs Xavier Cadoret (France, SOC/G/PD) and Carla Dejonghe (Belgium, ILDG) welcomed the successful implementation of the 2015-2020 comprehensive decentralisation and local governance strategy and the ensuing reforms of the legislation on local self-government.

Carla Dejonghe noted that there is considerable room for improvement, in particular in further clarifying the allocation of functions between central and local levels since the powers delegated to the local authorities are exercised under the close supervision of various ministries, limiting local authorities’ room for initiative. They also regretted that the regional tier of government has not benefited fully from territorial reforms of recent years.

Xavier Cadoret underlined that municipalities have insufficient financial resources to meet their needs and human resources continue to pose problems, particularly in rural areas

In its recommendation, the Congress invites the government to continue the decentralisation process and to further harmonise the legislation on the division of responsibilities between central and local authorities. The national authorities are recommended to revise the local government salary structure to allow more flexibility for recruiting and retaining qualified staff.

Albania is also urged to ratify the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority

Albanian Deputy Minister of Interior Romina Kuko addressed the Congress plenary after the vote and replied to the questions from the floor.
 

Press contact: Dušan Vojnović, Press Officer, Directorate of Communications, Council of Europe, tel. +33 6 61 03 83 00

 Videos: Debate | Speech Romina Kuko

*** 41st Session of the Congress***
Agenda - Documents : ENG | FRA | DEU | ITA | RUS
File 41st Session : live webcast, photos, videos and useful links

41st Session Strasbourg, France 28 October 2021
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Chair

Thibaut GUIGNARD
France, EPP/CCE
Chair of the Monitoring Committee, Mayor (Ploeuc-l’Hermitage)

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CARTA-MONITOR

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Stéphanie Poirel
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Tel. + 33 3 90 21 51 84