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 Congress assesses the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Belgium

Congress assesses the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Belgium

A delegation of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, composed of the rapporteurs Matthias Gysin (Switzerland, ILDG) and Magnus Berntsson (Sweden, EPP/CCE) carried out a monitoring visit to Brussels, Eupen, Genk and Liège from 10 to 12 May 2022 to assess the implementation of the European Charter of Local Self-Government since the previous monitoring report adopted by the Congress in 2014.

The rapporteurs held exchanges of views on the latest developments in the field of local and regional self-government in Belgium with Rudi Vervoort, Minister-President of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region, Bart Somers, Vice-Minister-President of the Government of Flanders, as well as with Christophe Collignon, Walloon Minister for Housing, Local Authorities and the City and Oliver Paasch, Minister-President of the German-speaking Community, Minister for Local Authorities and Finance.

Meetings were also planned with Rachid Madrane, President of the Brussels Parliament, Jean-Claude Marcourt, President of the Walloon Parliament and Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President of the Parliament of the German-speaking Community.

The Congress delegation further met Claudia Niessen, Mayor of Eupen, Willy Demeyer, Mayor of Liège and Wim Dries, Mayor of Genk.

Belgium ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 2004. Countries that have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires the implementation of a minimum set of rights which form the essential basis of local self-government in Europe. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe ensures that these principles are respected in the 46 Council of Europe member states.

Contact:
Stéphanie POIREL, Secretary of the Monitoring Committee
Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe
+33 (0) 3 90 21 51 84
[email protected]

 Photos gallery

Monitoring Committee Belgium 6 May 2022
  • Diminuer la taille du texte
  • Augmenter la taille du texte
  • Imprimer la page
Chair

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

Composition

The number of seats in committees and their apportionment by country is agreed and updated by the Bureau of the Congress.

Composition of the Monitoring Committee

CARTA-MONITOR

CARTA-MONITOR
Database of the Monitoring reports by country

 CARTA-MONITOR

 Leaflet

List of the reports
Members' Area

Information on the obligations of Congress members, as well as practical details (travel, refunds, interpretation and translations) are available on the "Members' Area" page.

 Members' area

Meeting registration

You are a member of the Congress

To register for the Committee meetings, you will need to connect to your personal Congress Connect account and fill in the online forms.
Your username is by default the e-mail address that you provided to the Table Office when registering as a Congress member.
If you encounter difficulties, contact the Table Office of the Congress
Access to Congress Connect

You are not a member of the Congress

Access to the registration form "Other participants"

CONTACT

Stéphanie Poirel
Committee Secretary
Tel. + 33 3 90 21 51 84