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 discussed the Report on local elections in the Netherlands

Congress discussed the Report on local elections in the Netherlands

For the second time after the vote observed in 2014, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe was invited to assess the elections held in 335 Dutch municipalities on 21 March 2018. The according Information Report was examined by the Congress’ Local Chamber in the frame of the 35th Congress Session in Strasbourg.

Rapporteur Stewart DICKSON, United Kingdom (ILDG), underlined the open and transparent nature of the electoral process in the Netherlands. “Polling day was well organised with the involvement of experienced staff,” he said. He also stated that in the Netherlands, the right to vote in local elections is based on voters’ permanent residence, which is “conducive to citizen participation and in line with the Congress Recommendation on voters residing de facto abroad”.

In addition, there was a high level of public trust in elections and the inclusiveness of the whole process which impressed the observers from the Congress.

However, the delegation identified also some areas for improvements. The report underlines, inter alia, the absence of regulations designed to limit campaign expenditure and the lack of transparency and balance in terms of subsidies for contestants at the local level. Furthermore, to ensure a level playing field for candidates, the delegation recommends the Dutch authorities to introduce thresholds for the spending of local parties, adopt financial transparency rules and ensure that all candidates have equal access to the media. There was also the practice of proxy voting which deserve revision.

Furthermore, the Rapporteur urged the Government to commit itself to revising the procedure for appointing Mayors and King’s Commissioners. “Mayors in the Netherlands are not elected, neither directly nor indirectly, but chosen on the basis of a selection mechanism in which the Municipal Councils have an important say. Therefore, we support those voices in the country which have been calling for the introduction of democratic elections as an appropriate criterion for selecting Mayors within the framework of a modern, citizen-oriented approach,” DICKSON concluded.

 

** 35th Session of the Congress **

35th Session Strasbourg, France 9 November 2018
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Chair

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

Composition

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Composition of the Monitoring Committee

CARTA-MONITOR

CARTA-MONITOR
Database of the Monitoring reports by country

 CARTA-MONITOR

 Leaflet

List of the reports
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CONTACT

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