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 The Congress prepares a new report on local referendums

The Congress prepares a new report on local referendums

National referendums focus a large part of public attention, yet it is at local level that most referendums are held in Council of Europe member states. Meeting on 3 July 2019 in Oslo, Norway, the Congress Monitoring Committee discussed this issue and decided to prepare a new report on “Referendums at the local level".

Increasingly used as tools for democratic participation, referendums are an important means of direct participation for citizens, who can be consulted on issues that have an actual impact on their daily lives, a principle also contained in the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

The terms of reference approved by the Monitoring Committee underline the need to establish guidelines for local and regional authorities to use this tool responsibly. This issue is part of the Priorities of the Congress 2017-2020, which aim at improving citizens' participation in political life at the local and regional level.

The draft report will be submitted for adoption at the 39th Congress Session in autumn 2020.

See also: Web page of the Monitoring Committee meeting

 

Contact:
Stéphanie Poirel
Secretary of the Monitoring Committee

Monitoring Committee Oslo, Norway 3 July 2019
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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

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CONTACT

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