The 5th Statutory Forum of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe will meet remotely on 7 December 2020 (9h30 - 12h00 CET). Members of the Statutory Forum will examine for adoption a report on the development of interaction between urban and rural areas, as well as a report on fighting sexist violence against women in politics at local and regional level. In addition, a fact-finding report on territorial reform in Latvia will be submitted for adoption by tacit procedure.

Also on the agenda is a debate on a new "Contemporary commentary on the explanatory report to the European Charter of Local Self-Government" which takes into account the recommendations and resolutions adopted by the Committee of Ministers, the Congress, the Parliamentary Assembly and the opinions of the Venice Commission.

Furthermore, the second volume of the series Human Rights Handbook for local and regional elected representatives, devoted to social rights, will be presented by Harald Bergmann (Netherlands, ILDG), Congress Spokesman on Human Rights. It completes the collection launched by the Congress in 2019 with a first volume devoted to the fight against discrimination.

On the same day an interactive event “Covid-19: local and regional authorities at the front line” will bring together in the afternoon (14h30-17h00 CET) Council of Europe leaders, national government representatives and other personalities to discuss with Congress members the best ways to ensure effective responses to the health crisis. The results of the discussions will contribute to the transversal report on “Ensuring the respect of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in major crisis situations” to be presented at the March 2021 Congress session.

The Statutory Forum acts on behalf of the Congress between sessions and is convened upon decision by the Bureau of the Congress. It comprises the Presidents of all national delegations and the members of the Bureau. The outgoing president, the chairs of committees and the presidents of political groups participate without voting rights.

• The event is open to the public.
• Agenda
• Access link to the virtual room
• Web file of the meeting
• Interpretation will be provided in English, French, German, Italian, Russian and Turkish.

In a Recommendation adopted on 7 December 2020, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe expressed its concern about the deterioration of local democracy in Latvia since its last report in 2018, in particular the lack of consultation in the framework of the territorial administrative reform.

"The report adopted today follows a complaint addressed to the Congress by the Latvian Association of Local and Regional Authorities regarding the modalities of a wide territorial reform that was adopted last June, despite our calls to postpone the enactment of the law in order to allow for adequate consultation with Latvian local authorities and their association," regretted, in a statement, the co-rapporteurs Xavier Cadoret (France, SOC/V/DP) and Marc Cools (Belgium, ILDG). "This is a missed opportunity for Latvia to adopt a territorial reform in full compliance with the European Charter of Local Self-Government which it has ratified, especially as it leads to a massive reduction in the number of local authorities and their financial autonomy," they stated.

In the adopted recommendation, the Congress rightly calls on the Latvian authorities to strengthen the responsibility of local authorities in financial management by adopting legislative and regulatory measures and to ensure that the transfer of responsibilities to the local level is accompanied by corresponding financial resources. In addition, the Latvian authorities are invited to revise the legal framework governing the suspension of the president of a municipality or city council and the dissolution of the council in order to reduce the discretionary power of the Minister (as is the case in Riga) to activate these mechanisms by providing a more precise legal framework for the cases and conditions under which such measures may be used.

The report was prepared following a fact-finding mission in December 2019. The previous monitoring report on Latvia was adopted in 2018.

Latvia ratified the European Charter of Local Self-Government in 1996. Countries that have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter imposes respect for a minimum set of rights which constitute the first European basis for local self-government. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe ensures compliance with these principles through regular monitoring on a country-by-country basis.

*** Statutory Forum of the Congress – 7 December 2020 ***
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