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17 February 1993
Doc. 6772
1403-15/2/93-1-E
REPORT
giving an opinion on Resolution 240 (1992)1
on the development of the activities of the European network
of training centres for local and regional authority staff
adopted by the Standing Conference of Local and Regional
Authorities of Europe
(at its Standing Committee on 14 September 1992)
(Rapporteur: Mr PARISI,
Italy, Christian Democrat)
At its last meeting on 2 February 1993, the committee examined Resolution 240 (1992) on the development of the activities of the European network of training centres for local and regional authority staff (see Doc. 6715) which the Standing Committee, on behalf of the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, adopted at its meeting of 14 September 1992 and formulated the following opinion.
Draft opinion
1. As early as 1986, the Assembly had welcomed the Conference's interest in the status and, in particular, the training of territorial administrators and had adopted the proposals made by the Conference in its resolutions on the European Conference on the Problems of Local and Regional Government Staff (166 (1985)) and on a declaration of principles concerning the staff of local and regional authorities (167 (1985)).
2. The Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities has on several occasions stressed the importance of ensuring adequate training for territorial administrators so that they may perform their duties fully and in the most effective manner possible.
3. At present, the committee is working on two problems in which local and regional authorities and their staff have a fundamental role to play, namely management of water resources and waste management. Attention has been given on various occasions to the importance - given the existence of increasingly sophisticated technologies - of the application of the principle of subsidiarity and the need to ensure the effective implementation of the various texts adopted at national, European and international level, with the result that special attention needs to be paid to the problems of training. In the committee's opinion, this must be targeted at both elected representatives and territorial administrators.
4. Against this background, the committee welcomed the creation of the European network and believes that it should be developed to become a veritable instrument for local authorities so that they may perform their role to the full.
5. The committee is following with considerable interest the development of the network and has expressed its hope that it will participate fully in the Colloquy on training local government members and administrators for decision-making on water issues (Limoges, 3-5 March 1993). This colloquy, organised by the Parliamentary Assembly in co-operation with the International Water Agency and the "Centre national français de la fonction publique territoriale", is one of the events in the "Freshwater Europe" action programme on the management of water resources.
6. The Parliamentary Assembly fully agrees with the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe that the Council of Europe is at the present time the most appropriate institutional framework for pan-European co-operation in the construction of genuine local democracy and fully supports the requests made by the Conference to the Committee of Ministers in Resolution 240 (1992).
7. Lastly, the Assembly welcomes the holding in Santiago de Compostella (26-27 April 1993) of the 5th European Seminar of Training Centres for Local and Regional Authorities' Staff whose activities will be followed with the greatest of interest by its Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities.
Reporting committee: Committee on the Environment, Regional Planning and Local Authorities.
Budgetary implications for the Assembly: none.
Reference to committee: Doc. 6715 and Reference No. 1831 of 4 November 1992.
Draft opinion: Unanimously adopted by the committee on 2 February 1993.
Members of the committee: MM. Parisi (Chairman), Ruffy, Lord Newall (Vice-Chairmen), MM. Adamowicz, Alemyr, Gudmundur Bjarnason, Mrs Blunck, MM. Bondevik, Büchel, Demiralp, Dimmer, Mrs Dromberg, MM. Eversdijk, Feldmann, Ferrarini, Gaits (Alternate: Valleix), Gonzalez-Laxe, Mrs Graenitz, MM. Granstedt, Hadjidemetriou, Hardy, Homs I Ferret (Alternate: Bolinaga), Jung, Konstantopulos, Lanner, Lotz, Meszaros, Monfils, Pinto, Pistre, Redmond, Reis Leite (Alternate: Curto), Mrs Robert, MM. Rubner, Sarens, Semerdjiev, Mrs Severinsen, MM. Slomka, Talay, Toshev, Tummers, Vassiliades, Vella, Zierer.
N.B. The names of those members who took part in the vote are printed in italics.
Secretaries to the committee: Mrs Cagnolati-Staveris and Mr Sich.