Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe - recent activities and proposals for reform

Doc. 8442

18 June 1999

Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe - recent activities and proposals for reform

Recommendation 1363 (1998)

Reply from the Committee of Ministers

adopted at the 670^th meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies (18 mai 1999)

The Committee of Ministers has studied with great attention Recommendation 1363 (1998) on Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe: recent activities and proposals for reform. Its consideration of the Parliamentary Assembly's recommendation has taken place in connection with the examination of the Wise Persons report which covered similar ground.

It should be recalled that the Committee of Ministers had already familiarised itself with some of these proposals when taking note of CLRAE Resolution 61 (1998) on Statutory Reinforcement and the Revision of the Charter of the Congress adopted at the CLRAE's 5th Session on 26-28 May 1998. These proposals are developed further in the CLRAE draft report on Statutory Reinforcement and the Revision of the Charter of the Congress which have been discussed by the Ministers' Deputies with the representatives of the CLRAE Bureau.

In the opinion of the Committee of Ministers, the CLRAE has played and continues to play an important and indispensable role in the activities of the Organisation. In this context Steering Committees should bear in mind the desirability of using the knowledge and expertise of the Congress when considering issues directly relating to its competence. Joint committee meetings between the CLRAE and the Committee of Ministers will be convened, if the subjects to be discussed are of sufficient importance to justify such a meeting. The election of a Head of secretariat is supported. On the subject of wider discretion in the management of appropriations

within its own budget, similar considerations shall apply to the CLRAE as to the Parliamentary Assembly. In view of the financial implications, the feasibility of holding of a second annual general meeting of the Congress was in doubt, but, if resources were available, a further plenary session might not be the best use of such resources.

The Committee of Ministers could support in principle a proposal for establishing statutory committees, but within the limit of budgetary resources available to the Congress.

As for the draft European Charter of Regional Self-Government, the Committee of Ministers has transmitted it to the Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) for an opinion on the feasibility of an international instrument in this field. The opinion will be adopted by the CDLR at its June 1999 meeting.

The report on Statutory Reinforcement and the Revision of the Charter of the Congress will be considered at the CLRAE plenary session on 17 June 1999. Accordingly, the Committee of Ministers is not yet in a position to give a final reply to the Assembly.