Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local Government (Lugano, 5-7 October 1982) and on the Protection of Local Autonomy in Europe

Recommendation 960 (1983)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 25 January 1983 (22nd Sitting) (see Doc. 5012, report of the Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities). Text adopted by the Assembly on 25 January 1983 (22nd Sitting).

Thesaurus

The Assembly,

1. Having taken note of the report by its Committee on Regional Planning and Local Authorities on the conclusions of the 5th Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local Authorities, held in Lugano from 5 to 7 October 1982 (Doc. 5012) ;

2. Welcoming the insistence of the Ministerial Conference on inviting the Assembly and the Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe to send representatives to the working meetings, and on instituting a dialogue with them by means of the Colloquy on Local Self-Government in Europe ;

3. Recalling its many initiatives and actions since 1953 designed to safeguard and develop local self-government within the member countries, and to protect the principle of local self-government at European level ;

4. Solemnly reaffirming that local autonomy represents the most ancient and solid basis of the political structure and fundamental freedoms of European civilisation ;

5. Convinced that European society is evolving towards a clearer understanding of the essential role of the basic units of society and increasingly active participation by these units in the management of national and international affairs ;

6. Considering, therefore, that it is the duty of our governments to guarantee local self-government and to provide local authorities with the resources necessary to its performance ;

7. Considering, further, that a series of fundamental principles of local self-government in Europe must now be defined,

8. Recommends that the Committee of Ministers :

a approve the European Charter of Local Self-Government as adopted by the Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe at its session in October 1981 (Resolution 126 of the CLRAE) and take account also of Assembly Recommendation 615 of 1970 ;

b ensure that the Charter is binding on the member governments and thus has the force of a European convention ;

c invite the next Conference of European Ministers responsible for Local Government to begin examination of the Charter with the firm will to arrive at a European convention on local self-government ;

d request the Assembly's opinion before such a text is finally adopted.