Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR)
European section of United Cities and Local Governments


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Governance and citizenship

Funding - 21.10.2006

CEMR calls for proper funding of local and regional government
The first vice president of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) and mayor of The Hague, Wim Deetman, emphasised the need for adequate funding to enable local and regional governments fulfil their mission in their country and at the European level, at the thematic structured dialogue in Brussels on 20 October 2006.
 
The European charter of local self-government, ratified by every EU member state, lays down principles to be respected, said Wim Deetman; including the right for local governments to have adequate resources of their own of which they may dispose freely, the right to have financial resources in line with their legal responsibilities, and that part of those resources must come from local tax for which they can determinate the rate.

Wim Deetman also highlighted what is referred to as 'unfunded mandate", i.e. where new tasks or competences are devolved by central governments without proper financial transfers, which puts great pressure on local and regional authorities.
 
The same point can be made about some European legislation - the costs are often not sufficiently taken into account - and especially the fact that these costs will very often fall, in due course, on local governments, he concluded. That is why we support the European Constitution's emphasis on better consultation with local and regional government, especially via the proposed new protocol on subsidiarity. And that is why we say that, in any new treaty or mini-constitution, the specific points relating to local and regional government must be included.
 
Other speakers at the meeting included the EU Commissioner for economic and financial affairs, Joachin Almunia, and the first vice president of the Committee of the Regions, Luc Van Den Brande.
 
The structured dialogue is a dialogue between the European Commission, the national associations of local and regional government, and the Committee of the Regions. It aims to draw on the political sensitivity of Europe's local and regional elected politicians. The dialogue ensures that their views are heard 'at the highest level", before specific measures are put forward.
 
 
 
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