Book Description

This publication brings together the texts adopted by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe. The Congress, a consultative body of the Council of Europe, is made up of two chambers: one representing local authorities, the other the regions. Its aim is to reinforce democratic structures at local and regional level, and in particular to help the newly-emerging democracies in central and eastern Europe. The Congress meets once a year in Strasbourg, and is open to delegations from other European organisations which have consultative status with the Council, as well as to special guests or observers from some countries which are not members of the Organisation. The Congress adopts three different types of texts: recommendations, opinions and resolutions. Recommendations are proposals to the Committee of Ministers, and their application is left up to each member government. Sometimes they are also addressed to other international organisations. Opinions usually refer to questions to the Congress from the Committee of Ministers or the Parliamentary Assembly. The Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly consult the Congress on questions which are likely to affect the competence and the basic interests of the local and regional authorities which the Congress represents. Resolutions reflect the décisions that the Congress is authorised to take, or make recommendations to local and/or regional authorities and their associations.