SIGMA Support for Improvement in Governance and Management A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union, principally financed by the EU

Transcription

1 SIGMA Support for Improvement in Governance and Management A joint initiative of the OECD and the European Union, principally financed by the EU DRAFT PROGRAMME ( ) CONFERENCE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM AND TERRITORIAL ORGANISATION: EMPOWERING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ANKARA 28 February 1 March 2006

2 TUESDAY 28TH FEBRUARY 9:00-9:45 Openings Mr. Ömer DİNÇER, Undersecretary of State, Prime Ministry, Turkey (15 ) Mr. Martin DAWSON, on behalf of the Head of the EC Delegation in Turkey (15 ) Mr. Francisco CARDONA, Principal Administrator, Legal Framework, Civil Service & Justice, SIGMA (15 ) 9:45-10:45 Introduction: The Turkish Policy to Empower Local Administrations/Authorities A number of Acts have been passed recently by the Turkish Grand National Assembly aiming at devolving more powers to local governments and provinces. Speaker: Mr. Emin ZARARSIZ, Prime Ministry, Deputy Undersecretary 10:45-11:15 Coffee break 11:15-12:15 Influence of the European Charter of local self-government on the Council of Europe Member States Strengthening the decisional capabilities of local authorities in the political, administrative and financial spheres is one of the major goals of the Charter. Since 1985 and over the recent years the Charter has influenced many institutional reforms in the member States of the CoE. This legal instrument is designed to help develop institutional capacities of democratic local authorities able to manage a substantial share of public affairs and to promote the principle of subsidiarity in managing public affairs. The Charter provides European guarantees with regard to local selfgovernment and considers democratically constituted local authorities as one of the key element of democratic stability Speaker: Mr. Giovanni DI STASI, President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (confirmed) 12:15-14:00 Lunch break 2

3 14:00-15:00 Local self-government in Europe Local self-government is the key principle and objective of the European Charter of Local Selfgovernment, adopted over 20 years ago and meanwhile recognised as a cornerstone for European democracy as a whole. But beyond adhesion to the principle, how is effective democratic local government actually achieved? What are the competences local authorities should have? What resources should be available to them? How can the capacity of local authorities to deliver the desired outcomes be ensured? What are the experiences of Council of Europe member States and what role can and does the Council of Europe play? Speaker: Mr. Philip BLAIR, Director, Directorate of Cooperation for Local and Regional Democracy, Council of Europe (confirmed) (30 presentation, 30 discussion) 15:00-15:30 Coffee break 15:30-16:30 EU Regional Policies and their Impact on Member States The EU has a number of development policies involving regional or other sub-national governments. Which are the main policy instruments for regional economic development within the EU? Are these policies promoting a de facto decentralisation of governance arrangements in EU Member States? How does the principle of subsidiarity influence (or not) this approach? To what extent are EU regional policies strengthening decentralisation tendencies in EU Member States? Speaker: Mrs. Teresa REEVES, European Commission Delegation in Ankara (confirmed) (30 presentation; discussion 30 ) 16:30-17:00 Coffee break 17:00-18:00 European Policy Options for the Distribution of Competences across Levels of Government Any devolution process raises the question of how best to distribute competences across levels of government. Sometimes technical responses to this question are primarily sought. However, the main response is perhaps political and it is basically the result of political negotiations. What recent historical devolution processes teach about challenges of devolution policies in EU Member States? Speaker: Ms. Claire CHARBIT, Administrator, OECD Public Governance and Territorial Development (GOV) (confirmed) 18:00 End of day 1 3

4 WEDNESDAY 1ST MARCH 9:30-10:30 Equal Quality of Public Services across the National Territory Dwellers of big cities have access to more and better public services than those living in small rural municipalities or villages. As taxpayers, do citizens have a right to equal quality of services regardless of the geographical location of their household? How do EU Member States ensure equal quality standards of local public services across their national territories? Which are the most common policies, as well as financial and legal instruments put into operation in EU Member States? What are the most common patterns in funding public services delivered at local level? Which are the main problems to be solved? Speaker: Mr. Salvador PARRADO Díez, UNED, Madrid (confirmed) 10:30-11:00 Coffee Break 11:00-12:00 Transfer and Control of Financial Resources Devolution of responsibilities towards sub-national governments requires transferring commensurate financial envelopes while ensuring an adequate control over the use of these public funds. How is this done in EU Member States? How is accountability of sub-national governments ensured? Speaker: Ms. Gisela FÄRBER, Superior School for Public Administration Speyer, Germany (confirmed) Speaker: 12:00-14:00 Lunch break 14:00-15:00 Transfer of staff from Central to Local level Principles and experiences Decentralisation policies may entail transferring civil servants from the central to sub-national governments. Which legal arrangements are necessary? Which incentives have been used by EU Member States that undertook decentralisation policies in order to gain acceptance by those civil servants who are to be transferred? Which are the main difficulties experienced by those EU Member States? Speaker: Mr. Philip Winchell BØTTERN, International Consultancy Division, Local Government Denmark (confirmed) 4

5 15:00-16:00 Creating Economies of Scale, Promoting Inter municipal cooperation In order to create economies of scale enabling economically sensible provision or production of public services some sort of pooling of local resources may be necessary. What have been the main experiences in promoting inter-municipal co-operation developed by EU Member States? Which kinds of incentives for municipalities to co-operate among themselves can be promoted from the central government? What are the main requirements for an enabling legal environment? Speaker: Mr. Salvador PARRADO Díez, UNED, Madrid (confirmed) 16:00-16:30 Coffee Break 16:30-17:30 Promoting Inter governmental co-operation between National and Local Authorities (the French experience) Which are the most usual arrangements and mechanisms for cooperation between the national central governments and sub-national levels? What are the pros and cons of contractual approaches? What can be the links between decentralisation and deconcentration policies? According to the practical of France experiences, what are the main problems to overcome? Speaker: Mr. Paul BERNARD, Préfet de Région Honoraire, Délégué Général, World City Forum, France (confirmed) 17:30-18:00 Wrap Up and Closing the Conference Mr. Francisco CARDONA, Principal Administrator, Legal Framework, Civil Service & Justice, SIGMA (15 ) Turkey (15 ) (To be confirmed) 5