GOLD Report I - UCLG

EUROPE130United Cities and Local GovernmentsFor all the Europeancountries theorganization oflarge urban areas,and capital cities,is a key issue2. We distinguishbetween regionalself-governmentand regionalautonomy: thelatter is a muchstronger form,closer to federalismthan to classicallocal selfgovernment,andaffecting theconstitutionalstructure of thestate.potential impact of regionalization at themunicipal level.The organization of large urban areas, includingtheir capital cities, is a key issue forall the European countries. Nor is this aparticularly new issue. It has, however, comeback under the spotlight in the past 10years. The problem remains one of how tostructure and connect the different levelsof urban organization while allowing forfunctional needs as well as the demands ofdemocracy. Responses have varied, suchas between adapting common law andapplying specific regulations, between integrationwithin a metropolitan authorityand focusing on the city as a centre.The second major identifiable trend concernsthe management of local authorities,and their powers and responsibilities.Summarized, the powers and responsibilitiesdevolved to local authorities are increasing,though states are tending tostrengthen their control over local finance.Combined with this general trend are avariety of issues specific to each state. Thepowers and responsibilities of local authoritieshave suffered from the establishmentof regional autonomies 2 , although someremedies have been put forward (e.g. the2001 constitutional amendments in Italyand their implementation) or are beingdebated (e.g. the “local autonomy pacts”in Spain).The powers and responsibilitiesof local authorities have suffered from theestablishment of regional forms of selfgovernment.Some measures to remedythis, such as the 2001 constitutional reviewin Italy, have already been taken;others are being debated, including Spain’s“local self-government pacts.”With regard to powers and responsibilitiesin a strictly technical sense, local authoritieshave been affected by sector-specificdevelopments as well as more generalones. Under the latter category, it shouldbe noted how the general competenceclause on their powers and responsibilitieshas found widespread application despitesome resistance. The Charter’s legal situationremains uncertain in Italy, Portugal,Spain and the United Kingdom, and thereis an increasing tendency among localauthorities to turn to the private sector todeliver public services; privatization hasbeen less significant in countries with along record of such outsourcing, includingBelgium, France, Greece, Italy and Spain.Some countries have developed a systemof delegated powers and responsibilities, inparticular Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany,Hungary, Italy and Slovenia. Thispractice allows local councils to executeadministrative tasks under state responsibility.Among the sector-specific developments,it is evident that local authoritiesare becoming increasingly involved in educationas well as in public safety, thoughhere central control is being reinforced incountries where the local councils andmayors already exercised broad powers.Progress in public-sector management isevident throughout the European region,even in the newly democratized anddecentralized countries that have benefitedfrom various programs developed by internationalorganizations, and through bilateralcooperation projects. The precepts ofthe “new public management” have beendifferently received among European countries,depending on individual public servicetraditions, but the increase inresponsibilities and the accompanyingrationing of resources intensified pressureon local authorities to find ways to rationalizetheir management in order to givethemselves maneuvering room. “Performanceculture” has advanced and spread,as has its peculiar lexicon: defining objectives,indicators for evaluating results andbenchmarking tools.Another major development affecting Europeanlocal authorities concerns the dynamicsof institutions and local democracy. Alongwith the steady progress made by localdemocracy, local government is further differentiating,regarding the relationship betweenan assembly and the executive body,