GOLD Report I - UCLG

EUROPE164United Cities and Local Governmentsfunctions of overall national interest in aframework established by the law. Thedistance that existed formerly betweenEuropean countries, in broad terms betweenNorthern and Southern Europe, isshrinking. This convergence can be foundalso in the spreading of contractual relationshipsbetween government levels. Therole of local government has increasedconsiderably, from the economic point ofview, in the performance of major collectivefunctions, as well as their autonomy init. But own resources tend to decrease,although some countries are excepted, ifunder these terms are meant the resourcesof which local governments are entitledto vary the yield, at least within somelimits. From the institutional point of view,the tendency to stronger political leadershipand the development of participationprocedures can be observed everywhere.In sum, Eastern and Western Europe arebecoming closer.The major ground for these convergenceshas to be found, without any doubt, in thegrowing integration and interdependencebetween the various government levels,