European Charter Of Local Self Government And Explanatory Reports

On cover: Convention opened for signature on 15 October 1985

The spectacular advance of local and regional democracy was the main innovation of the 20th century democracy. The recognition of local democracy by the Council of Europe member states led To The elaboration of the European Charter of Local Self-Government - the first international binding treaty that guarantees the rights of communities and their elected authorities. This text, which affirms the role of communities as the first level For The exercise of democracy, has become the benchmark international treaty in this area. The European Charter of Local Self-Government was drawn up within the Council of Europe on the basis of a draft proposed by the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), predecessor of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. it was opened for signature as a convention by the Council of Europe member states on 15 October 1985, and entered into force on 1 September 1988. As at 1 January 2010, The Charter has been ratified by 44 out of the 44 Council of Europe member states. The counties which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires compliance with a minimum number of principles that form a European foundation of local democracy. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities makes sure that these principles are observed.

This is the first critical study of the 1985 treaty that guarantees the status of local self-government. Chris Himsworth analyses the text of the 1985 European Charter of Local Self-Government, traces its historical emergence and explains how it has been applied and interpreted throughout Europe, including the 2014 'Local and regional democracy in the United Kingdom' report published by the Council of Europe in March 2014. Locating the Charter's own history within the broader recent history of the Council of Europe and the European Union, the book closes with an assessment of the Charter's future prospects.

The spectacular advance of local and regional democracy was the main innovation of the 20th century democracy. The recognition of local democracy by the Council of Europe member states led to the elaboration of the European Charter of Local Self-Government - the first international binding treaty that guarantees the rights of communities and their elected authorities. This text, which affirms the role of communities as the first level for the exercise of democracy, has become the benchmark international treaty in this area. The European Charter of Local Self-Government was drawn up within the Council of Europe on the basis of a draft proposed by the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), predecessor of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. It was opened for signature as a convention by the Council of Europe member states on 15 October 1985, and entered into force on 1 September 1988. As at 1 January 2010, the Charter has been ratified by 44 out of the 47 Council of Europe member states. The countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires compliance with a minimum number of principles that form a European foundation of local democracy. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities makes sure that these principles are observed.On 16 November 2009, an Additional Protocol was adopted to supplement the text of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. It relates to the right to participate in local authorities' affairs.

The spectacular advance of local and regional democracy was the main innovation of the 20th century democracy. The recognition of local democracy by the Council of Europe member states led to the elaboration of the European Charter of Local Self-Government - the first international binding treaty that guarantees the rights of communities and their elected authorities. This text, which affirms the role of communities as the first level for the exercise of democracy, has become the benchmark international treaty in this area.The European Charter of Local Self-Government was drawn up within the Council of Europe on the basis of a draft proposed by the Standing Conference of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), predecessor of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities. It was opened for signature as a convention by the Council of Europe member states on 15 October 1985, and entered into force on 1 September 1988. As at 1 January 2010, the Charter has been ratified by 44 out of the 47 Council of Europe member states.The countries which have ratified the Charter are bound by its provisions. The Charter requires compliance with a minimum number of principles that form a European foundation of local democracy. The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities makes sure that these principles are observed.On 16 November 2009, an Additional Protocol was adopted to supplement the text of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. It relates to the right to participate in local authorities' affairs.

In Constitutional Principles of Local Self-Government in Europe Giovanni Boggero offers a meticulous account of the defining features of European constitutional local government law using both an international and comparative law perspective. The book argues that differences between local government systems in Europe, typical examples of internal affairs of a State, can be smoothed away by construing a consistent system of constitutional principles to be coherently applied at domestic level across the whole European legal space. This system can be best grasped by looking at the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which embodies a concept of self-government rooted in common legal traditions, and at its subsequent practice within the Council of Europe.

On cover: Convention opened for signature on 15 October 1985

Chris Himsworth analyses the text of the 1985 European Charter of Local Self-Government, traces its historical emergence and explains how it has been applied and interpreted throughout Europe, including the 2014 'Local and regional democracy in the United Kingdom' report published by the Council of Europe in March 2014.