CLRAE President Frecon to EuroFora on Ukraine's Regional DeCentralisation and UK Devolution process

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Replying to an "EuroFora" Question on the possible use of UK's Devolution process as one among several eventual Examples for a Solution to the Crucial for Peace problem of Regional DeCentralisation in Ukraine Today, the experienced President of PanEuroepan CoE's watchdog on Local and Regional Democracy and Self-Government, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLAE), Jean-Claude Frecon, from the Governing Socialist Party in France, did not exclude at all that the UK "might Inspire" Ukraine, while also carefuly noting, however, the fact that "the situations are Different", so that concrete Solutions could not be purely and simply Copied and pasted, from one Country to another, but needed to be thoroughly and seriously examined in order to find the most Adequate formulas.

CLRAE's President was topicaly speaking at a Crucial moment for the Fate of the latest Minsk Agreements on a sustainable Cease-Fire and Peace in Ukraine, where, after the recent withdrawal of Heavy Weapons, it's mainly the issue of Dialogue between all sides on Key Reforms for a DeCentralisation of Power, which remains to be done, added to Local Elections and concluding by a concerted re-establishment of Kiev's control of the Ukranian Borders at Neighbouring Russia.

That's why Frecon spoke with "EuroFora" on that matter right at "the Beginning of CLRAE's Spring 2015 Session this week in Strasbourg, just after a landmark Debate on UK's "prospects for Devolution", with Senior Government, Parliamentary and Regional Brittish Officials, including from Scotland, (on the Future of which, CoE has scheduled another Debate for Tomorrow Noon, Wednesday, March 25), but also at the Eve of an Important CLRAE Debate and Vote of a Resolution on the "Regional Dimension of DeCentralisation in Ukraine", Tomorrow early Morning, for which various "Hot" Amendments were expected.

As a matter of general Principle, the still unfolding  UK's Devolution process is certainly something Welcome, from the point of view of COE's Local and Regional Democracy Principles, provoding for the Wider possible Local:Regional Autonomy; while fully Respecting the Territorial Integrity of the whole Country inside which such developments take place, and should normaly Inspire also several other European Countries, including, I Hope, even mine, added earlier the Senior French politician, (by a coincidence speaking also at an Anniversary year for the World-famous Brittish "Magna Carta" Historic precursor Legal document on Human Rights, notoriously adopted 8 Centuries ago, on June 1215)...

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⦁    Meanwhile, Liord Ahmad of Wimpledon, under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, spoke this Afternoon at the CLRAE Plenary Debate about the Brittish Government's current Plans to enhance DeCentralisation also inside England itself, particularly around  Big Citires such as Manchester, etc., focusing mainly on the Financial aspects.

⦁    In addition, Lord Wallace of Tankerness, PV QC, Advocate General for Scotland, described particulalry the further Devolution process for the Scottish Region, which had been promissed by the Brittish Government just after the recent Referendum.

⦁    Moreover, other Topical prospects for Devolution to Wales, Northern Ireland and England were presented by the Chairman of the Local Government Association in these areas, and elected Councilor, David Sparks, before a Wider CLRAE  Plenary Debate on all relevant Developments inside the UK.  

⦁    All three also insisted on a "Transparent and Accountable" Local/Regional Democracy to be guaranteed in the concerned areas.

⦁    Last, but not least, Scottish Parliament's European and External Relations Committee's Convenor, Christina McKelvie, from Scotland's National Party, who had fought for the acceptance of the recent popular Referendum of Independence, made a Critical appraisal of the relevant History, focusing mainly on the Promisses for a more substantial Devolution, made by London's Government "at a last minute attempt" to dissuade People to vote for Independence, (which lacked only 5% of Votes in order to be adopted by a Majority of more than 50%) : - I feel that we are now at "a Grey" period, when the Future isn't yet clear enough, she denounced, Warning London that, if things don't evolve in a satisfactory way, then, Scottish People will anew relaunch the struggle for Independence, again and again, until we get full Subsidiarity working, with the Local/Regional level having, in Principle, got practically all needed Competences in order to manage its own affairs, except from the Defense and Foreign Policy instruments, as she ambitiously said in conclusion.

⦁    This last point, Topicaly reminds French Senate's President, Larcher's recent suggestion for a Solution at the Eastern Ukraine conflict, who had proposed, (on the occasion of an official Visit to Germany's Bundesrat and Bundestag's Leaders, following a previous one in Russia's Council of Federation and Duma, before completing also with Kiev's Rada soon), to be inspired from a similar example as that of the French OverSeas territories, known as  "DOM-TOM", where "the Regalian competences remain at the hands of the Central Government, while, on the contrary, People's everyday life issues (including Economy, Social, Culture, Education , Science and Technology, Health, Environment, etc), would be Transfered to Local:Regional bodies., as he said, (See relevant "EuroFora"s Newsreport : http://www.eurofora.net/brief/brief/senatepresidentlarchermovesforukrainepeace.html ).

⦁    + COE's Secretary General, Thornbjorn Jagland, during his recent Visit to Kiev, where he met both with Foreign Minister Klimlin and the Ukranian President Poroshenko, etc, reportedly suggested that Ukraine's DeCentralisation of Power inspires itself from various interesting Examples in Europe, as such of differend Regions, with various Degrees of Autonomy, f.ex. in Switzerland,   Italy, Belgium, the UK, Spain, and even at his own Country : Norway, etc.

⦁    Norway, indeed, is included among 3 COE Member Countries, together with Poland and Greece, whose Local and Regional Democracy will be checked this week in Strasbourg by three relevant Debates and Votes during this CLRAE Session. On Poland, CLRAE's Draft Report mainly asks for more Financial Autonomy at the Local level, while, in Norway, it's much more the Freedom of Regions to Decide how they want to manage their own affairs, which needs to be Guaranteed, according to CoE's relevant texts.

⦁    Concerning specifically Ukraine, Tomorrow Morning's Debate is scheduled to take place with the Participation of vice-Minister for Regional development, Vyacheslav Nehoda, (as also the Following Debates on Poland and Norway, next Thursday, march 26, are due to include the competent State Secretaries Stanislav Huskowski and  Jardar Jensen, respectively, while Greece's new Minister of Interior, Nikolas Voutsis, already anounced here Today "a new Institutional and Economic Framework for Local Government"), as well as Local Representatives from Kharkiv, Odessa, etc, but not yet from the Donetsk/Luhansk Autonomist Regions, despite Minsk Agreements' call for an inclusive Dialogue, particularly on DeCentralisation Reforms and Local Elections, etc, as well as concertation and/or agreements through the Minsk Group of Contact, etc.

⦁    CLRAE had already Criticized the previous situation of Local/Regional Democracy in Ukraine at the Past, as it results, f.ex., by an official Recomendation adopted on 2013, (i.e. BEFORE the recent Clashes of 2014-2015), which had Denounced f.ex. the fact that, regretably, "Legislation limits the Local Authorities' Ability to take Decisions and Manage their own Affairs", and that "several Towns and Cities ... remained without an Elected Mayor, for Long Periods, owing to a Gap in the Electoral Law, which Undermines ... Local Self-Government", as well as "the Limits put on Local Governments' Financial Autonomy", and the possible "Interferences from the Central level in the Person of the Head of Administration of Local Authorities, added to attempts to "ReCentralise Competences", (etc).

⦁    => That's why, a CLRAE's Recommendation to COE's Committee of Ministers, had asked, since 2013, f.ex. to "Grant Local Authorities Competence for a Substantial Share of Public Affairs", "organise Elections for Mayors in Cities where this post has been Vacant for a Long Time", to "ReinForce the Financial Autonomy of Local Authorities", and "Transfer to Elected Representives" the "Competences of Districts' and Regions' Administrations', in order "to Establish an Administration under their Responsibility", as well as to "ReVitalise peri-Urban and Rural Areas" against "Demographic, Economic and Social Decline", and "involve Local Authorities" in such Strategies, (etc), "if necessary, by a Revision of the Constitution".

  

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("DraftNews", as already send to "EuroFora"s Susbrcibers/Donors, earlier. A more accurate, full Final Version might be published asap).

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