WIREDGOV

Local Government Minister Rosie Winterton  has signed an historic democratic agreement recognising the rights of citizens across Europe to have their views heard by their local leaders.
 
The new protocol to the Charter of Local Self-Government was agreed by Ministers from across Europe at a Conference in Utrecht yesterday. It sets out that citizens in States across the Continent should be engaged at every stage in local affairs from voting in their elected representatives to being consulted on local policy that matters to them.
 
It builds on the commitment of the UK and other States to strengthening local democracy and creating strong effective councils that can represent their communities' needs.
 
Key measures highlighted in the agreement include:
 
Involving local people in consultations, local referendums and petitions;

• Ensuring complaints and suggestions about services are dealt with and responded to;
• Making special efforts to get people who face particular obstacles to participating in democratic procedures involved;
• Giving people access to official local authority documents;
• Encouraging the use of new technology to help people participate such as on-line/telephone voting registration.

Rosie Winterton said:

"Finding solutions to the challenges we face today requires action on a global, national and local scale, and it's local councils that can and do drive change on the ground.
 
"Strong and effective local councils need to be listening to local people and ensuring they are involved in shaping the places in which they live and the public services they use. 
 
"That's why I'm delighted to be signing this historic agreement that enshrines the rights of local citizens to be involved in local government at every stage, building on our own commitments to local democracy in the UK.
 
"Councils have a direct mandate from local people and this agreement sets out how they can fight the corner of the people who elect them."

Cllr Keith Whitmore, Head of the UK delegation to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe added:

"I am delighted that the minister has signed this document. We have been working in partnership to ensure that there is a real commitment to involve local people in decision making, which this Protocol does."

The signing took place during the two-day Council of Europe conference in Utrecht for Ministers responsible for local and regional government.
 
The new protocol on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority will be added to the European Charter of Local Self-Government signed by the UK Government in 1997 and ratified in 1998.
 
Ministers also discussed the economic challenges and how better local and regional authorities could help bring about recovery.

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