Toespraak Olli Rehn over de voortgang van hervormingen in Macedonië (en)

SPEECH/08/160

Olli Rehn

EU Commissioner for Enlargement

Inauguration of the ZELS House of Municipalities

During Commissioner Rehn visit in Skopje

Skopje 7 March 2008

Prime Minister, Minister, Mayors, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to participate in the today's ceremony for the inauguration of the ZELS House of Municipalities.

As we have recently started a crucial year for the Western Balkans and for your country I believe it is important that you are all fully involved in the EU accession process. Representatives of local government have a very important role to play in this journey towards the EU.

Decentralisation of powers and competencies to local government has been a central element of the reforms undertaken in your country since 2001. At the same time it has been an important part of your journey towards the European Union.

Let me recall that in 2005 the European Commission recommended that you should be granted candidate status. This breakthrough was achieved to a large extent thanks to your achievements in establishing a sound basis for democracy, notably through the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. At the heart of the Ohrid Agreement lie provisions for decentralisation.

In the European Union local government is at the heart of our systems of government. Our experience has shown that if relevant decisions are taken closer to the people then they will be more effective. Also, in order to promote a cohesive European Union, local government, together with regional authorities, constitute a key partner in promoting sustainable development. Thus our Structural Funds, which target the less developed regions of the Union, make up about one third of the total budget of the European Community.

In these two ways, building your democracy and aligning with European best practice, the more progress you make in decentralisation the closer you move towards the European Union.

The Commission Opinion outlined some of the future challenges for the municipalities. In particular it highlighted the need to establish transparent and accountable administrations which have the capacity to take up their new competences. Systems of financial control and auditing needed to be established. A professional local administration needed to be fostered.

You have made some good progress since then. Fiscal decentralisation has made progress and local finances improved. All this progress was possible notably thanks to a spirit of cooperation between the central authorities and municipalities.

However further steps are needed to take forward the process of decentralisation so as to ensure that the benefits in terms of better governance can actually be felt on the ground by local communities. That is why the new Accession Partnership for your country, which is like a road map for your accession process, sets out four short term priorities for the development of local administration:

strengthen internal controls and audits

further improve municipal tax collection

improve the management of state owned land

ensure that the number and competence of staff of municipalities are sufficient.

ZELS has played a vital role in decentralisation so far and I am sure you will continue to make a valuable contribution in the next phase. Your are uniquely well placed to, on the one hand, promote the development of local government and cooperation between municipalities and, on the other hand, ensure a two way dialogue between municipalities and central government. In particular you have provided a forum for discussion among Mayors of various ethnicities and political party affiliation on how to achieve common goals in the interest of the citizens.

I also welcome your dialogue with the European Union, through your excellent contacts with the Commission Delegation in Skopje and the Committee of the Regions in Brussels.

In support of the role played by ZELS we have provided funding for the construction of the ZELS House. In your 36 year long history this is the first time you will have your own headquarters !

The ZELS House, by providing a spacious, modern headquarters should help you be even more effective in the future. I trust this will facilitate the work of your technical committees and the implementation of your programme of conferences and training seminars.

In fact the EU has been your partner throughout the process of decentralisation. We have provided technical assistance and advice, political support and financial contribution. So far we have provided â,¬ 56 million of support, deployed through a comprehensive local government programme. Therefore we have a big stake in ensuring that European taxpayers' money is well spent.

I would also make a special mention for the European Agency for Reconstruction which has been the EU body responsible for the programme and which will be phased out by the end of this year. Your work has had a deep impact on the country and has helped to establish a sound basis for the accession process.

Having said that I would like to reassure you all that though the EAR is being phased out the EU is staying and will carry on supporting you! The Delegation of the European Commission is taking over responsibility for financial cooperation and there are already two assistance programmes in the pipeline to further support the decentralisation process.