Citizens at the heart of local democracy - public ethics at local and regional level

Introduction by Mr Dag-Henrik Sandbakken, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, at the Conference of European ministers responsible for local and regional government, 15th Session, Valencia, 15th October 2007.

Conference of European ministers responsible for local and regional government, 15th Session, Valencia, 15 – 16 October 2007.

Introduction by Mr. Dag-Henrik SANDBAKKEN
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Norway (03.10.07)

Theme 1:
Citizens at the heart of local democracy – public ethics at local and regional level

Madam Chair, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

I would like to start by congratulating our hosts with the excellent organization of this Conference. Let me also thank the European Committee of Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) for their contributions to the arrangement.

It is very nice to be here in Valencia and its beautiful surroundings. We know that Valencia has long traditions of local democracy. In fact, you can be proud of having the oldest tribunal in Europe.  For over a thousand years, the farmers of Valencia, on the river Turia, have relied on the Water Tribunal to guarantee that water drawn from the river is distributed fairly.

This example illustrates a local and democratic body, making binding decisions concerning the local society, in an open and transparent manner.
This tradition is also a good illustration of the timeless importance of placing the citizens at the heart of local democracy.

My British colleague has just given an excellent introduction to the issue of democratic participation of citizens in local public life. In my opinion, such participation can not be fully achieved unless the public have confidence in local authorities living up to high standards of public ethics. I am therefore very pleased that public ethics in local government is one of our main topics at this conference.

At the European level, we have already managed to raise attention to the challenges relating to standards of public ethics in local government. The Council of Europe is making substantial contributions in this regard: For example, by creating the Handbook of Good Practice in Public Ethics at local level, and by arranging for member states to exchange experiences on the subject.

Madam Chair,

The Norwegian government has high ambitions for the standards of public ethics. In general, we recognize that our local authorities hold high standards of public ethics. Also, recent surveys show that the Norwegian people have confidence in local authorities. 

However, over the last couple of years we have seen media reports revealing corruption and unethical behaviour in a few municipalities. This is a worrying development. In this light, the Norwegian government sees a pressing need to address these challenges.

I would like then to give you a brief overview of the most recent initiatives we have taken:

Firstly, a high-level Forum for public ethics in local government was established in August 2006. The Forum is composed of experts, who collectively represent a wide range of expertise and resources. The Forum serves as a meeting place for sharing experiences and making important proposals for measures relating to ethical standards in local government.

Secondly, there was a need for an overview of the legal provisions relating to ethical standards at local level. Accordingly, an administrative working group reviewed the legislation. The working group focused on the issues of clarification of roles, internal control, eligibility and remuneration, and transparency.

The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is currently following up the recommendations from the working group. We have recently circulated a consultative paper, proposing several amendments in the framework laws related to local government.

However, I believe that the concept of ensuring good ethical behaviour is more than just following the law. Ethical behaviour is also a matter of establishing organisational structures that enable leaders and employees to solve ethical problems themselves. I firmly believe that local government authorities themselves are the main actors in the efforts to combat irregularities and unethical practices.

This brings me to my third point: the Norwegian government is at the moment considering a proposition on establishing a national resource centre for public ethics in local government. The idea is that such a centre can provide support to local authorities and develop programmes and recommendations for promoting ethical behaviour.

Finally, I would like to highlight the close co-operation between the Norwegian government and the Norwegian Association for Local and Regional Authorities, KS. I will take the opportunity to thank Mr. Skard for the important work provided by the KS relating to public ethics at local level. Let me add that we also are very pleased with his work as President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe.

Madam Chair,

It is clear that if we want to maintain public trust in local government, constant attention and commitment at local, national and international level is necessary.

I hope that our discussions and exchange of experiences today will inspire us to strengthen our efforts in this important field.

Thank you for your attention!