DEVCO Local Authorities: emergent actors in EC cooperation Setting the policy context Supporting initiative for Local Authorities Angelo Baglio Chef d’Unité DEVCO F1 Baku– 11 February 2011

DEVCO Index 1.EC policy setting with Local Authorities 2.Current challenges 3. Structured Dialogue 4. LA supporting initiative

DEVCO Context Local authorities (LAs) are increasingly being viewed as important and necessary actors in development policy : – Financial support – Range of initiatives which reiterate local authorities' significant expertise: Consensus on Development, the revised Cotonou Agreement, and a number of EU institutions' Conclusions, Resolutions and Opinions EC Communication 2008 = “Local Authorities: actors for development” First document exclusively devoted to LA

DEVCO Communication COM (2008) 626, Local Authorities: actors for development OBJECTIVES – Highlights the importance of local authorities' recent emergence as key actors in development – Suggests a “European response strategy” that will take into account and valorise capitalisation and maximisation of LA's experience as partners in development policy.

DEVCO Specificities and added value of LAs 1) First institutional level closer to the citizens than other actors 2) Experience, competency and responsibility in specific sectors (institutional support, waste management etc) 3) Comparative advantage in the implementation of local development strategies 4) Political legitimacy Local authorities can act as catalysts for change, conflict prevention, decentralisation and confidence-building in the development process

DEVCO Decentralisation and territorial approach One of the principal means of empowering Local Authorities has been decentralisation Decentralisation is considered as one of the most appropriate ways of reducing poverty, building sustainable development and implementing democracy in developing countries. The EU has been supporting the efforts of these countries through various means and programs (i.e: Assistance to the Rehabilitation of the Lebanese Administration (ARLA) ) Introduction of the notion of territorial approach: concept of territory is increasingly taking a privileged place within the sustainable development strategies. Concern which is progressively integrated under the pressure of the realities of the territory It provides development local politics with a democratic legitimacy

DEVCO Current Challenges (i) Inclusion of the LRA within the aid effectiveness agenda (Paris, Accra, Seoul) 1.Ownership 2.Alignment 3.Harmonisation 4.Results 5.Mutual Accountability (ii) Improve our methods of working together to promote a better and more effective participation of LA in the development process: At a political and strategic level Financing more adapted mechanisms

DEVCO Elements for a Response Strategy 1.Efforts to support better the reinforcement of those actors following their specificities 2.Promote actions of decentralised cooperation: atlas of decentralised cooperation US/Pages/welcome.aspxhttp://portal.cor.europa.eu/atlas/en- US/Pages/welcome.aspx 3.European Charter on Development cooperation in support of local governance (2008) 4.Launch of a Structured Dialogue with the EU partners in development cooperation

DEVCO The SD is an initiative launched by the EC to discuss the involvement of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Local Authorities (LAs) in EC development cooperation. Involved stakeholders: It is an inclusive process gathering the European Commission, European Parliament, EU Member States and CSOs as well as LAs from Europe and from the EU partner countries. The EC Headquarters (AIDCO/RELEX/DG DEV) and Delegations of the European Union The European Parliament Members States Civil Society and LA representatives (European-based platforms and Southern actors) Focus on the South: Inclusion of partner countries CSO&LA is a priority of the Structured Dialogue Structured dialogue in a nutshell

DEVCO BRUXELLES 3/4 sessions Supporting Initiatives  DEAR  HR (Amman)  Local Auhtorities BAMAKO June 2010 ASUNCION September 2010 NEW DELHI November 2010 BAKU 11 February 2011 BUDAPEST Final Conference %A9s_locales STRUCTURED DIALOGUE: Components of the process Web tool CISOCH

DEVCO Local Authorities supporting initiative Unique opportunity for a: 1.Multi-actor Dialogue: majority of LA from the South 2.Concrete dialogue on LAs specificities during a one-year process. Concretely: Debates around concrete thematic (Ex: coherence and complementarity between financial instruments, Paris and Accra Agenda on Aid effectiveness: Impact on Local authorities). Continuity ensured in Brussels by the LA representatives selected in each regional seminar. Positive and constructive evolution of the relationships between the different actors. Acknowledgment of the LAs specificities and need of complementarity between LA and SCO within the different cooperation fields. Introduction of the territorial approach in the discussions of the SD.

DEVCO THANK YOU  Questions? Comments?  Web-site CISOCH torit%C3%A9s_locales  Call for proposals  Functional mailbox: