International cooperation in local government matters

International cooperation in local government matters

Cooperation in local government matters between Finland and other countries has been expanding in recent years and consequently, the Department for Municipal Affairs is dealing with more and more international issues. Major areas include cooperation within the Council of Europe, traditional Nordic cooperation and Finnish involvement in the development of local self-government in neighbouring areas.

Council of Europe

The Steering Committee on Local and Regional Democracy (CDLR) is a forum bringing together representatives of the Council of Europe member countries in which several studies and reports dealing with the functioning and finances of local government in them and cooperation between regions in border areas are discussed every year. Using the studies and reports as a basis, the Council of Europe can issue recommendations and instructions to its members, the best known of which is the European Charter of Local Self-Government, which is also legally binding on Finland. The CDLR has a number of standing and ad-hoc advisory committees, and the Department for Municipal Affairs represents the Finnish government in their meetings and the meetings of CDLR, providing them with material on local government matters in Finland.

Nordic cooperation

Nordic cooperation in local government matters has long traditions and is well-established. Nordic ministers for municipal affairs and representatives of their ministries convene every year to discuss topical reforms in the field. Local government cooperation across national borders was incorporated into a special treaty between Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, which Finland adopted in 1979.

European Union, OECD and projects in neighbouring areas

The Ministry of Finace also follows the activities of the OECD and the Committee of the Regions of the European Union in the field of local government, participating in negotiations and exchange of information, as necessary. The Finnish system of local government is arousing more international interest as there is growing recognition that local self-government is an important factor in ensuring democracy and prosperity all over the world. At the same time, more and more international delegations are visiting Finland, making it necessary for the Ministry to provide more information about the Finnish model. Municipalities themselves are also making a growing contribution to this interactive process.

As part of Finnish government strategy, the Department for Municipal Affairs is implementing several projects aimed at developing local government in the areas neighbouring Finland. The neighbouring areas comprise the Karelian Republic and the Leningrad and Murmansk Oblasts of the Russian Federation. The projects are financed by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs through its funds for cooperation with neighbouring areas, and the Ministry also monitors the implementation of the projects. In implementing the projects, the Department for Municipal Affairs cooperates closely with the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, and individual municipalities are also directly involved.

The Department for Municipal Affairs have also active co-operation contacts with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

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