Malta praised for local government reform but should increase local authorities’ competences
Strasbourg, 16 October 2024 – In a recommendation adopted today, the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe welcomed the 2019 local government reform in Malta, the lowering of the minimum age for local elections to 16, and Malta’s ratification of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.
At the same time, the Congress expressed concerns about the limited scope of local self-government, the ineffectiveness of consultations with local authorities, and the excessive supervision of local self-government by the central authorities, particularly through executive secretaries.
These were the main conclusions of the monitoring report on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Malta, presented during the 47th session by Cecilia Feliczitasz Friderics (Hungary, L, ECR) and Matthias Gysin (Switzerland, L, ILDG).
The rapporteurs highlighted financial constraints to which local authorities were subject, including the lack of adequate financial own resources allocated to them and dependence on earmarked grants. Additionally, the regions recently recognised as the level of local self-government under domestic law could not be considered genuine regions within the meaning of the Charter since their members were not directly elected and they lacked financial autonomy.
The Congress recommended that the national authorities of Malta, among other measures, increase local authorities’ competences, ensure effective consultation process, limit administrative supervision to supervision of compliance with the law, review the system of financing local authorities, and diversify local funding. It also recommended granting local councils more administrative freedom, enhancing their powers to manage executive secretaries independently, and allowing mayors to choose between full-time or part-time work. Conferring special status on Valletta should also be considered to enable it to meet the specific needs associated with its role as the capital.
Addressing the session, Malta’s Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Alison Zerafa Civelli stressed that the amendments to the Local Government Act following the 2019 reform were a key step to providing increased autonomy to local and regional authorities. “While there is still work to be done, it reflects the progress made by successive governments that have remained committed to fostering active citizenship,” she said.
