Press release, 4 November 2014
On 3 November 2014, Riga (Republic of Latvia) hosted the meeting of chairs of Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian parliamentary committees responsible for public administration, local self-government and regional policy.
Valentinas Bukauskas, Chair of the Committee on State Administration and Local Authorities of the Lithuanian Seimas and initiator of the meeting, Sergejs Dolgopolovs, Chairman of the Public Administration and Local Government Committee of the Latvian Saeima, and Rait Maruste, Chair of the Constitutional Committee of the Estonian Riigikogu, exchanged views on potential prospects for cooperation, fundamental principles of cooperation, and topics for discussion at future meetings.
“The meeting was very useful and showed that the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian parliamentary committees are ready to actively cooperate, share best practices in implementing reforms, and discuss the challenges and burning issues encountered both at national and international levels,” noted Mr Bukauskas after the meeting. He stated that in the future the parliamentary committees would like to discuss the following topics of common concern: involvement of citizens in decision-making, administrative-territorial reforms, municipal financial empowerment and defining of municipal functions, regulation of elections (online voting, eligibility to vote from 16 years of age, codification of electoral laws), and other current affairs.
Mr Bukauskas proposed that the meeting participants sign a memorandum of cooperation that would underpin further cooperation between parliamentary committees.
Summing up the discussions, the chairmen of the three parliamentary committees agreed that it was appropriate to take parliamentary cooperation further and organise regular meetings of committee representatives, competent institutions and experts to discuss political topicalities and exchange good practices of the reforms being carried out. These efforts would significantly add to the ongoing cooperation among the leaders of the Baltic States and provide opportunities to involve heads of ministries and other public institutions and municipal leaders into collaborative activities.
Jurgita Marcinkutė, Adviser to the Office of the Committee on State Administration and Local Authorities (EU), tel. +370 5 239 6804, e-mail: [email protected]
