Local Government System

in Romania

Map of Europe

GENERAL INTRODUCTIONGENERAL INTRODUCTION

•Overview of Romania - A European Union member-state since 1st January, 2007 - A democratic parliamentary republic with a strong presidency

"A sovereign nation-state, independent, unitary and indivisible, with a republican form of government."

• Features: - A democratic State of Law and a welfare-state- National sovereignty belongs to the people - The territory of Romania is inalienable

• at the National level: - the President is directly elected for a five year-term - the Parliament is bicameral, it consists of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Its members are directly elected for four years.

History and milestones of the organization

Current institutional system:

Influence of the Europe Union and similarity with France

The local government The local government institutionalinstitutional system system

A ‘deeply needed’ legal framework The decentralization process was initiated in 1991

The main steps are:

  1991 law on local public administration

1998 law on regional development

1991 law on public finances

Act of 26 November 1991 local elections

the 1998 law on public property and its legal regime

2004: Law of decentralization

    The local institutional systemThe local institutional system

A right to Local Self-Government ‘The national territory is organized in communes, cities, and counties.

According to law some cities are declared municipalities” Standards and fundamental principles governing the functioning of

local authorities and their administrations are established in the Romanian Constitution

The Constitution

Title II Title III

Law nr. 69 from 26/11/1991, revised by law 24 from 12/04/1996, republished 18/04/1996 abrogated by law 215/2001.

The constitutional reform of 2003

Local Government OrganizationLocal Government Organization

The working of local governmentThe working of local government

Local Government PolicyLocal Government Policy

Local government responsibilities:

Local Government Resources

Local Government Staff

On the mayor’s proposal the Council adopts orders on the organization and the number of employees within the local authority, wages and regulations about the organization and the functioning of the local administration.

But only the mayor is to appoint and dismiss staff. According to the criteria that delineate their attributions, members

of staff are divided into three categories: senior officers, management officers and executive employees.

According to the last management report of the National Agency of Public Employment for 2008, there was a total of 141.264 public administration personnels (14.668 in central government head-quarters, 61.956 in central government local offices and an estimated 65.000 in local government).

ConclusionConclusion Following its entry into the EU, Romania has started a process of

decentralization by taking a lead from other European countries, notably France.

Romania had promptly responded to criteria for EU integration

In order to strengthen its local authorities, Romania must intensively continue the administrative and financial decentralization process and guarantee that decisions can be made locally.

Law nr. 286/2006 for the revision and completion of Law 215/2001 has created inter-communal development bodies which are legal entities under civil law and which are created by local authorities to implement joint projects to develop regional or local interests or provide joint public services.