Local and regional authorities play an active role in ensuring transparency in the public sector and tackling corruption, according to the conclusions of the CIVEX meeting, which took place in Dubrovnik last week. On the invitation of Nikola Dobroslavić, Prefect of Dubrovnik-Neretva County and member of the EPP Group, discussions focussed on achieving good governance and sound administration for European citizens.

The meeting, which was chaired by Luc Van den Brande, marked the first time that a standing body of the CoR has held a meeting in Croatia since the signing of the Accession Treaty. In his role as host, Nikola Dobroslavić emphasised the considerable progress made over recent years in detecting, prosecuting and punishing corruption in Croatia at all levels of government. He also pointed out, however, that the decentralisation process in the country remains insufficient and called for more power and more financing to be transferred from the national government to the regional and local level.

During the meeting of the CIVEX commission, members also adopted guidelines on the Joint Consultative Committees (JCC) and Working Groups between the CoR and local and regional authorities of the enlargement countries, as inspired by the successful operation of the JCC with Croatia.