engleski

Citizen participation at local and regional level in Europe

The participation of citizens in public life is a central component of the idea of democracy. Effective democracy cannot be conceived without the involvement of the people who are the major stakeholders of the public policy decisions. In modern constitutional democracies, it is a natural requirement that the citizens’ voice must be heard as their interests and opinions have to be taken into account in the decision-making process of representative institutions. In the RC Citizens may directly participate in administering local affairs, through meetings, referenda and other forms of direct decision-making (commiittee for civic participation, petition, ad hock reactions, demonstration, group for pressure), in conformity with law and statute. Referendum may be held at local and regional level.A referendum can be called for the purpose of deciding about a proposal to change the statute, about a proposal of a general by-law or another issue from the scope of the representative body as well as about other issues determined by the law and statute.A representative bodies of a local and regional self-government units may initiate local and regional referendum.Local/regional referendums are mandatory. The Government of the Republic of Croatia can call an advisory referendum for the area of one or more local self-government units or units of the local administration and self-government in order to hear first the opinion of the inhabitants from this area about the regional organization of the local self-government units or the units of the administration and local self-government.The decision made at the referendum is mandatory. At the local referendum the decision is made by the majority of voters who voted, with the condition that the majority of the total number of voters registered in the electoral roll of the local self-government unit, or the unit of local administration and self-government where the referendum is held, turned out at the referendum. Commission for the administration Constituency and legality of the local referendum are controlled by the State of the referendum and the Constitutional Court.Citizens have the right to propose to the representative body to pass a certain by-law or to address a certain issue from its scope. The representative body must discuss the proposal referred to in paragraph 1 of this article if it is supported by signatures of at least ten per cent of voters registered in the electoral list of a municipality or town, or county, and provide an answer to the presenters not later than three months after the receipt of the proposal.Local citizens’ meetings are called for the part of the area of the local board, which makes a separate unit divided from the other residential areas (a part of the residential area, apartment block etc.). Citizens may submit petitions to the bodies of the local self-government units, or the units of the local administration and self-government and to the bodies of the state authority.

citizen participation; local and regional authorities; Republic of Croatia

Odgovori na upitnik koji daju sve eksperti za EPLS za svoje zemlje služe kao podloge za preporuke, rezolucije i objasnidbena izvješća KLRV.