Structure and Operation of Local and Regional Democracy in Greece

Structure and Operation of Local and Regional Democracy in Greece

STRUCTURE AND OPERATION OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY Greece Situation in 2012 Territorial set-up: regions of Greece Source: Hellenic Mapping and Cadastral Organisation STRUCTURE AND OPERATION OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY Greece Situation in 2012 This report has been prepared and elaborated by the Ministry of Interior of the Hellenic Republic French edition: Structure et fonctionnement de la démocratie locale et régionale : Grèce Studies appearing in the series “Structure and operation of local and regional democracy”: 1st edition 1992: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. 1993: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Turkey, United Kingdom. 2nd edition The second edition of the files was started in 1996. It will include an individual file for each of the member states of the Council of Europe. Already published: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Turkey, United Kingdom. 3rd edition (brochure series) The third edition of the files was started in 2004. Files on individual countries are no longer published with an ISBN. 2004: Czech Republic; Hungary 2006: Belgium, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal 2007: Luxembourg, Slovenia, Sweden 2008 : Denmark, Italy, Netherlands 2009 : Finland, Romania, Turkey 2010 : Czech Republic, Ukraine 2011 : Estonia 2012 : Greece For further information, please contact: Directorate of Democratic Institutions Directorate General of Democracy and Political Affairs Council of Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex Tel.: +33 (0)3 88 41 24 14 Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84 e-mail: [email protected] Reproduction is authorised provided the source is mentioned. Council of Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex © Council of Europe, January 2013 Printed at the Council of Europe 6 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. LEGAL BASIS .......................................................................................................... 9 1.1 Constitutional Provisions ........................................................................................ 9 1.2 Basic Legal Texts................................................................................................. 10 2. STRUCTURE OF FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND DECENTRALISED ADMINISTRATION AUTHORITIES.......................................... 10 2. 1 Municipalities........................................................................................................ 11 2.2 Regions................................................................................................................ 11 2.3 Decentralised Administration Authorities .............................................................. 12 2.4 Main statistical data (population, size, etc) ........................................................... 12 2.5 Specific Regulations for particular areas- the legal status of Aghion Oros (Mount Athos)................................................................................................................... 14 3. ORGANS OF EACH CATEGORY OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL SELF- GOVERNMENT AND DECENTRALISED ADMINISTRATION AUTHORITIES....... 14 3.1 Municipalities........................................................................................................ 14 3.2. Regions................................................................................................................ 17 3.3 Decentralised Administration Authorities .............................................................. 19 4. DIRECT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING.................................. 21 4.1 Local Referendums .............................................................................................. 21 4.2 Citizen participation and transparency.................................................................. 21 5. STATUS OF LOCAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES .......................................... 22 5.1 Election of Local Government Representatives .................................................... 22 5.2 Eligibility and term of office................................................................................... 22 5.3 Duties and responsibilities of elected representatives .......................................... 23 5.4 Remuneration – monetary compensation ............................................................. 24 6. DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS BETWEEN LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT AND NATIONAL AUTHORITIES..................................................................................... 24 6.1 Municipalities........................................................................................................ 24 6. 2 Regions................................................................................................................ 26 6.3 Decentralised Administration Authorities .............................................................. 27 6.4 Division of powers ................................................................................................ 27 7. CO-OPERATION AND OTHER TYPES OF LINKAGE BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND LEVEL LOCAL AUTHORITIES .............................................................. 31 7.1 Networks .............................................................................................................. 31 7.2 Associations......................................................................................................... 31 7.3 International cooperation...................................................................................... 31 7.4 Agreements.......................................................................................................... 32 8. LOCAL GOVERNMENT FINANCE......................................................................... 33 8.1 Municipal and Regional revenues......................................................................... 33 8.2 Financial Management ......................................................................................... 37 8.3 Transfer of powers and resources ........................................................................ 38 8.4 Concluding loans.................................................................................................. 38 8.5 Special Consolidation Program ............................................................................ 38 8.6 Local Authorities’ Development programmes ....................................................... 39 8.7 Auditing of first and second level local authorities................................................. 39 9. SUPERVISION OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES............................................................ 40 9.1 Principles ............................................................................................................. 40 9.2 Supervisory bodies............................................................................................... 40 9.3 Legality control of actions and disciplinary control of elected representatives....... 40 10. REMEDIES FOR INDIVIDUALS AGAINST DECISIONS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES ................................................................................................................................ 41 10.1 Administrative Protection...................................................................................... 41 10.2 Judicial Protection ................................................................................................ 42 11. LOCAL GOVERNMENT PERSONNEL................................................................... 43 ANNEX DETAILED TABLES OF DECENTRALISED ADMINISTRATION AUTHORITIES44 9 1. LEGAL BASIS 1.1 Constitutional Provisions The Constitution of the Hellenic Republic of 1975, as revised in 2001 and in 2008 1 (mainly its articles 101 and 102), sets out the institutional basis for local government. Article 101- Organisation of the Administration 1. The administration of the State shall be organized according to the principle of decentralisation. 2. The administrative division of the Country shall be based on geo-economic, social and transportation conditions. 3. Regional administrations of the State shall have general decisive authority on matters of their district. The central administrations of the State, in addition to special powers, shall have the general guidance, coordination and review of the legality of the acts of regional administrations, as specified by law. 4. The legislator and the Public Administration, when acting in their regulatory capacity, must take into consideration the special circumstances of the insular and mountainous areas caring for their development. Article 102- Local authorities 1. The administration of local affairs shall be exercised by local authorities of first and second level. For the administration of local affairs, there is a presumption of competence in favour of local authorities. The range and categories of local affairs, as well as their allocation to each level, shall be specified by law. Law may assign to local authorities the exercise of competences constituting mission of the State. 2. Local authorities shall enjoy administrative and financial independence. Their authorities shall be elected by universal

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