ELoGE Program

ELoGE Program aimed at the education of our beneficiaries

ELoGE Program Info

ELoGE Program

The European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) is a program of the Council of Europe implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance. The ELoGE label is awarded to the municipalities that have reached a high level of “good governance” measured against the Benchmark developed by the Council of Europe. The award is one-year ELoGE accreditation as well as the symbolic award – crystal dodecahedron engraved in the 12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance.

LINK 4 Cooperation project, founded by European Union, intends to use the 12 principles followed by ELoGE to assess local governments in order to determine ways in which improvements could be made.

12 Principles of Good Governance

Good Governance – the responsible conduct of public affairs and management of public resources – is encapsulated in the Council of Europe 12 Principles of Good Governance. The 12 Principles are enshrined in the Strategy on Innovation and Good Governance at local level, endorsed by a decision of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2008. They cover issues such as ethical conduct, rule of law, efficiency and effectiveness, transparency, sound financial management and accountability. The Centre of Expertise has developed toolkits to assist local authorities, and in some cases central authorities, in living up to these principles and thus delivering better services to citizens. The European Label of Governance’ Excellence (ELoGE) is awarded to local authorities having achieved a high overall level of good governance measured against the relevant benchmark.

Principle 1Fair Conduct of Elections, Representation and Participation

Local elections are conducted freely and fairly, according to international standards and national legislation, and without any fraud.
Citizens are at the centre of public activity and they are involved in clearly defined ways in public life at local level.
All men and women can have a voice in decision-making, either directly or through legitimate intermediate bodies that represent their interests. Such broad participation is built on the freedoms of expression, assembly and association.
All voices, including those of the less privileged and most vulnerable, are heard and taken into account in decision-making, including over the allocation of resources.
There is always an honest attempt to mediate between various legitimate interests and to reach a broad consensus on what is in the best interest of the whole community and on how this can be achieved
Decisions are taken according to the will of the many, while the rights and legitimate interests of the few are respected.

Principle 2Responsiveness

Objectives, rules, structures, and procedures are adapted to the legitimate expectations and needs of citizens.
Public services are delivered, and requests and complaints are responded to within a reasonable timeframe.

Principle 3Efficiency and Effectiveness

Results meet the agreed objectives.
Best possible use is made of the resources available.
Performance management systems make it possible to evaluate and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of services.
Audits are carried out at regular intervals to assess and improve performance.

Principle 4Openness and Transparency

Decisions are taken and enforced in accordance with rules and regulations.
There is public access to all information which is not classified for well-specified reasons as provided for by law (such as the protection of privacy or ensuring the fairness of procurement procedures).
Information on decisions, implementation of policies and results is made available to the public in such a way as to enable it to effectively follow and contribute to the work of the local authority.

Principle 5Rule of Law

The local authorities abide by the law and judicial decisions.
Rules and regulations are adopted in accordance with procedures provided for by law and are enforced impartially.

Principle 6Ethical conduct

The public good is placed before individual interests.
There are effective measures to prevent and combat all forms of corruption.
Conflicts of interest are declared in a timely manner and persons involved must abstain from taking part in relevant decisions.

Principle 7Competence and Capacity

The professional skills of those who deliver governance are continuously maintained and strengthened in order to improve their output and impact.
Public officials are motivated to continuously improve their performance.
Practical methods and procedures are created and used in order to transform skills into capacity and to produce better results.

Principle 8Innovation and Openness to Change

New and efficient solutions to problems are sought and advantage is taken of modern methods of service provision.
There is readiness to pilot and experiment new programmes and to learn from the experience of others.
A climate favourable to change is created in the interest of achieving better results.

Principle 9Sustainability and Long-term Orientation

The needs of future generations are taken into account in current policies.
The sustainability of the community is constantly taken into account.
Decisions strive to internalise all costs and not to transfer problems and tensions, be they environmental, structural, financial, economic or social, to future generations.
There is a broad and long-term perspective on the future of the local community along with a sense of what is needed for such development.
There is an understanding of the historical, cultural and social complexities in which this perspective is grounded.

Principle 10Sound Financial Management

Charges do not exceed the cost of services provided and do not reduce demand excessively, particularly in the case of important public services.
Prudence is observed in financial management, including in the contracting and use of loans, in the estimation of resources, revenues and reserves, and in the use of exceptional revenue.
Multi-annual budget plans are prepared, with consultation of the public.
Risks are properly estimated and managed, including by the publication of consolidated accounts and, in the case of public-private partnerships, by sharing the risks realistically.
The local authority takes part in arrangements for inter-municipal solidarity, fair sharing of burdens and benefits and reduction of risks (equalisation systems, inter- municipal co-operation, mutualisation of risks…).

Principle 11Human rights, Cultural Diversity and Social Cohesion

Within the local authority’s sphere of influence, human rights are respected, protected and implemented, and discrimination on any grounds is combated.
Cultural diversity is treated as an asset, and continuous efforts are made to ensure that all have a stake in the local community, identify with it and do not feel excluded.
Social cohesion and the integration of disadvantaged areas are promoted.
Access to essential services is preserved, in particular for the most disadvantaged sections of the population.

Principle 12Accountability

All decision-makers, collective and individual, take responsibility for their decisions.
Decisions are reported on, explained and can be sanctioned.
There are effective remedies against maladministration and against actions of local authorities which infringe civil rights.

ELoGE ACCREDITATION

The procedure to be accredited to implement the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE) has the following stages:

Accreditation – entities or platforms can request accreditation to implement ELoGE. If the Council of Europe agrees that they meet accreditation criteria, the entities concerned are given the responsibility to implement ELoGE with municipalities of a given region or country.
Implementation– The accredited entity commits to implementing ELoGE in a meaningful number of municipalities by a given deadline. This means translating the benchmark, making necessary adaptations, identifying the municipalities who wish to implement ELoGE and helping them undertake the different steps of ELoGE.
Award – The accredited entity awards ELoGE to deserving municipalities that have successfully completed ELoGE. This label, which is valid for one year, is a recognition that a municipality has achieved a high level of good governance according to Council of Europe standards.

More on the ELoGE on the official web site of the Council of Europe.