WRITTEN QUESTION E-3953/00 by Gorka Knörr Borràs (Verts/ALE) to the Commission. Decentralisation process in Slovakia.
Date: 2000-12-13
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Slovakia, administrative structures, decentralisation, public administration, regionalisation

C 187 E/90

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

3.7.2001

(2001/C 187 E/097)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3953/00

by Gorka Kn(cid:246)rr Borr(cid:224)s (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Decentralisation process in Slovakia

In its reply to my Written Question E-1924/00 (1) on decentralisation and regionalisation the Commission
stated that it had asked the applicant countries to draw up a provisional NUTS classification reflecting their
administrative structure as soon as possible.

Can the Commission say what progress Slovakia has made in drawing up such a classification? What stage
has been reached as regards the decentralisation process in this applicant country?

(1) OJ C 72 E, 6.3.2001, p. 150.

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(16 February 2001)

The Slovak Government approved in March 2000 a (cid:145)Concept for decentralisation and modernisation of
public administration(cid:146), aiming at institutionally separating state administration from self-government, local
as well as regional.

Candidate countries are asked by the Commission and in the context of negotiations to draw up in close
co-operation with Eurostat
the
Community (NUTS) classification. The creation of NUTS in candidate countries is based on the same
principles as apply to Member States and which can be found in the Commission Publication (cid:145)Regions (cid:129)
Nomenclature of territorial units for statistics (cid:129) NUTS(cid:146) (1).

their provisional nomenclature of

the territorial statistical units of

In Slovakia a provisional NUTS has been established. However the Commission is aware of the discussion
concerning the public administration reform which is taking place in Slovakia. It seems that the reform
will also result in the changing of administrative borders. The Slovak authorities have informed the
Commission of their plans.

The planned decentralisation comprises the decentralisation of functional responsibilities, of finances and
of political power. According to the above-mentioned concept, the territorial self-governments shall exert
all competencies that are not exclusive competencies of
the state or (cid:129) although remaining state
responsibilities (cid:129) are delegated to them. The Government has elaborated a detailed package of laws to
be adopted or amended (mostly in 2001) as well as a timetable for implementing the reform.

(1)

ISBN 92-829-7575-0.

(2001/C 187 E/098)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3954/00

by Gorka Kn(cid:246)rr Borr(cid:224)s (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(13 December 2000)

Subject: Minority languages in Slovakia

According to the 1997 Commission opinion on Slovakia(cid:146)s application for membership of the EU, the
various minorities represent between 18 % and 23 % of the population.

The current law on minority languages requires that minorities must represent more than 20 % of the
population in the administrative capital of the region concerned for those languages to be treated as joint
official languages. Does the Commission take the view that linguistic minorities may be discriminated
against as long as they remain below 20 % in an administrative capital?