This week, Parliament will discuss a package of laws aimed at strengthening the capacities of the local public authorities, IPN reports.

In a meeting that involved representatives of the central and local public authorities, MP Iurie Tap said this package includes a bill enabling the local administration to file challenges to the Constitutional Court concerning the observance of the local autonomy principles, decentralization of public services and consulting of people about issues of special interest.

Another bill gives the local public authorities the right to change the purpose of land. Currently, the cadastre officers are examining applications for modifying the purpose of plots of land to the value of about 100 million lei. Only the Government can now take relevant decisions.

“It will be a message for the local public authorities that the decentralization reform, whose strategy was adopted a year ago, goes on. It will also be a message for our development partners that support the implementation of this reform, which is one of the five objectives set out in the government program,” stated the lawmaker.

Over the last three years, the parliamentary commission on local public administration and regional development and the special commission for strengthening local self-government and decentralization of power, created by the legislature, examined 36 bills concerning local autonomy.