COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison has today (Friday) welcomed the Stage 1 Report of the Local Government and Communities Committee on Andy Wightman’s European Charter of Local Self Government Bill.

Councillor Evison said:  “This is really significant progress for this Bill, the key to building on Local and Scottish Government’s joint commitment to improve outcomes for our communities and renew democratic participation across Scotland. The Committee’s support for incorporating the Charter into Scots Law is great news.

“In addition, this would mean that Scotland would no longer be one of the last remaining jurisdictions in Europe not to have given the Charter the direct legal standing it deserves.

“I was particularly pleased that the Committee thought that the Bill would act as a spur for local and central government to cooperate effectively – this has long been the position of COSLA and that can only be good news for our communities.”