ABSTRACT
The European Charter of Local Self-Government of 1985 is the main benchmarking and good practice document for local authorities and centre-periphery relations in Europe. The Lander have exclusive competences in education, culture, policing, media and local government, but have to share a bulk of other competences with the federal government. Local government in Bosnia-Herzegovina is organised in a confederal manner, with two separated local systems, one in the Croatian-Bosnian federation and another in the Republika Srspka. Between 2004 and 2011, the Zapatero government pushed for further decentralisation and allowed for a review of the statutes of the autonomous regions. The most difficult process was probably that for Northern Ireland, which required strong negotiating skills by the UK government. Polish regionalisation goes back to the communist period in which the subnational government was subordinated to the centre. Denmark has been at the forefront in creating more efficient structures. It has been engaged in the reform of local government since the 1970s.
