The Congress adopted a recommendation on local democracy in Estonia on 29 March 2017,  by the rapporteurs, Henrik Hammar, (Sweden, EPP/CCE) and Leendert Verbeek, (Netherlands, SOC).

 The rapporteurs welcomed the initiatives of the Estonian institutions to start a territorial reform process on local and state level and revision of the revision of the State Budget Law that strengthens the interaction between the state and local authorities on budgetary items. 'We are optimistic about the perspectives of the continuation of the reform projects that may improve the situation of both local authorities and the citizens of Estonia,' Mr Hammar stated. The Congress nevertheless recommends that the Estonian authorities clarify their legislation concerning the distribution of functions between local government and State and that they change the domestic legislation in order to give local authorities more financial autonomy 'We suggest transferring a maximum of competences to the local level with concomitant financial resources and we recommend that the Estonian authorities increase the local share in state taxes,' added Mr Verbeek. 

Source:http://www.coe.int/t/congress/default_EN.asp?