Development of local authorities in EU-member states between 1950–2011

Abstract

The aim of the submitted study was to illustrate the development of the number of local authorities in all current EU states in the long period between 1950 and 2011 comprehensively, and also by particular decades, thus demonstrating the originality and uniqueness of the topic analysed in this context. Thus, we obtain a more detailed picture of the development of the number of local authorities in EU countries, and we can monitor how local authorities within a specific country gradually developed. (The stabilisation of the number of local units and an increase or gradual or sudden drop in local units are shown, for example). A sudden drop in local units can be associated with significant administrative reforms and with the development of large units of the so-called municipalities. When it becomes necessary to merge local authorities, many countries look to other countries where extensive reforms took place in the past for inspiration. However, it must be borne in mind that in a general European context, we cannot apply a universal system of public administration reforms, and solutions in the form of these reforms inspired by other countries may not always be appropriate.

• Key words
• Local authorities
• territorial changes
• EÚ countries
• amalgamation
• municipalities
• reform

Acknowledgements

We would like to express our very great appreciation to Mrs. Catherine E. Dimmock-Benko, B.Ed., MA, external teacher at the Department of Languages, for her willingness to provide the linguistic correction of this article. We appreciate the comments of two anonymous reviewers and the editor in improving the manuscript for publication.