Na podlagi druge alinee prvega odstavka 107. člena in prvega odstavka 91. člena Ustave Republike Slovenije izdajam

Razglašam Zakon o ratifikaciji Dodatnega protokola k Evropski listini lokalne samouprave o pravici do sodelovanja pri vprašanjih lokalne oblasti (MDPELLS), ki ga je sprejel Državni zbor Republike Slovenije na seji 4. februarja 2011.

Ratificira se Dodatni protokol k Evropski listini lokalne samouprave o pravici do sodelovanja pri vprašanjih lokalne oblasti, sestavljen v Utrechtu 16. novembra 2009.

Besedilo protokola se v izvirniku v angleškem in v prevodu v slovenskem jeziku glasi:

Preamble
The member states of the Council of Europe, signatories to this Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government (hereinafter referred to as “the Charter”, ETS No.122),
Considering that the aim of the Council of Europe is to achieve greater unity between its members for the purpose of safeguarding and realising the ideals and principles which are their common heritage;
Considering that the right to participate in the conduct of public affairs is one of the democratic principles that are shared by all member states of the Council of Europe;
Considering that the evolution in member states has shown the pre-eminent importance of this principle for local self-government;
Considering that it would be appropriate to supplement the Charter with provisions guaranteeing the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority;
Bearing in mind the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents, adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 27 November 2008;
Bearing in mind also the Declaration and the Action Plan adopted at the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe (Warsaw, 16 and 17 May 2005),
Have agreed as follows:

1 The States Parties shall secure to everyone within their jurisdiction the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.
2 The right to participate in the affairs of a local authority denotes the right to seek to determine or to influence the exercise of a local authority's powers and responsibilities.
3 The law shall provide means of facilitating the exercise of this right. Without unfairly discriminating against any person or group, the law may provide particular measures for different circumstances or categories of persons. In accordance with the constitutional and/or international obligations of the Party, the law may, in particular, provide for measures specifically limited to voters.
4.1 Each Party shall recognise by law the right of nationals of the party to participate, as voters or candidates, in the election of members of the council or assembly of the local authority in which they reside.
4.2 The law shall also recognise the right of other persons to so participate where the Party, in accordance with its own constitutional order, so decides or where this accords with the Party’s international legal obligations.
5.1 Any formalities, conditions or restrictions to the exercise of the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority shall be prescribed by law and be compatible with the Party’s international legal obligations.
5.2 The law shall impose such formalities, conditions and restrictions as are necessary to ensure that the ethical integrity and transparency of the exercise of local authorities’ powers and responsibilities are not jeopardised by the exercise of the right to participate.
5.3 Any other formalities, conditions or restrictions must be necessary for the operation of an effective political democracy, for the maintenance of public safety in a democratic society or for the Party to comply with the requirements of its international legal obligations.

1 The Parties shall take all such measures as are necessary to give effect to the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.
2 These measures for the exercise of the right to participate shall include:
i. empowering local authorities to enable, promote and facilitate the exercise of the right to participate set out in this Protocol;
ii. securing the establishment of:
a. procedures for involving people which may include consultative processes, local referendums and petitions and, where the local authority has many inhabitants and/or covers a large geographical area, measures to involve people at a level close to them;
b. procedures for access, in accordance with the Party’s constitutional order and international legal obligations, to official documents held by local authorities;
c. measures for meeting the needs of categories of persons who face particular obstacles in participating; and
d. mechanisms and procedures for dealing with and responding to complaints and suggestions regarding the functioning of local authorities and local public services;
iii. encouraging the use of information and communication technologies for the promotion and exercise of the right to participate set out in this Protocol.
3 The procedures, measures and mechanisms may be different for different categories of local authorities, having regard to their size and competences.
4 In the planning and decision-making processes concerning measures to be undertaken to give effect to the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority, local authorities shall be consulted insofar as possible, in due time and in an appropriate way.

This Protocol applies to all the categories of local authorities existing within the territory of the Party. However, each state may, when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, specify the categories of local or regional authorities to which it intends to confine the scope of the Protocol or which it intends to exclude from its scope. It may also include further categories of local or regional authorities within the scope of the Protocol by subsequent notification to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

1 Any state may at the time of signature or when depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval, specify the territory or territories to which this Protocol shall apply.
2 Any Party may at any later date, by a declaration addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, extend the application of this Protocol to any other territory specified in the declaration. In respect of such territory the Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date of receipt of such declaration by the Secretary General.
3 Any declaration made under the two preceding paragraphs may, in respect of any territory specified in such declaration, be withdrawn by a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe. The withdrawal shall become effective on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of six months after the date of receipt of such notification by the Secretary General.

1 This Protocol shall be open for signature by the member states of the Council of Europe signatories to the Charter. It is subject to ratification, acceptance or approval. A member state of the Council of Europe may not ratify, accept or approve this Protocol unless it has, simultaneously or previously, ratified, accepted or approved the Charter. Instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval shall be deposited with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
2 This Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date on which eight member states of the Council of Europe have expressed their consent to be bound by the Protocol in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 1.
3 In respect of any member state which subsequently expresses its consent to be bound by it, the Protocol shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of three months after the date of the deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval.

1 Any Party may at any time denounce this Protocol by means of a notification addressed to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
2 Such denunciation shall become effective on the first day of the month following the expiration of a period of six months after the date of receipt of the notification by the Secretary General.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall notify the member states of the Council of Europe of:
a. any signature;
b. the deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance or approval;
c. any date of entry into force of this Protocol in accordance with Article 5;
d. any notification received in application of the provisions of Article 3;
e. any other act, notification or communication relating to this Protocol.
In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto, have signed this Protocol.
Done at Utrecht, this 16th day of November 2009, in English and in French, both texts being equally authentic, in a single copy which shall be deposited in the archives of the Council of Europe. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe shall transmit certified copies to each member state of the Council of Europe.

Preambula
Države članice Sveta Evrope, podpisnice Dodatnega protokola k Evropski listini lokalne samouprave (v nadaljevanju listina, ETS, št. 122),
so se
z upoštevanjem, da je cilj Sveta Evrope doseči večjo enotnost med njegovimi članicami zaradi varovanja in uresničevanja idealov in načel, ki so njihova skupna dediščina;
z upoštevanjem, da je pravica do sodelovanja pri upravljanju javnih zadev eno od demokratičnih načel, ki so skupna vsem državam članicam Sveta Evrope;
z upoštevanjem, da je razvoj v državah članicah pokazal, da je to izjemno pomembno načelo lokalne samouprave;
z upoštevanjem, da bi bilo primerno dopolniti listino z določbami, ki bi jamčile pravico do sodelovanja pri vprašanjih lokalne oblasti;
z upoštevanjem Konvencije Sveta Evrope o dostopu do uradnih dokumentov, ki jo je sprejel Odbor ministrov 27. novembra 2008;
z upoštevanjem deklaracije in akcijskega načrta, ki sta bila sprejeta na 3. sestanku voditeljev držav in vlad članic Sveta Evrope (Varšava, 16. in 17. maj 2005),
dogovorile:

1 Države pogodbenice priznavajo vsakomur pravico sodelovati pri vprašanjih lokalne oblasti, ki so v njihovi pristojnosti.
2 Pravica do sodelovanja pri vprašanjih lokalne oblasti pomeni pravico poskušati določiti ali vplivati na izvajanje pristojnosti in odgovornosti lokalne oblasti.
3 Način uresničevanja te pravice določa zakon. Ne da bi zakon nepravično zapostavljal katero koli osebo ali skupino, lahko določi posebne ukrepe za različne okoliščine ali skupine oseb. Skladno z ustavo in/ali mednarodnimi obveznostmi pogodbenic lahko zakon določi ukrepe, ki so namenjeni le volivcem.
4.1 Vsaka pogodbenica z zakonom državljanom pogodbenice priznava pravico, da sodelujejo kot volivci ali kandidati na volitvah za člane sveta ali skupščine lokalne oblasti v kraju, v katerem prebivajo.
4.2 Zakon prav tako priznava pravico do takega sodelovanja drugim osebam, če se pogodbenica v skladu z ustavno ureditvijo tako odloči ali če je to v skladu z mednarodnimi pravnimi obveznostmi pogodbenice.
5.1 Uradni postopki, pogoji ali omejitve pri uresničevanju pravice do sodelovanja pri vprašanjih lokalne oblasti so predpisane z zakonom in usklajene z mednarodnimi pravnimi obveznostmi pogodbenice.
5.2 Zakon predpisuje potrebne uradne postopke, zahteve in omejitve, da se zagotovi, da uresničevanje pravice do sodelovanja ne ogroža etike in preglednosti izvajanja pristojnosti in odgovornosti lokalnih oblasti.
5.3 Vsi drugi uradni postopki, zahteve ali omejitve pa morajo zagotoviti učinkovito politično demokracijo, vzdrževanje javne varnosti v demokratični družbi ali ravnanje pogodbenice v skladu z mednarodnimi pravnimi obveznostmi.

1 Države pogodbenice sprejmejo vse ukrepe za uresničevanje pravice do sodelovanja pri vprašanjih lokalne oblasti.
2 Ukrepi za uresničevanje pravice do sodelovanja vključujejo:
i. pooblastilo lokalnim oblastem, da omogočijo, spodbujajo in pospešujejo uresničevanje pravice do sodelovanja po tem protokolu;
ii. vzpostavitev:
a. postopkov za vključevanje ljudi, tudi posvetovanj, lokalnih referendumov in predlogov, in če ima lokalna oblast veliko prebivalcev in/ali veliko območje, ukrepov za vključevanje ljudi na ravni, ki jim je blizu;
b. postopkov za dostop do uradnih dokumentov skladno z ustavno ureditvijo pogodbenice in mednarodnimi zakonskimi obveznostmi, ki jih ima lokalna oblast;
c. ukrepov, namenjenih zadovoljevanju potreb ljudi, ki se srečujejo s posebnimi ovirami pri sodelovanju, in
d. načinov in postopkov za obravnavo pritožb in predlogov za delovanje lokalnih oblasti in lokalnih javnih služb ter odziv nanje;
iii. spodbujanje uporabe informacijskih in komunikacijskih tehnologij za uveljavljanje uresničevanja pravice do sodelovanja po tem protokolu.
3 Postopki, ukrepi in načini so lahko različni za različne vrste lokalnih oblasti glede na njihovo velikost in pristojnosti.
4 Pri načrtovanju in odločanju o ukrepih za uresničevanje pravice do sodelovanja pri vprašanjih lokalne oblasti se je treba po možnosti pravočasno in ustrezno posvetovati z lokalnimi oblastmi.

Protokol se nanaša na vse vrste lokalnih oblasti na ozemlju pogodbenice. Vsaka država pa lahko ob deponiranju svoje listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi posebej navede posamezne vrste lokalnih ali regionalnih oblasti, na katere namerava omejiti uporabo protokola ali ki jih namerava izključiti iz njegove uporabe. S poznejšim obvestilom generalnemu sekretarju Sveta Evrope lahko uporabo protokola tudi razširi na druge vrste lokalnih ali regionalnih oblasti.

1 Vsaka država lahko ob podpisu ali deponiranju svoje listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi določi območje ali območja, za katera se ta protokol uporablja.
2 Vsaka pogodbenica lahko kadar koli pozneje z izjavo, naslovljeno na generalnega sekretarja Sveta Evrope, uporabo tega protokola razširi na drugo območje, navedeno v izjavi. Protokol začne za tako območje veljati prvi dan meseca po treh mesecih od dneva, ko je generalni sekretar prejel to izjavo.
3 Vsaka izjava, dana po prejšnjih dveh odstavkih, se lahko za vsako območje, navedeno v njej, umakne z uradnim obvestilom, naslovljenim na generalnega sekretarja Sveta Evrope. Umik začne veljati prvi dan meseca po šestih mesecih od dneva, ko generalni sekretar prejme uradno obvestilo.

1 Ta protokol je na voljo za podpis državam članicam Sveta Evrope, podpisnicam listine. Protokol se ratificira, sprejme ali odobri. Država članica Sveta Evrope ne more ratificirati, sprejeti ali odobriti tega protokola, če hkrati ali predhodno ne ratificira, sprejme ali odobri listine. Listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi se deponirajo pri generalnem sekretarju Sveta Evrope.
2 Protokol začne veljati prvi dan v mesecu po poteku treh mesecev od dneva, ko osem držav članic Sveta Evrope izrazi svojo soglasje, da jih protokol zavezuje v skladu z določbami prvega odstavka.
3 Za državo članico, ki pozneje izrazi svoje soglasje, da jo protokol zavezuje, protokol začne veljati prvi dan meseca po treh mesecih od dneva deponiranja, sprejetja ali odobritve listine o ratifikaciji.

1 Vsaka pogodbenica lahko kadar koli odpove ta protokol z uradnim obvestilom generalnemu sekretarju Sveta Evrope.
2 Odpoved začne veljati prvi dan meseca po šestih mesecih od dneva, ko generalni sekretar prejme uradno obvestilo.

Generalni sekretar Sveta Evrope obvešča države članice Sveta Evrope o:
a. vsakem podpisu;
b. deponiranju listine o ratifikaciji, sprejetju ali odobritvi;
c. vsakem dnevu začetka veljavnosti tega protokola po 5. členu;
d. vsakem uradnem obvestilu, prejetem glede uporabe določb 3. člena;
e. vsakem drugem dejanju, uradnem obvestilu ali sporočilu, ki se nanaša na ta protokol.
V potrditev tega so podpisani, ki so bili za to pravilno pooblaščeni, podpisali ta protokol.
Sestavljeno v Utrechtu 16. novembra 2009 v angleškem in francoskem jeziku, pri čemer sta obe besedili enako verodostojni, v enem izvodu, ki se hrani v arhivu Sveta Evrope. Generalni sekretar vsaki članici Sveta Evrope pošlje overjene kopije.

Za izvajanje protokola skrbi Služba Vlade Republike Slovenije za lokalno samoupravo in regionalno politiko.

Ta zakon začne veljati petnajsti dan po objavi v Uradnem listu Republike Slovenije – Mednarodne pogodbe.