The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe has urged Malta to raise the competencies of local councils while praising the country for its local government reform of 2019.

The reform included the lowering of the minimum age for candidates to 16, and Malta's ratification of the Additional Protocol to the European Charter of Local Self-Government on the right to participate in the affairs of a local authority.

The Congress expressed concern about the limited scope of Maltese local government, the ineffectiveness of consultations with local authorities, and the 'excessive supervision' of local councils by the central authorities.

The congress's remarks were made in the conclusions of a monitoring report on the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government in Malta, presented by Cecilia Feliczitasz Friderics (Hungary) and Matthias Gysin (Switzerland).

The rapporteurs highlighted financial constraints to which local councils are subject, a lack of adequate financial resources allocated to the councils and dependence on earmarked grants.

The Congress recommended that the Maltese government increase the competencies of local councils, ensure effective consultation with them, limit administrative supervision to supervision of compliance with the law, review the system of financing local authorities, and diversify local funding.

It also recommended granting local councils more administrative freedom, enhancing their powers to manage executive secretaries independently, and allowing mayors to choose between full-time or part-time work. Conferring special status on Valletta should also be considered to enable it to meet the specific needs associated with its role as the capital.