The Chamber of Deputies approved this Wednesday (27) a project that regulates the functioning of municipal associations, allowing them to represent their associates before Justice and other bodies in matters of common interest. The proposal goes to presidential sanction.
The project was authored by former senator Antonio Anastasia, who justified the need to regulate associations of Municipalities through federal law, in order to ensure the greatest balance of forces between the entities of the Federation. On the occasion, the parliamentarian stated that the 5,570 municipalities “are very dispersed and have a representative disadvantage.”
Currently, these associations already exist, such as the National Confederation of Municipalities (CNM), but due to the lack of legal provision they have difficulties in representing their confederated municipalities in various instances. According to the text, these entities will be officially known as “association of representation of municipalities”, and the Federal District may also participate.
The associations may act in matters of a political-representative, technical, scientific, educational, cultural and social nature. They must organize themselves for non-economic purposes, they cannot manage public services (object of public consortia) or carry out political-party and religious activities; or even pay any remuneration to its directors, except amounts of an indemnity nature, such as per diem.
Existing municipal associations must adapt to the new rules within two years of the coming into force of the future law.
requirements
The association’s statute shall provide for:
| » Requirements for membership and exclusion of associated municipalities; |
| » The possibility of disaffiliation at any time without penalties; |
| » The rights and duties of associates; |
| » The criteria to authorize the association to represent the associates before other spheres of government, and to promote, judicially and extrajudicially, their interests; |
| » The form of election and term of office of the association’s legal representative; and |
| » The form of administrative management. |
Contribution
In order to pay the financial contributions to support the activities of the associations, the municipalities must provide for the amount in their respective budgets. The audit courts will indirectly exercise external control over the associations when analyzing the accounts of the associated municipalities.
*With information from the Chamber Agency.
