Association of Municipalities and towns of Slovenia (SOS) is the biggest representative association of municipalities, established in 1992. Association has 166 member municipalities (from 210 municipalities) and with this it covers nearly 90% inhabitants of Slovenia. Because of different needs in association with community’s size the association is organized in three sections – section of city municipalities, section with Administrative Unit headquarters and section of other communities. President of each section is also a vice-president of community member communities represent and accomplish their tasks in 11 work groups and commissions, as well as in 15 work groups of Association (440 representatives of member communities are operating in this groups), in which they coordinate legal acts and regulation act within working areas that are important for the communities
The highest executive body of Association is the presidency, composed of 25 mayors, 7 from each section.
President: Franc Kagler, mayor of Municipality of Maribor
Vice- president: Irena Majcen, mayor of Municipality of Slovenska Bistrica
Vice- president: Bojan Šrot, mayor of Municipality of Celje
Vice- president: Anton Peršak, mayor of Municipality of Trzin
Tasks of Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia are, in particular, implementation and representation of local community’s common interests in proportion to coordination with legal and regulation acts, which, with their solutions, impact on municipalities’ situation. Among this, there are many other tasks, inter alia:
• They draw up and carry out different types of education for Member Communities
• It offers help and scientific advice to the Member Communities in those fields where it is necessary
• It gives effect and it represents common interests of the community towards the state authorities and international organizations
• It creates common development projects
• It represents community’s interests in the negotiations for financial credits intended for the community’s from state budget
• It represents community’s interests in the procedures of making collective contract for public sector
• It prepares professional materials for the community’s needs
• It takes care of Member Community’s regular informing, about issues, that are important for the community’s functioning.
The Association works actively in the EU's COR. In the delegation of Slovenian local communities in the COR (where 7 places belong to Slovenia) next members are representing Slovenia:
Leader of Delegation in COR Irena Majcen, Slovenska Bistrica
Member Jasmina Vidmar, Maribor
Member Tone Smolnikar, Kamnik
Member Anton Čerin, Ljubljana
Substitute member Štefan Čelan, Ptuj
Substitute member Anton Štihec, Murska Sobota
Substitute member Branko Ledinek, Rače Fram
Substitute member Breda Škrjanec, občina Grosuplje
The National coordinator for the delegation’s work from the Association is Miha Mohor.
Members of the Association are represented also in the Congress of local and regional authorities by the EU Council (KLRO SE) by Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), by Network Association of Local Authorities of SE Europe – NALAS and by Euro Mediterranean Partnership of Local and Regional Authorities – COPPEM.
The SOS Secretary does professional, administrative-technical and other tasks for the member municipalities. The SOS Secretariat is:
Secretary General: Jasmina Vidmar
Counsellor for general and legal matters: Siniša Plavšić & Jasmina Kolar
Counsellor for the areas of environment, tourism, e-services: Saša Kek
International relationships area: Miha Mohor
Public relation: Alenka Jarc
Administrative-technical and financial advice: Metka Lasič
SKUPNOST OBČIN SLOVENIJE (Association of Municipalities and towns of Slovenia)
PARTIZANSKA 1
2000 MARIBOR
Tel: +386 2 234 15 00
Fax: +386 2 234 15 03
E-mail: info@skupnostobcin.si
Web: www.skupnostobcin.si
