Bariéry a šance rozvoja malých obcí

摘要

Fragment structure of settlement in Slovakia has been the serious conditioning factor of the public administration reform since the year 2002. A great number of small municipalities (68 of municipalities up to 1,000 inhabitants) brings about problems with their development as well as with providing entrusted competences. Within this reform a lot of competences were transferred f rom state administration to local self-government. This situation has made more municipalities set up a joint municipal offices for performing new competences (there are more than 200 of offices like this, with the residence mainly in towns or big villages). The reason is that small municipalities are not able to provide new personal, qualified and financial competences. Joint municipal offices as a form of the association of municipalities do not exclude the fusion process of small municipalities, i.e. the process of municipal reform.