Local Government in The Netherlands
Constitution says The Netherlands is a decentralised unitary State, with three tiers of government: central government, including the Houses of Parliament (Senate and Second Chamber). The basic structure is very simple: all government units on one level have the same tasks and the same responsibilities. The law makes no distinction between small or large municipalities. Of course the character of the problems of a large city is not the same as those of a rural municipality, but basically all have the same tasks and responsibilities. Local government is autonomous.
The European Union is becoming more and more important. Although most people are not conscious of it, more than 50% of our legislation comes either directly from Brussels or is influenced by regulations from Brussels. This legislation affects all tiers of government directly.
The Inter-provincial council (IPO) is the organisation for provinces. There are 12 provinces.