Abstract: Activation of the Eurointegrational processes, reforms within most of the European countries in the area of local self-governance and regional development and their cooperation on various levels determines the coming together of territorial communities, their authorities and government officials, associations of the branches of local self-governance, etc. The result of implementing programs such as “Europe of Regions” and “Europe of Communities” evidently became the forming of the European system of local and regional self-governance, which can be defined as a combination of the main structural elements, subjects and forms of implementation of the local and regional self-governance, through which the European countries, their territorial communities, local and regional branches of authority, population, as well as international organizations (Council of Europe, EU, OSCE, BSEC) ensure the realization of right to self-governance, related functions, and carry out the set responsibilities. The article analyzes the methods of creation of such system, the principles, bases and subjects, legal-contractual and institutional mechanisms of ensuring and implementing this system. In author’s opinion, the legalization of its existence lies in the European Municipal Law, which is simultaneously characterized by the features of international law, supranational, as well as internal national law.

Abstract: Activation of the Eurointegrational processes, reforms within most of the European countries in the area of local self-governance and regional development and their cooperation on various levels determines the coming together of territorial communities, their authorities and government officials, associations of the branches of local self-governance, etc. The result of implementing programs such as “Europe of Regions” and “Europe of Communities” evidently became the forming of the European system of local and regional self-governance, which can be defined as a combination of the main structural elements, subjects and forms of implementation of the local and regional self-governance, through which the European countries, their territorial communities, local and regional branches of authority, population, as well as international organizations (Council of Europe, EU, OSCE, BSEC) ensure the realization of right to self-governance, related functions, and carry out the set responsibilities. The article analyzes the methods of creation of such system, the principles, bases and subjects, legal-contractual and institutional mechanisms of ensuring and implementing this system. In author’s opinion, the legalization of its existence lies in the European Municipal Law, which is simultaneously characterized by the features of international law, supranational, as well as internal national law.