| 9 Marianne Halkjær Ebbesen Legal Case Officer Lisbeth Adserballe Senior Head of Division An authority can have many varied tasks and therefore act in various roles. Besides making decisions within the meaning of the law, authorities give guidance, for example, and make private law contracts. It can be difficult to keep the roles separate, and that may affect citizens’ legal rights. Most people probably consider public authorities as a kind of administrators of the welfare state – they see to it that children are looked after in daycare institutions, that patients receive treatment at hospitals, and that those who cannot fend for themselves get help. But very few, presumably, consider the several and essentially different roles the authorities have in that connection. And sometimes even multiple roles in the very same case. One role is where authorities make decisions. In these cases, the authority unilaterally decides what is or what is going to be applicable law in the situation. By way of example may be mentioned declaration of planning permissions, allocation of student grants or change of a citizen’s tax assessment. A second role is the more service and operations oriented part of authorities’ tasks, for example practical patient treatment, operation of daycare institutions and schooling in primary and lower secondary schools. This is called ‘actual administrative activity’. Guidance of citizens or businesses is yet another example of actual administrative activity. A third role pertains to entering into agreements. For example, when a municipality is selling a building site or entering into a tenancy agreement. In these situations, the municipality acts as an ordinary contracting party equally with You can’t get planning permission. Decision-making