Diritto Pubblico Comparato ed Europeo

Sommario

1. Premessa. La partecipazione delle Regioni al processo di integrazione europea alla luce del principiodi sussidiarietà. – 2. La disciplina del “potere estero” delle Regioni italiane nel d.P.R. 31-3-1994 e le innovazioniintrodotte dalla Legge n. 59 del 1997. – 3. Analisi della giurisprudenza costituzionale in materia di “potereestero” delle Regioni. – 4. Le attività estere degli enti locali territoriali nell’analisi comparata dei testi costituzionali.– 5. Il ruolo del Consiglio d’Europa in materia di cooperazione transfrontaliera: dalla Convenzionequadrodel 1980 al Protocollo aggiuntivo del 1995. – 6. Le iniziative intraprese nel quadro della cooperazionetrasfrontaliera nei Paesi dell’Europa comunitaria. – 7. Considerazioni conclusive.

Abstract

The large and complex topic of the relations between State and Regions in the field of international relations continuously raises the issue of mutual spheres of competence. However, growing academic interest in the participation of Regions in the process of European integration has raised the question of the “treaty making power” of Regions and their role in the definition of a Country’s foreign policy. The innovative step of European Community Law in defining the internal rules and regulations of Member States regarding the “treaty making power” of Regions, is highlighted through focusing on the role of the principle of subsidiarity in the process of European integration. With reference to Italian legislation, consideration is given to the rules and norms of the “treaty making power” of Regions as provided in the Decree of the President of the Republic (DPR) of 31 March 1994, underlying the influence exerted by the Constitutional Court upon the activity of the legislator. After a comparative analysis of the foreign power of territorial bodies, as provided within the Constitutions of the main European Member States, an analysis follows of the content and value of those principles included in the European Outline Convention of the Council of Europe on Transfrontier Co-operation between Territorial Communities or Authorities, signed on 21 May 1980. A text which is still topical, and represents a mile-stone in agreements between frontier States. Finally, the focus turns to the role of the European Union in the promotion of those initiatives (INTERREG, INTERREG II, INTERREG IIC, INTERREG III) aimed at consolidating interstate relations between bordering European States, thus stressing the role played by such types of crossborder agreements within the problematic development of a Europe-of-Regions.