Competences (legislative and non-legislative), legal bases and policy areas where the regional parliament is active  

Legislative:The legislative competences of the Federation and the Regions (Länder) are regulated in detail by the Basic Law (Grundgesetz). Articles 70-74 govern the distribution of legislative powers between the Länder and the Federation.

• In the fields subject to the exclusive legislative power of the Federation (Article 73 Basic Law), the Länder shall have power to legislate only when and to the extent that they are expressly authorised to do so by a federal law. The Federation holds exclusive legislative competence inter alia in the following fields: all foreign policy issues, defense, civil protection, citizenship, currency and monetary system, customs duties and foreign trade, and cooperation between the Federation and the Länder concerning criminal police work.
• In fields subject to concurrent legislative powers (Articles 72 and 74 Basic Law), the Länder shall have power to legislate so long as and to the extent that the Federation has not exercised its legislative power by enacting a law (Article 72 (1) Basic Law). Yet, a difference has to be made between areas concerned by the necessity clause (Erforderlichkeitsklausel) or not. Indeed, Article 72 (2) Basic Law states that '[t]he Federation shall have the right to legislate on matters falling within clauses 4, 7, 11, 13, 15, 19a, 20, 22, 25 and 26 of paragraph (1) of Article 74, if and to the extent that the establishment of equivalent living conditions throughout the federal territory or the maintenance of legal or economic unity renders federal regulation necessary in the national interest.' These matters requiring necessity include inter alia the public welfare, the promotion of research and the transfer of land. Those that are not concerned by this necessity clause include inter alia civil law, criminal law, registration of birth, death and marriages, law of association, land distribution and labour law. Finally, Article 72 (3) Basic Law indicates that Länder may enact laws at variance with federal legislation for matters listed in this provision. Hunting, protection of nature and management of water resources are all among these fields.
• The Länder shall have the right to legislate insofar as the Basic Law does not confer legislative powers on the Federation (Article 70 Basic Law). Therefore the State Parliament holds the sole right of legislation in the areas not addressed in Articles 70-74 of the Basic Law. These matters include inter alia culture, schools and education, local authorities, police, right of assembly, public service law, nursing home law, hotel and catering law, press, broadcasting and new media.
• Furthermore, the State Parliament is responsible for adopting the regional budget.

Non-legislative:The Parliament inter alia controls the State Government and elects the Minister President of the State Government (Article 83 of the State Constitution), a member of the State Court of Audit (Article 107, para. 2), and a member of the Constitutional Court of Brandenburg (Article 112, para. 4). For further information, see the Constitution of the Region Brandenburg, available here (DE).

List of committees/sub-committees or working groups in the regional parliament
The Standing Committees include inter alia:

• Principal Committee:
• Committee on Internal and Municipal Affairs;
• Committee for Legal Affairs;
• Committee for Education, Youth and Sport;
• Committee for Science, Research and Culture;
• Committee for Labour, Social Affairs, Health;
• Committee for Family;
• Committee for Economy and Energy;
• Committee for Rural Development, Environment and Agriculture;
• Committee for Budget and Finances;
• Committee for Budgetary Control
• Committee for European Affairs, Development Policy and Consumer Protection.

For further information, see here (DE).

Committees in charge of scrutinising subsidiarity   
The main committee in charge of subsidiarity monitoring is the Committee on European Affairs, Development Policy and Consumer Protection. Other relevant committees may also be involved depending on the subject-matter of the EU draft legislation concerned.

Staff in charge of subsidiarity scrutiny  
Head of Liaison Office Brussels is in charge of subsidiarity scrutiny and reports at regular intervals about EU draft legislation.

Subsidiarity check  
Nature (selective/systematic): Selective.
Procedure: Pursuant to Article 94 of the State Constitution, the State Government shall transfer all EU draft legislation to the parliament. Although a specific procedure is organised by Article 94, para. 5 of the rules of procedure of the Parliament, the latter does not currently carry out any subsidiarity check of EU draft legislation. The rules of procedure state that the Committee for European Affairs and Development Policy is responsible for the subsidiarity check. A member of the Committee may request the initiation of a subsidiarity check at the President of the Committee within one week after the transmission of the EU draft legislation. In this case, the Committee proposes a reasoned opinion to the Parliament, which takes the final decision. Yet, if a prompt decision is required to respect the strict deadlines, the Committee may take the final decision itself. For further information, see the rules of procedure, available here (DE).

Cooperation/coordination at the regional level  
See the answer to the previous point. Moreover, the Parliament and the State Government concluded an agreement on 7 October 2010 to implement the duty on the part of the State Government to inform the State Parliament as laid down in Article 94 of the Constitution of the Land Brandenburg, available here (DE).
Cooperation/coordination at the central level 
There is no direct link between the Brandenburg State Parliament and the German Bundestag or the Bundesrat (Federal Council). Yet, there is a direct link between the State Parliament and the State Government, which is part of the Federal Council.
In Germany, the 16 State Governments participate through the Federal Council in the legislation and administration of the Federation. The Federal Council submits the European draft legislation to the State Governments, which transfer it to their respective State Parliament.
The position of the Brandenburg State Parliament is transferred to the State Government, which considers it in its voting in the Federal Council.

• a network between the Chairmen of the Committees on European Affairs of all 16 state parliaments in Germany and
• a network between the legal officers of all 16 state parliaments in Germany and representatives of the administration of the nine Austrian regional parliaments (to exchange information and experiences, notably on subsidiarity issues).