The Italian delegation to the CoR is composed of representatives from the Regions, the Provinces and the Municipalities selected according to criteria established by a decree of the President of the Council.[1]
The Regions and Autonomous Provinces may participate in the Council of the EU, the Commission, as well as in their working groups and expert committees, following an agreement in the State-Regions Conference.
The national delegation to the Council may be chaired by regional representatives and must comprise at least one representative of the special status Regions and Autonomous Provinces.[2]
Moreover, the Government is obliged to appeal to the Court of Justice of the EU against EU decisions if the State-Regions Conference so demands with an absolute majority of the special status Regions and Autonomous Provinces, provided that the matter is within their remit.[3]
Law 52/1996 grants Regions the right to open liaison offices in Brussels for relations with the EU institutions. All Regions and some Provinces have set up offices in Brussels:
Most regional liaison offices have established bilateral and multilateral relationships with other European Regions and associations. Several Regions participate in cross-border projects; all Regions are involved in networks such as REGLEG. They are also represented in the Assembly of European Regions (AER) and are members of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).[4]
ANCI represents local interest before EU institutions and cooperates with other associations of LRAs. The research association CITTALIA unites UPI (Unione Province d'Italia) - which represents all the Italian provinces except the autonomous provinces of Trento, Bolzano e Aosta - and ANCI in Brussels, which supports the Italian CoR delegation's activity, focuses on EU issues having a local impact and cooperates with major European networks of municipalities.
[1] Decreto del Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri, 19 dicembre 2006, “Nuova ripartizione tra le collettività regionali e locali del numero dei componenti italiani del Comitato delle regioni, di cui all'articolo 263 del Trattato C.E. Annullmanento e sostituzione del decreto del Presidente del Consiglio dei Ministri 12 gennaio 2006" [DPCM of 19 December 2006 on the new composition of the Italian delegation to the CoR], Article 1.
[2] Legge 5 giugno 2003, n. 131 "Disposizioni per l'adeguamento dell'ordinamento della Repubblica alla legge costituzionale 18 ottobre 2001, n. 3" (G.U. n. 132 del 10 Giugno 2003) [Law 131/2003 Provisions for the adaptation of the law of the Republic to the Constitutional Law of 18 October 2001, n. 3], Article 5.
[3] Legge 5 giugno 2003, n. 131 "Disposizioni per l'adeguamento dell'ordinamento della Repubblica alla legge costituzionale 18 ottobre 2001, n. 3" (G.U. n. 132 del 10 Giugno 2003) [Law 131/2003 Provisions for the adaptation of the law of the Republic to the Constitutional Law of 18 October 2001, n. 3], Article 5.
[4] Bilancia, P., Palermo. F., Porchia, O., 'The European fitness of Italian Regions', Perspectives on Federalism, Vol. 2, issue 2, 2010, pp.161-162.
