Autonomy, Mattarella promulgates the law

The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, has just promulgated the Autonomy Law, i.e. the law containing 'provisions for the implementation of the differentiated autonomy of ordinary statute regions pursuant to Article 116, third paragraph, of the Constitution'. The measure - much contested by the oppositions - aims to implement the reform of Title V of the Constitution put in place in 2001. Eleven articles set out the legislative and administrative procedures for the application of the third paragraph of Article 116 of the Charter. In essence, it is a matter of defining the agreements between the State and those Regions requesting Autonomy in the 23 matters indicated in the measure.

They start at the initiative of the regions themselves, in consultation with the local authorities. There are 23 subjects, including health protection. Then there are, among others, education, sport, environment, energy, transport, culture and foreign trade. Fourteen are the subjects defined by the Lep, Livelli essenziali di prestazione.

The granting of one or more 'forms of autonomy' is subordinate to the determination of the Lep, i.e. the criteria that determine the minimum level of service that must be guaranteed - it is specified in the text - in a uniform manner throughout the national territory. The determination of the standard costs and requirements, and therefore of the LEPs, will take place starting from a reconnaissance of the State's historical expenditure in each Region over the last three years.

Article 4, amended in the Senate Chamber by an FdI amendment, establishes the principles for the transfer of functions to the individual regions, specifying that it will be granted only after the Lep have been determined and within the limits of the resources made available in the budget law. Therefore, without Lep and their financing, which must also be extended to the regions that do not request devolution, there will be no Autonomy.

Composed of all the competent ministers, assisted by a technical secretariat, located at the Department for Regional Affairs and Autonomies of the Presidency of the Council. It will have to provide for a reconnaissance of the regulatory framework in relation to each administrative function of the state and ordinary regions, and for the identification of the subjects or areas of subjects referable to the Lep on civil and social rights that must be guaranteed throughout the national territory.