<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="1252"%> Civic Network of South Tyrol

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Region Trentino - South Tyrol

The Autonomous Region Trentino - South Tyrol consists of the area and population of the two autonomous Provinces Bozen and Trento.

After the Paris Agreement had been signed (on 5 September 1946) Italian politicians and interest groups tried to extend to the Trentino the self- determination provided in this bilateral treaty exclusively for South Tyrol. The Constituent Assembly in Rome (elected on 2 June 1946) adopted this point of view and on 27 July 1947 approved Article 116 of the new Constitution (which came into effect on 1 January 1948) which sanctioned the creation of the Autonomous Region Trentino - Tiroler Etschland (Trentino - Upper Adige). As a result of this fundamental decision, vigorously opposed by the South Tyrolese, the Autonomy Statute provided for in the Paris Agreement (Constitutional Law n. 5 of 26 February 1948, in effect on 14 March 1948) broke down: the Region was provided with considerable powers, the two Provinces with very few.

For South Tyrol even these powers hardly had any effect, as a result of which the South Tyrolese strove for a new Autonomy Statute. This aim, also after the intervention of the United Nations, was achieved at the end of 1969, with the approval of the "Package", in which were contained, amongst other things, 97 measures modifying the old statute. These measures were approved with Constitutional Law n. 1 of 10 November 1971 (in effect on 20 January 1972), and, together with the still valid provisions of the old statute, formed the second Autonomy Statute (the unified text of which was approved with Presidential Decree n. 670 of 31 August 1972).

With this reorganisation the Region was left with only modest powers. The new wording of the Statute limited the powers of the Region. It still retained primary legislative powers mainly in the sectors of the regulation of local bodies and the limits of their respective activities, the regulation of regional offices and semi-regional bodies, the establishment and maintenance of land registers, fire services, regulation of Chambers of Commerce, the development of co-operatives and their supervision. With regard to secondary powers the Region can legislated in the sectors of regulation of the municipalities, public welfare, regulation of mortgage loan and agricultural credit institutions and savings and rural banks. In the sectors of national insurance and social security the Region could issue laws to supplement the laws of the State.
The reform of the second Autonomy Statute of 1972 come in force by the constitutional law n°2/2001 on 16th February 2001, led to a reorganisation of the autonomous Region Trentino-Südtirol; at the same time there have been a revaluation of the provinces South Tyrol and Trentino. The Region,until now the structure that was the political superior of the Provinces of Bozen (Bolzano) and Trient (Trento), has lost its superior status with the coming into force of the reformed Autonomy Statute. In the future, the two provinces Trentino and South Tyrol will be the basic, essential elements of the region, and not its subordinated elements. Thanks to the third, reformed Autonomy Statute the two provinces Trentino and South Tyrol have more powers than the region itself. Until now, the Region was responsible for taking the initiative regarding amendments of the Autonomy Statute and, if the Parliament wanted to amend the Statute, it had to get in contact with the region. Now, the two provinces must be listened to, having priority.

The organs of the Region Trentino - South Tyrol are: the Regional Assembly, the Regional Government and the President of the Regional Government.

The Regional Assembly consists of the deputies of the Provincial Assemblies of Bozen (Bolzano) and Trient (Trento), on the basis of the 1991 census each with 35 deputies. The Regional Assembly is elected for five years and its sittings take place in Trient (Trento) in the first half of the legislative period and in Bozen (Bolzano) in the second half. Because of the third reformed Autonomy Statute, which provides an own constituency for the Ladins in Trentino, there will be at least two Ladins represented in the Regional Assembly in the future. The Regional Assembly has the functions of issuing laws within the framework of the Region's powers and of monitoring the Regional Government.
The office of the President of the Regional Assembly and that of the Vice-President until now had to be filled by deputies of the Italian and German linguistic group respectively in the first half of the legislative period and by deputies of the German and Italian linguistic group respectively in the second half. Thanks to the third Autonomy Statute the Ladin linguistic group has the right of representation in the presidency of the Regional Assembly. At present the President of the Regional Assembly is Dr. Franz Pahl (SVP) and the Vice-Presidents are Dr. Mauro Leveghi (Trentino Domani) and Dr. Carlo Willeit (Ladins).

The Regional Government consists of the President, the two Vice-Presidents and the Assessors, who are chosen by the Assembly from amongst its ranks. According to the Autonomy Statute the Regional Government must reflect the linguistic group composition of the legislative Assembly. Of the two Vice-Presidents one must come from the Italian linguistic group and the other from the German one. Because of the reformed Autonomy Statute the Ladin linguistic group will have the right of one seat in the Regional Government, independently of the proportional principle.
The duties of the Regional Government are to implement regional laws, to administer those subject matters falling within regional competence, and to give directions to the subordinate regional bodies. The President of the Regional Government has the tasks of administering with the Assessors matters lying within regional competence, distributing responsibility for these matters amongst the assessors, publishing laws passed by the Regional Government and chairing them, and representing the Region in all matters.

On the basis of the Regional elections (i.e. the provincial elections in South Tyrol and Trento) of 22 November 1998 the following parties and groups are represented in the twelfth legislature:
SVP (21 seats), Civica-Margherita (7), DS (6), AN(5), Forza Italia (3), Il Centro (5), Grüne Fraktion (3), Lega Nord Trentino per l'indipendenza della Padania (3), PATT (2), Gemischte Gruppe (2), Ladins-Freiheitlichen (2), Lista Dini-Autonomisti Trentini (3), Forza Italia Lista Civica CCD (2), Popolari-Alto Adige Domani (2), Trentino Domani (2), Union für Südtirol (2), Gemischte Fraktion (2).

The Regional Government is made up of a coalition between the SVP, Civica Margherita, PATT, DS and Lista Verde. The President of the Regional Government is Dr. Margherita Cogo (DS); the two Vice-Presidents are Roland Atz (SVP), responsible among other things for fortune, regulation of Chambers of Commerce and additional pensions and Dr. Tarcisio Grandi (Civica-Margherita), responsible for affairs regarding the budget, finances, relations to the EU, co-operation between Trentino and South Tyrol.
Other members of the Regional Government are: Cav. Gino Fontana (Civica-Margherita), relations to the linguistic minorities; Dr. Franco Panizza (PATT), regulation of Regional Offices and their personnel, credit institutions with regional character, Co-operatives and their supervision; Dr. Richard Theiner (SVP), establishment and maintenance of Land Registers, regulation of sanitary corporate bodies, public welfare and mortgage loan; Dr. Alessandra Zendron (Lista Verde-Grüne Fraktion) offices of lay magistrates dealing with minor offences, simplification of the bureaucratic proceedings, co-ordination of the regional competencies.

The Regional Government carries out the functions entrusted to it through the regional administrative structure of the Region, which is divided as follows: Secretariat of the Regional Government (six directorates); Service Unit for Research and Linguistic Affairs (three directorates); the Audit Office (two directorates); Department I: Personnel (three directorates); Department II: Social Affairs, Credit and Co-operatives (three directorates); Department III: Financial Affairs (five directorates); Department IV: Local Bodies and election service (three directorates); Department V: Land Registers, together with Inspectorates in the Provinces of Bozen (Bolzano) and Trient (Trento).