# Conference of European Regions with Legislative Power

The Conference of European Regions with Legislative Power (RLEG) is a political network and joint initiative of leading regions in Europe with legislative power, their own system of government, parliament and head of government. It primarily consists of representatives of regional governments from European Union (EU) member states. The countries of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are members of the conference, and although located in Europe, they are no longer part of the European Union. It is not a formal EU institution, and only 73 regions of 8 member states participate.

## Background

The Conference of European Regions with Legislative Power advocates for a system of multilevel governance across the European Union (EU) by advocating for co-responsibility in the integration process. The body suggests that this would ensure the "precise application of the decentralised dimension of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality".
The network aims to bring together the regions across the European Union and continental Europe who hold legislative powers with devolved systems of government which hold legal competencies that have been created as a result of the political and constitutional mechanism of the member states of the European Union in which the region is part of. In the case of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, these three countries are no longer part of the European Union, following a United Kingdom wide decision to leave the European Union in 2016.
At a point, the regions part of the conference accounted for 56% of the total population of the European Union.

## History
### Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies

On 7 October 1997, the Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies (CALRE) was established in Oviedo, Spain, following a period of meetings to enhance European roles for regional legislatures.
Three precedents were the founding principles:
* "The Declaration of the Assembly of European Regions (Basle, 1996) in its article 12.1 proposed mechanisms for contact between the European Parliament and Regional Parliaments, considering that they are institutions representing the direct will of citizens"
* "The Stuttgart theses, developed in May 1997 during an International Conference organised by the Landtag of Baden-Würtemberg in collaboration with the European Centre for Research on Federalism of Tübingen, on the role of Regional Parliaments of the European Union in European policy"
* "The Declaration signed by Germany, Austria and Belgium in October 1997, referring to one of the Stuttgart theses on the principle of subsidiarity established by the Maastricht Treaty. This declaration predicated the extension of this principle not only in the relationship between the Union and the Member States but also the Lander and other Regions considering that they have been attributed legislative power assigned by the national Constitution"
The Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies serves as a conference of the seventy-four presidents of the regional legislative assemblies across continental Europe and European Union member states. The current composition of Conference of European Regional Legislative Assemblies is made up of representation from the parliaments of the Spanish communities, Italian regional councils, the federated states of Germany and Austria, the Portuguese regions of l'Açores and Madeira, the countries of the United Kingdom with devolved national parliaments – Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Ǻland Islands in Finland and Belgium community and regional chambers.

### Conference of European Regions with Legislative Power

Following the Barcelona Conference held in 2000, six presidents (heads of governments of the membership regions of the conference) were appointed to manage the network which was agreed following the conference held in Barcelona. The six members responsible for managing the network following the Barcelona Conference were Baden-Württemberg, Catalonia, Scotland, Tuscany, Tyrol and Wallonia. Flanders spearheaded discussions around the creation of a political declaration by Bavaria, Catalonia, North-Rhine Westphalia, Salzburg, Scotland, Flanders and Wallonia and defining regions with legislative power as "regions having a legislature as defined in Article 3 of the First Protocol to the European Convention on Human Rights".
In November 2002 during a meeting of the conference held in Florence, the REGLEG conference called for greater roles and representation of regions with legislative across the European continent in regards to the European Union. Previously, in 2001, the European Council adopted the Laeken Declaration as part of the Convention on the Future of Europe which acknowledged the enhanced roles regions of Europe with legislative power could have in regards to decision making across the European Union. The European Commission formally recognised the White Paper on Governance which highlighted the role regions of Europe with legislative power and own system of government could. As a result, the European Commission formally recognised the "enhanced inclusion of the sub-national authorities can contribute to the quality of European decision- making" and called on each of the member states of the European Union to suggest how relations and decision making processes between the European Union and regions with legislative power can be improved.

## Leadership

* 2003–2004: Scotland (Jack McConnell)
* 2010–2011: Flanders (Jean-Luc Vanraes)
* 2011–2012: Vienna (Michael Häupl)

## Membership

* All 9 states of the federal republic of Austria
* All 5 regions and communities of the federal kingdom of Belgium
* Åland, an autonomous region of Finland
* All 16 states of the federal republic of Germany
* All 20 regions of Italy
* The two autonomous regions of Portugal: the Azores and Madeira
* All 17 autonomous communities of Spain
* The three countries of the United Kingdom with devolved governments and legislatures – Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

### Members

| Member name | Symbols | Symbols | Parliament | Head of government | Status |
| Member name | Arms | Flag | Parliament | Head of government | Status |
| Scotland | | | Scottish Parliament | First Minister of Scotland | Countries of the United Kingdom |
| Wales | | | Senedd | First Minister of Wales | Countries of the United Kingdom |
| Northern Ireland | - | - | Northern Ireland Assembly | First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland | Countries of the United Kingdom |
| Burgenland | | | Landtag Burgenland | Governor | States of Austria |
| Carinthia | | | Carinthian Landtag | Governor | States of Austria |
| Lower Austria | | | Landtag of Lower Austria | Governor | States of Austria |
| Salzburg | | | Salzburg Landtag | Governor | States of Austria |
| Styria | | | Landtag Styria | Governor | States of Austria |
| Tyrol | | | Tyrolean Landtag | Governor | States of Austria |
| Upper Austria | | | Landtag of Upper Austria | Governor | States of Austria |
| Vienna | | | Municipal Council and Landtag of Vienna | Mayor and Governor | States of Austria |
| Vorarlberg | | | Landtag of Vorarlberg | Governor | States of Austria |
| Flemish Region | | | Flemish Parliament | Minister-President of Flanders | Regions of Belgium |
| Wallonia | | | Parliament of Wallonia | Minister-President of Wallonia | Regions of Belgium |
| Åland | | | Parliament of Åland | Lantråd | Regions of Finland |
| Baden-Württemberg | | | Landtag of Baden-Württemberg | Minister President of Baden-Württemberg | States of Germany |
| Bavaria | | | Landtag of Bavaria | Minister President of Bavaria | States of Germany |
| Berlin | | | Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin | Governing Mayor of Berlin | States of Germany |
| Brandenburg | | | Landtag of Brandenburg | Minister President of Brandenburg | States of Germany |
| Bremen | | | Bürgerschaft of Bremen | Mayor of Bremen | States of Germany |
| Hamburg | | | Hamburg Parliament | Mayor of Hamburg | States of Germany |
| Hesse | | | Landtag of Hesse | Minister President of Hesse | States of Germany |
| Lower Saxony | | | Landtag of Lower Saxony | Minister-President of Lower Saxony | States of Germany |
| Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | | | Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | Minister President of Mecklenburg | States of Germany |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | | | Landtag of North Rhine-Westphalia | Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia | States of Germany |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | | | Landtag of Rhineland-Palatinate | Minister President of Rhineland-Palatinate | States of Germany |
| Saarland | | | Landtag of Saarland | Minister President of Saarland | States of Germany |
| Saxony | | | Landtag of Saxony | Minister President of Saxony | States of Germany |
| Saxony-Anhalt | | | Landtag of Saxony-Anhalt | Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt | States of Germany |
| Schleswig-Holstein | | | Landtag of Schleswig-Holstein | Minister President of Schleswig-Holstein | States of Germany |
| Thuringia | | | Landtag of Thuringia | Minister President of Thuringia | States of Germany |
| Abruzzo | | | Regional Council of Abruzzo | President of Abruzzo | Regions of Italy |
| Aosta Valley | | | Regional Council of Aosta Valley | President of Aosta Valley | Regions of Italy |
| Apulia | | | Regional Council of Apulia | President of Apulia | Regions of Italy |
| Basilicata | | | Regional Council of Basilicata | President of Basilicata | Regions of Italy |
| Calabria | | | Regional Council of Calabria | President of Calabria | Regions of Italy |
| Campania | | | Regional Council of Campania | President of Campania | Regions of Italy |
| Emilia-Romagna | | | Legislative Assembly of Emilia-Romagna | President of Emilia-Romagna | Regions of Italy |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | | | Regional Council of Friuli-Venezia Giulia | President of Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Regions of Italy |
| Lazio | | | Regional Council of Lazio | President of Lazio | Regions of Italy |
| Liguria | | | Regional Council of Liguria | President of Liguria | Regions of Italy |
| Lombardy | | | Regional Council of Lombardy | President of Lombardy | Regions of Italy |
| Marche | | | Legislative Assembly of Marche | President of Marche | Regions of Italy |
| Molise | | | Regional Council of Molise | President of Molise | Regions of Italy |
| Piedmont | | | Regional Council of Piedmont | President of Piedmont | Regions of Italy |
| Sardinia | | | Regional Council of Sardinia | President of Sardinia | Regions of Italy |
| Sicily | | | Sicilian Regional Assembly | President of Sicily | Regions of Italy |
| Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | | | Regional Council of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | President of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | Regions of Italy |
| Tuscany | | | Regional Council of Tuscany | President of Tuscany | Regions of Italy |
| Umbria | | | Legislative Assembly of Umbria | President of Umbria | Regions of Italy |
| Umbria | | | Regional Council of Veneto | President of Veneto | Regions of Italy |
| Azores | | | Legislative Assembly of the Azores | President of the Azores | Autonomous Regions of Portugal |
| Madeira | | | Legislative Assembly of Madeira | President of the Regional Government of Madeira | Autonomous Regions of Portugal |
| Andalusia | | | Parliament of Andalusia | President of the Regional Government of Andalusia | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Aragon | | | Cortes of Aragon | President of the Government of Aragon | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Asturias | | | General Junta of the Principality of Asturias | President of the Principality of Asturias | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Balearic Islands | | | Parliament of the Balearic Islands | President of the Government of the Balearic Islands | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Basque Country | | | Basque Parliament | Lehendakari | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Canary Islands | | | Parliament of the Canary Islands | President of the Canary Islands | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Cantabria | | | Parliament of Cantabria | President of Cantabria | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Castile and León | | | Cortes of Castile and León | President of the Junta of Castile and León | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Castilla–La Mancha | | | Cortes of Castilla–La Mancha | President of the Junta of Communities of Castilla–La Mancha | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Catalonia | | | Parliament of Catalonia | President of the Government of Catalonia | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Extremadura | | | Assembly of Extremadura | President of the Regional Government of Extremadura | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Galicia | | | Parliament of Galicia | President of the Regional Government of Galicia | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| La Rioja | | | Parliament of La Rioja | President of La Rioja | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Madrid | | | Assembly of Madrid | President of the Community of Madrid | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Murcia | | | Regional Assembly of Murcia | President of the Region of Murcia | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Navarre | | | Parliament of Navarre | President of the Government of Navarre | Autonomous communities of Spain |
| Valencia | | | Corts Valencianes | President of the Valencian Government | Autonomous communities of Spain |