An image predictive encoding device comprising: region division means adapted to divide an input image into a plurality of regions; motion information estimation means adapted to obtain motion information for acquiring from a previously-reconstructed reference picture a signal highly correlated with a pixel signal of a target region, the target region serving as an encoding target resulting from division of the input image by the region division means; predicted signal generation means adapted to generate a predicted signal of the target region based on the motion information; residual signal generation means adapted to generate a residual signal based on the predicted signal of the target region and the pixel signal of the target region; quantization means (106, 107) adapted to perform quantization of the residual signal to generate quantized coefficients; encoding means adapted to encode the motion information and the quantized coefficients of the residual signal; inverse quantization means (108, 109) adapted to perform inverse quantization of the quantized coefficients generated by the quantization means (106, 107), to reconstruct a residual signal; recording means adapted to store, as a reference picture, a picture which includes a reconstructed pixel signal of the target region, the picture generated by addition of the predicted signal and the reconstructed residual signal, wherein the motion information comprises prediction modes of candidates for selection, the prediction modes being a uni-prediction using one reference picture, and a bi-prediction using two reference pictures; a first, a second and a third reference picture list (L0, L1, L2), in which frame numbers (frame_num) of a plurality of reference pictures are registered, wherein the first reference picture list and the second reference picture list are used for bi-prediction; and a reference picture list management means adapted to determine the reference pictures to be registered in the third reference picture list, based on the reference pictures registered in the first and second reference picture lists (L0, L1), wherein if an identical reference picture is redundantly registered in the first and second reference picture lists (L0, L1), only one frame number (frame num) of these redundant two reference pictures is registered in the third reference picture list; wherein the motion information estimation means is adapted to select one of the candidates from one of the two prediction modes and, when the uni-prediction is selected, the motion information estimation means is adapted to obtain the motion information from one reference picture included in the third reference picture list, and wherein the encoding means is adapted to encode at least the prediction mode as the motion information. region division means adapted to divide an input image into a plurality of regions; motion information estimation means adapted to obtain motion information for acquiring from a previously-reconstructed reference picture a signal highly correlated with a pixel signal of a target region, the target region serving as an encoding target resulting from division of the input image by the region division means; predicted signal generation means adapted to generate a predicted signal of the target region based on the motion information; residual signal generation means adapted to generate a residual signal based on the predicted signal of the target region and the pixel signal of the target region; quantization means (106, 107) adapted to perform quantization of the residual signal to generate quantized coefficients; encoding means adapted to encode the motion information and the quantized coefficients of the residual signal; inverse quantization means (108, 109) adapted to perform inverse quantization of the quantized coefficients generated by the quantization means (106, 107), to reconstruct a residual signal; recording means adapted to store, as a reference picture, a picture which includes a reconstructed pixel signal of the target region, the picture generated by addition of the predicted signal and the reconstructed residual signal, wherein the motion information comprises prediction modes of candidates for selection, the prediction modes being a uni-prediction using one reference picture, and a bi-prediction using two reference pictures; a first, a second and a third reference picture list (L0, L1, L2), in which frame numbers (frame_num) of a plurality of reference pictures are registered, wherein the first reference picture list and the second reference picture list are used for bi-prediction; and a reference picture list management means adapted to determine the reference pictures to be registered in the third reference picture list, based on the reference pictures registered in the first and second reference picture lists (L0, L1), wherein if an identical reference picture is redundantly registered in the first and second reference picture lists (L0, L1), only one frame number (frame num) of these redundant two reference pictures is registered in the third reference picture list; wherein the motion information estimation means is adapted to select one of the candidates from one of the two prediction modes and, when the uni-prediction is selected, the motion information estimation means is adapted to obtain the motion information from one reference picture included in the third reference picture list, and wherein the encoding means is adapted to encode at least the prediction mode as the motion information.