Abstract

A recent Puglia Region statute joined other Italian Regions in issuing a legislative act on Public Participation. The Constitutional Court gave its judgment on a central Government legal action concerning this statute. The Court declared that public participation is an important instrument of legislative and administrative proceedings and recognized that the «public debate » is one of the instruments of participation; but underlined the limits of regional legislative authority on these same instruments. The author suggests how Regions should be able to issue some rules to assure their intervention on public debates concerning public works.