Lombardy commissions begin review of regional autonomy agreements

The Institutional Affairs and Local Entities Commission and the Special Commission for Autonomy and Reorganization of Local Autonomies in Lombardy have begun examining two proposed agreement schemes with the Italian government. These agreements aim to grant the region additional forms of autonomy in several key sectors, including civil protection, professional services, supplementary and integrative social security, and healthcare protection.

During the proceedings, Mauro Piazza, the Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Lombardy Region with a mandate for Autonomy, noted that the process is intended to finalize regional autonomy by the end of the current national legislature. He highlighted the long institutional journey of this reform, which traces back to a 2015 Council vote and a 2017 consultative referendum where 95.1% of Lombardy voters supported the measure. The regional government emphasized that the reform process has involved continuous consultation with local territories and social stakeholders to ensure the changes are not imposed from above.