Fascicoli 2-3/2011

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Abstracts

THE RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT IN COLOMBIA

by Gloria Amparo Rodríguez

This paper describes the progressive recognition of the right to a healthy environment in Colombian legal system, one of the more advanced models of environmental guardianship in Latin America. The 1991 Colombian Constitution not only contains several regulations foreseeing environment protection, but it also consecrates the individual right to the environment and it foresees the duty of the State to guarantee the participation of the people to decisions able to engrave on the environment. The environmental legislation has introduced different mechanisms allowing people to take part to administrative proceedings on environmental matter (law n. 99 of the 1993) and it also has regulated different tools for jurisdictional guardianship of the individual right to the environment, as popular actions to defend collective interests, among which the interest to a healthy environment (law n. 472 of the 1998). Nevertheless, the article underlines how, although Colombian system is highly sophisticate, there are still many operational problems that compromise the real application of this normative of environmental protection.

ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL TRIAL LENGTH

by Giovanni Pitruzzella

The subdued contribution regards the timing of the constitutional trial, as another expression of its peculiarity: in particular, aside of relative quickness of it – in comparison with the ordinary ones – the Author underlines the primary topic of the proper protection of the (fundamental) rights, usually implied in all the different types of Constitutional Jurisdiction. Along such topic, in the contribution emerges indeed the unique role of the Court, whose sentences overlap both the political and the judicial competence, and it is for such reason, then, that the Court’s «authority» cannot depend on its quickness in resolving cases but – more properly – on its capability of pursuing and issuing sentences, the more shared as possible by all the Judges themselves. The length of the Constitutional trial – and its procedural terms, prescriptions, decadences – is, therefore, another profile of the absolutely sui generis nature of the Constitutional Jurisdiction.

PRINCIPLE OF NON-REGRESSION, NATURAL PROTECTED AREAS, DECLASSIFICATION

by Fernando López Ramón

Exposition on the development of the legal system of declassification of protected natural areas under Spanish law according to the principle of non regression, considering: a) historical links with economic interests, b) conservationist interpretations derived from the 1978 Constitution, c) international and European system of declassification, in particular the case-law related to the network Natura 2000, d) impulse given by some regional experiences, e) the constitutional and administrative case-law, and f) the assumption of the principle of non-regression in this area by the basic legislation of 2007.

THE SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTION OF FABIO MERUSI ON THE ITALIAN SYSTEM OF JUDICIAL REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTS AND DECISIONS

by Alberto Zito

Fabio Merusi is one of the most prominent scholar of administrative law in Italy. The essay examines the works of Fabio Merusi on the Italian system of judicial review of administrative acts. According to Fabio Merusi this system was not able in the past to guarantee the effective protection of citizens against administrative decisions. The essay also examines the reform proposals advanced by Fabio Merusi.

ABOUT THE LEGAL-CONSTITUTIONAL BASES OF THE OBLIGATION TO ADOPT PROVISIONS

by Antonio Colavecchio

The paper examines the legal-constitutional bases of the obligation, on the part of Public Administrations, to finalize their own procedures with an explicit provision (the so-called clare loqui). Such obligation stems from art. 2 of law no. 241/1990. The analysis is carried out by pinning down the contribution of each constitutional and general principle of our administrative framework (as integrated by the EU Law) to the legal basis of the obligation to adopt provisions, as well as to the definition of its content and scope. In particular, the paper points out the contribution of the fundamental principles of the administrative action, such as “impartially”, “good administration”, “transparency”, “legitimate expectation”, in establishing – at constitutional level – the clare loqui obligation, as well as their contribution to make it effective. From this latter point of view, the paper highlights the evolution that, mainly thanks to recent reforms in administrative procedures, has marked the system of protection for citizens in case the Public Administration does not fulfill the obligation to adopt provisions. Such evolution, in the picture of the synergy between legislation and case-law, also in the light of the contribution of the scholars, strengthens the perspective of the citizen claiming an “administrative response” in good time as a real subjective right and, from the European Law point of view, as a fundamental right of the person.

FROM THE STATE REGIONS COOPERATION TO THE PROTECTION OF THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS (AND BACK):

THE CLOSING CIRCLE IN THE SICILIAN REGIONAL EXPERIENCE

by Stefano Agosta

In a very innovative way compared to a “guaranteed” one, the opposite pattern of “cooperative” Regionalism is inspired by a radically different intuition for which the center and the suburbs – precisely with a spirit of fair cooperation – must contribute each other to the exercise of their constitutional functions. From this particular point of view, the Sicilian regional experience represents undoubtedly a real “constitutional forge” ante litteram, being able to distinguish itself in a useful way between an “organic” cooperation and a “procedural” one: in particular, the first one concerns the special prevision of the possible invitation of the Sicilian Region President to take part in Council of Ministers deliberations; the second one, instead, is related to a sort of increasing “scale”, ranging from the mere commitment of information and communication among the several governments levels until the highest “step” represented by the State-Sicily Region agreement. So the “circle” between loyal cooperation and protection of the fundamental rights closes itself whenever the State operates to “unify” regional functions ex art. 117, par. 2, lett. m, Const. (for example, in educational field or public housing development, etc.): that is a cooperation with Sicily, which is equally opened to the whole possible span of existence of State L.E.P. (in particular at the beginning, during and at the end of their emanation). Jurisprudence has the hard task to define – with an acceptable degree of security and stability – the judgment’s standards to use, time after time, for the evaluation of the effective proportionally (sic, reasonableness) of the statal and regional joint action, in view of the highest value in field, that is the super-constitutional one of human dignity.

FORECASTING AND RISK MANAGEMENT IN AREAS OF HIGH HYDRAULIC HAZARD

by Mariaconcetta D’Arienzo

In a field characterized by innate uncertainty and limited rationality, where the need for prudential and preventive dealing collides with the freedom of private initiative, the “co-decision” allows to remove or reduce many of the practical difficulties of implementation plans, providing a meditated assessment of the involved interests and fair balance between the needs of planning and the environmental conservation

SOME NOTES ABOUT RISIKOVERWALTUNG

by Paola Savona

This paper analyses the role played by the precautionary principle (Vorsorgeprinzip) in German constitutional and administrative law. Referring to the principle, several statutes allow public administration to act in order to prevent or reduce risks, i. e. situations in which formal probabilities cannot be assigned to the outcomes due to lack of empirical data or theoretical basis (uncertainty). In such cases, the Administration (s.c. Risikoverwaltung) is endowed with a discretionary power, much broader then the power to counteract a dangers, legal concept commonly referred to a situation in which, if not prevented from taking its course, can be expected, with a sufficient degree of probability, a damage to public or private goods. To balance this power, law creates institutions and procedures, which aim to generate new knowledge and, in the meantime, to guarantee legal certainty.

L'articolo Nuove Autonomie 2-3-2011 proviene da Nuove Autonomie.

INDICE
DOTTRINA

Raffaele Bifulco – Il rilievo costituzionale della legge n. 241 del 1990 – 289
Maria Immordino – L’attribuzione alla cognizione dell’Alta Corte di Giustizia sportiva dei diritti indisponibili: verso una rivitalizzazione dell’ordinamento sportivo? – 299
Antonio Colavecchio – La nuova disciplina dei termini procedimentali tra innovazioni evolutive e occasioni mancate – 315
Roberta Lombardi – Sistema dei controlli: questioni vecchie e nuove – 341
Paola Lombardi – Le funzioni amministrative di governo del territorio nel nuovo assetto costituzionale – 357
Tommaso Pensabene Lionti  – Trattato di Lisbona e diritti fondamentali: nuove prospettive con riferimento alla Carta di Nizza ed al rapporto tra Unione Europea e CEDU – 381
Manuela Salvago – La sospensione cautelare delle leggi nel giudizio in via principale – 415

GIURISPRUDENZA

SENTENZA BUNDESVERFASSUNGSGERICHT [BVG] – BVERFG, 2 BVE 2/08, 2 BVE 5/08, 2 BVR 1010/08, 2 BVR 1022/08, 2 BVR 1259/08, 2 BVR 182/09 del 30 giugno 2009 sulla ratifica del Trattato di Lisbona da parte della Germania con nota di Agata Anna Genna, Un’ipotesi di lettura per il LissabonUrteil: i giudici di Karlsruhe ed il processo di integrazione democratica dell’Unione europea – 449

Cristina Giaon – Dal giudice amministrativo indicazioni contrastanti sulla natura degli uffici legali degli enti pubblici – 477

RASSEGNE

Rassegna della giurisprudenza del Consiglio di Giustizia amministrativa per la Regione Sicilia di Paola Savona – 489
Rassegna della recente giurisprudenza del Consiglio di Stato Speciale in tema di urgenza nei contratti pubblici di Salvatore Dettori – 501
Rassegna della giurisprudenza dei Tribunali amministrativi regionali Speciale in tema di “urgenza negli appalti” di Sara Forasassi – 513

OSSERVATORIO PARLAMENTARE REGIONALE – 527

Mario Di Piazza – Osservazioni in tema di annullamento integrale, in sede giurisdizionale, delle operazioni elettorali per il rinnovo dell’assemblea regionale siciliana – 577

Abstract

THE JURISDICTION OF THE “ALTA CORTE DI GIUSTIZIA SPORTIVA” OVER FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: TOWARDS A REVITALIZATION OF THE SPORTS LEGAL SYSTEM?
by Maria Immordino

The interest toward the “sport justice” – in the framework of the relationships between sport law and state law – has been recently reawaken thanks to the institution, by the CONI, of the “High court of sport Justice”. The creation of the Court – whose competences extend to the defence of fundamental rights – had been solicited by the legislator in order to adequate the sport justice system to the constitutional principle of the “giusto processo”. The composition of the court is strongly characterized by the independence and impartiality of his members.

THE NEW REGULATION OVER TIME LIMITS OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES. INNOVATIVE CHANGES AND MISSED OPPORTUNITIES
by Antonio Colavecchio

Law no. 69/2009 is the most recent goal achieved in the process of protecting and enhancing the value of the “time” factor in the Public Administration. On this matter, it is of essential importance the control over the time limits of administrative procedures, about which art. 7 of Law no. 69/2009 gives a significant contribution, by completely rewriting art. 2 of Law no. 241/1990. In particular, the new 2009 law re-establishes in 30 days the “ordinary” time limit for finalizing administrative procedures, if not otherwise stated. Along with this re-establishment, a completely new element appears: a precise limit is set to the discretion usually allowed to each Public Administration in establishing the time limits for finalizing their respective procedures. The present paragraph 3 of art. 2 Law no. 241/1990 states, in principle, that, even for procedures which are independently ruled by the various Public Administrations and the Local Authorities, time limits cannot in any way exceed 90 days. The 2009 Law has by the way once again “given up” outlining the “procedural” consequences of not complying with the time limits of administrative procedures (to date, the non-compliance with time limits does not make the administrative provision unlawful. However, the 2009 Law has clearly set some of the effects stemming from the delay of the Public Administration in finalizing the procedure, by connecting two kinds of “sanctions” to the non-compliance with time limits. Such “sanctions” occur both inside and outside the Public Administration involved (respectively, with reference to the head of unit liability and to the refund for the so-called damage due to delay). These “sanctions” for the useless flowing of time will therefore allow jurisprudence to carry out a revirement of the trend which has so far prevailed and which, as it is common knowledge, denies both the loss of administrative power in case of non-compliance with the time limits, and the unlawfulness of the administrative provision tardily adopted.

SYSTEM OF CHECKS: NEW AND OLD ISSUES
by Roberta Lombardi

The article stems from the observation of the substantial failure of internal efficiency checks regulated by d.lgs. n. 286/1999, almost never implemented in the public administration, to try and evaluate the effects of the recent reform on new public management (as instituted by d.lgs. n. 150/2009) might produce on the aforementioned forms efficiency monitoring. In particolar the attention of the author is focussed on the criteria for the evaluation of management, setting the impact of the norms that redraw the efficiency monitoring system against the background of the unresolved issue of the relationship between poltics and public administration.

ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS AND GROUND GOVERNMENT IN THE NEW CONSTITUTIONAL ORDER
by Paola Lombardi

In Italy, administrative functions have received a new account by the constitutional reform of 2001. The new distinction among “fundamental”, “conferred”, “proper” and “assigned” functions, under article 118, requires an examination of the meaning of these expressions. It’s also interesting to see how this distinction is applied in the context of the ground government, even in the light of indications from European law. It’s a matter that is affected, more than the others, by the difficulties owed to the delays (existing in Italy) in the implementation of the constitutional reform at the administrative level.

LISBON TREATY AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS: NEW PERSPECTIVES REFERRING TO THE CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EUROPEAN UNION AND EUROPEAN CONVENTION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
by Tommaso Pensabene Lionti

The author analyses some important aspects of the impact that the Lisbon Treaty can have in the system of the community tutelage of fundamental rights. In particular the author deals with the central core of those provisions of the law which concern the complicated theme relating to the juridical value of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the relationship between European Union and European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and fundamental Freedoms. The n. 1 article of Lisbon Treaty gives the Charter of Fundamental Rights EU the same juridical value of the treaties. So the author wants to clarify the impasse that this article will determine on the role taken by the Court of justice to protect the fundamental juridical situations. Nevertheless if from one side there is the possibility of an enlargement of protection (recognition of civil and political rights and economical, social and cultural ones), on the other side, some ambiguities appear (as for example, among the light and shade effects of the Treaty, the right of opting out given to some States members). Concerning the new n. 6 article TEU, the author analyses the relationship between the Court of justice and the European Court of Human Rights, highlighting that there are the conditions that give the two Courts the chance to act with synergy; even if some difficulties persist in order to harmonize the two systems of tutelage

PRECAUTIONARY SUSPENSION IN THE JUDICIAL REVIEW OF LEGISLATION
by Manuela Salvago

The aim of this essay deals with the power to order precautionary suspension in the judicial review of legislation. This power was introduced by legge n. 131 del 2003. It presents some interesting problematic aspects, which will be carefully considered. First of all, the essay studies the problem of the most appropriate legal source to regulate the precautionary suspension power. Secondly, it focuses on the object and on the preconditions for the exercise of this power, comparing them with the preconditions of the traditional precautionary protection: fumus boni iuris and periculum in mora. Finally, it examines the Constitutional Court’s ways of exercising this power and its effects.

L'articolo Nuove Autonomie 2-2010 proviene da Nuove Autonomie.