The Role of Parliamentary Bodies of Autonomous Territories in European States

Abstract

The article presents the competences of the parliamentary bodies of autonomous territories in European states where these territories have a different status from the core part of the state territory. The legislation on the parliamentary bodies of Greenland, the Faroe Islands, the Åland Islands, Madeira, the Azores and Mount Athos has been analysed using the legal-dogmatic and legal-comparative method. The aim of the study was to prove that the powers of the parliamentary bodies of these territories allow them to decide on matters that are important for the populations of those territories and to establish and maintain international relations with other states and international organisations. The broad and ever-increasing scope of the autonomy granted to those territories and the good relations between the territories and their states contribute to democratisation of national structures and diminish the tendencies in the authorities and the population of the autonomous territories towards achieving sovereign independence. However, it should be stressed that the processes taking place in the modern international community are dynamic and may entail further changes in the legal situation of the European autonomous territories.