Regional Governance in OECD Countries

Annex B. Table of responsibilities of regional governments

Table B.1. Responsibilities of regional governments

Federal and quasi-federal countries
Australia	Supervision of local governments Police and emergency services Railways and public transport (road, rail, bus, etc.) Agriculture Environment, waste disposal and sewerage Community services such as gas services; district heating; electricity; water supply; zoning legislation Healthcare; hospitals Sports and recreation Planning and delivering early childhood education; pre-school; primary school; secondary, vocational and technical school Social welfare: planning and delivering early childhood care
Austria	Supervision of municipal affairs; building regulations Police and emergency services Transport, traffic regulation; energy distribution; agriculture Environmental protection Spatial regional planning; urban development Health administration; hospitals Sports and leisure Primary, general lower-secondary and part-time vocational schools Social assistance, family policy (youth protection and welfare)
Belgium	Responsibilities differ between regions and communities Supervision of provincial and municipal law and local utility companies; research, development and innovation Water policy; transport (except the national railway company); external trade; energy; agriculture and fisheries; economic policy; employment Environment policy; nature conservation Urban policy and spatial planning; public works and infrastructure; public housing Sanitary education and preventive medicine Cultural amenities Education and training Minor aspects of social security (regions), social welfare (communities); youth protection; immigrant assistance services
Canada	Civil status register; criminal justice State police; regional firefighting services Road; transport; agriculture; tourism; gas services; electricity Natural resources preservation; soil and groundwater protection; climate protection; sewerage Housing; regional planning Primary care; hospitals Museums; religious facilities Education Family welfare; welfare homes; social security
Germany	Internal administration, including salaries and benefits of all public employees (exclusive), justice (concurrent) Local government (exclusive) Police (exclusive) Regional economic development Labour and economic law (concurrent) Environment (concurrent) Housing and community amenities (concurrent) Health (concurrent) Culture (exclusive) Education, including universities (exclusive) Social welfare (concurrent)
Mexico	Supervision of municipal affairs State public order and safety (state and special police) Roads; regional transport and transit; some airports; agriculture, rural development and tourism (shared); economic affairs and industrial policies (shared) Environmental protection (shared); national parks (shared) Spatial planning; water management and co-financing of water infrastructure (shared) Healthcare: organisation and operation of healthcare services for the uninsured population; primary care for the rural and urban poor; health services; administration and maintenance of hospitals for primary care; preventive and reproductive care Public libraries Primary and secondary education (shared); state universities; adult education programmes; indigenous and special education Poverty alleviation and social protection (shared)
Spain (quasi-federal)	Supervision of municipal and provincial levels (shared with the central government) Public order Regional and rural development Fisheries, hunting, aquaculture, agriculture and forestry; regional tourism; regional railway and road networks; regional transport; ports and airports not engaged in commercial activities Environmental protection; urban planning; housing; health Museums; libraries; music conservatories of regional interest; cultural heritage; promotion of culture and of the regional language (when relevant) Education and universities (shared) Social welfare; social services (shared)
Switzerland	Internal administration; justice Civil defence; security and police; emergency and rescue services Regional development (shared); regional traffic (shared) Environmental protection (shared); flood protection (shared) Spatial planning; public works; building regulations Hospitals; nursing homes; health prevention and promotion Culture; education; universities Social policy; family benefits; maternity; unemployment assistance
United States	Civil registries; state criminal law; prisons; issuing licences Organisation and control over local governments State police; motor vehicle regulation State economic development; intra-state commerce; highways; railways; airports; energy Environmental protection; state parks Water resources management; zoning law Health Higher education Income support (cash and in-kind, particularly healthcare for the poor through Medicaid)
Unitary countries
Colombia	Insuing passports Risk and disaster management Rural development; regional policies; regional territorial planning; traffic management Environmental protection Co-ordination and co-financing of water schemes Public health; services for the uninsured poor population; operation of hospital networks Management of teacher and administrative personnel in basic and primary education
Croatia	Regional administration; issuing construction and renting permits (except in large towns) Economic development; transport and traffic infrastructures; maintenance of county and local roads Regional and urban planning Healthcare (including secondary care, all general hospitals and most specialist hospitals) Social and cultural institutions Secondary education Social welfare (cash benefits); childcare
Czech Republic	Regional administration Fire safety; crime prevention Road network; regional public transport; tourism; regional economic development and cohesion Protection of fauna and flora Planning (approval of planning and zoning documents) Establishment and management of regional hospitals; nursing homes; monitoring the quality of care of private healthcare providers; emergency services; long-term care institutions; facilities for disabled adults and children Sport; upper secondary education Youth and social services
Denmark	General administration; public buildings and facilities Action against soil pollution Regional development plans and regional growth strategies; rebalancing action on behalf of the peripheral zones and rural areas Public health (hospitals, psychiatric services, health insurance, primary healthcare and specialised medicine); outpatient medicine Support services for the disabled
France	Internal administration Regional spatial planning; regional transport plans; regional train lines; school and inter-urban transport; civil airports; non-autonomous harbours Economic development (aid schemes to small and medium-sized enterprises, innovation, internationalisation), R&D; management of EU funds Environmental protection planning; regional parks and preservation areas; energy saving; water protection Housing subsidies; cultural heritage and monuments; museums; artistic training High schools (building and technical staff); vocational training and apprenticeship; job training programmes; support to universities and R&D
Greece	Regional administration Civil protection and emergency services Planning/programming and regional development Agriculture/livestock and fisheries; employment; trade; tourism; roads, transport and communications; special transport services; support to local enterprises; energy and industry; tourism Natural resources; environmental protection Public works; urbanism Culture and sports Education
Hungary	Co-ordination (regarding municipal service provision) Regional development Rural development Land-use planning
Italy	Regional administration; relations with provinces, metropolitan cities and municipalities; management of EU funds International and EU relations; research and innovation; regional transport; civil ports and airports; communications; energy; regional land; agriculture; banks and credit institutions; tourism; employment Environmental protection; housing Health, through public healthcare agencies (construction and maintenance of hospitals, medical equipment, drugs, medical staff management, etc.) Sports; cultural activities; education Complementary social welfare
Japan	Communication and co-ordination related to municipalities; police Economic development; public infrastructure; prefectural roads; national highways, harbours; agriculture; employment Forest and river conservation; environmental protection Public housing; public health centres Upper secondary schools Social assistance policies
Korea	Management of public properties and facilities Environment Housing Culture Education Social welfare
Netherlands	Supervision of municipalities and regional water authorities Provincial roads; regional public transport (bus, regional trains); inland water transport and infrastructure; regional development agencies; regional promotion and co-ordination of touristic local policies Environmental protection plans and policies; water (groundwater plans and regulation); energy and climate; renewable energy; air quality; soil protection and cleaning; noise; production and transport of hazardous materials; supervision of municipal environmental policies; nature areas; spatial planning Financial support of cultural activities; protection of cultural heritage; provincial museums Social housing grants
New Zealand	Civil defence in case of emergency Regional transport (including public transport); harbours; regional land management Water quality; contaminant discharge and coastal management, river and lake management; flood and drainage control; environmental protection; resource management; air quality; pest control Regional parks and public spaces Water networks management
Norway	General administration Public transport; trade and industrial policy Environmental protection Regional development (planning and business development) Dental health Libraries; museums; sports facilities Upper secondary education Dental care
Poland	Internal administration; management of EU funds Defence; public order Regional economic development; employment and labour market policy; regional roads; public transport including regional rail transport (since 2009); consumer rights protection Environmental protection; waste management (since 2009); spatial development; water management; land improvement; hydropower facilities; modernisation of rural areas Health promotion; regional hospitals (specialised services, secondary referral level hospitals); medical emergency and ambulance services Regional cultural institutions; some secondary and vocational schools; post-secondary schools; teacher training colleges Regional social policy centres; social welfare and family policy; social exclusion; disabled; childcare; elderly care
Romania	Management of local airports; county roads; country infrastructure network (shared) Public health units (primary and secondary healthcare) Cultural institutions Special education (shared) Child and disability allowances; social services and specialised services for victims of domestic violence; the elderly and the disabled (shared); medical and social assistance (shared)
Slovak Republic	Internal administration; international and transregional co-operation; civil defence (in co-operation with state bodies) Roads, railways; regional economic development Secondary hospitals; management of non-state healthcare (psychiatric hospitals and dental services) Regional cultural amenities Secondary, professional, art and vocational schools; construction and maintenance of buildings; payments to teachers on behalf of the state Homes for children
Sweden	General administration Public transport (via a regional public transport authority); regional development; tourism (optional) Healthcare and medical services; primary care; hospitals; ambulatory care; dental care Cultural institutions
Türkiye	Internal administration Emergency assistance and rescue Industry and trade; roads; agriculture (reforestation, irrigation); tourism Environmental planning and protection; social protection; prevention of erosion; sewerage; solid waste; supporting forest villages and reforestation; parks and gardens; water; land development Health centres; health posts, mainly in rural areas; maternal and child health and family planning centres; tuberculosis dispensaries; hospitals Culture and artwork Social service assistance