The Regions

Law n° 476 of 1998 entrusted to the Regions and the autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano major tasks in the sphere of intercountry adoption, enlarging their competences. Article 39a(1) in fact assigns to the Regions the task of organizing a network of services able to perform the duties laid down by Law n° 476 in their respective local areas. The Regions must further monitor the functioning of the structures and services operating on their territory, verifying that their actions are appropriate and cover the tasks assigned to them. The Regions and the autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano have also to promote the definition of operational protocols and the conclusion of agreements between the various authorized agencies and social services, and also to arrange for stable forms of connection between these and the Juvenile Courts, again with the aim of securing the full implementation of the law. Article 39a(2) provides the possibility for the Regions and the autonomous Provinces of Trento and Bolzano to set up intercountry adoption services meeting the same requirements and having the same powers as the authorized agencies, and carrying out the same activities for couples aspiring to adoption.