ABSTRACT
The 'unitary federalism' of the German federation is marked by an unusual functional and horizontal separation of powers between the orders of government, reflected in the strong role of the Bundesrat in federal legislation and constitutional amendment. The first consequence for the implementation of both the Canada-United States Free Trade Agreement and the commercial North American Free Trade Agreement was the participation of the provinces in the development of the Canadian negotiating strategy. The federal government therefore agreed to a Bundesrat ratification law, which in the tradition of German federalism marked its collective style. Apart from the supranationalization of public sector functions, the political-institutional trend in the adaptation to economic globalization is the devolution of competencies to different subnational levels of government. The Maastricht Treaty encompasses a whole array of policy areas and was written to achieve economic, institutional and social purposes.
