ABSTRACT
The final constitutional category of regional governments is made up of those which lack any constitutional status whatsoever. Instead, they form part of the structure of local government in the Member State. As a consequence they lack constitutional protection and legislative power, deriving their authority entirely from executive powers devolved by the central state. Some might question whether these are true political regions as defined in Chapter 2. In some cases, this criticism is valid, but in most cases the role they perform is one of policy maker and co-ordinator. This role is beyond that of the traditional local level of government. Although not enjoying the more formal legislative autonomy of their constitutional cousins, these administrative regions nevertheless offer a level of regional accountability and have the potential to develop distinct policies tailored to their populations.
