constituteproject.org PDF generated: 26 Aug 2021, 16:29 Page 28
Germany 1949 (rev. 2012)
VII. Federal Legislation and Legislative Procedures Article 70: [Division of powers between the Federation and the Länder] 1. The Länder shall have the right to legislate insofar as this Basic Law does not
confer legislative power on the Federation.
•
Subsidiary unit government
2. The division of authority between the Federation and the Länder shall be
governed by the provisions of this Basic Law concerning exclusive and
concurrent legislative powers.
Article 71: [Exclusive legislative power of the Federation] On matters within the exclusive legislative power of the Federation, the Länder shall
have power to legislate only when and to the extent that they are expressly
authorised to do so by a federal law.
Article 72: [Concurrent legislative powers] 1. On matters within the concurrent legislative power, the Länder shall have
power to legislate so long as and to the extent that the Federation has not
exercised its legislative power by enacting a law.
•
Subsidiary unit government
2. The Federation shall have the right to legislate on matters falling within clauses
4, 7, 11, 13, 15, 19a, 20, 22, 25 and 26 of paragraph (1) of Article 74, if and to the
extent that the establishment of equivalent living conditions throughout the
federal territory or the maintenance of legal or economic unity renders federal
regulation necessary in the national interest.
•
Mentions of social class
3. If the Federation has made use of its power to legislate, the Länder may enact
laws at variance with this legislation with respect to:
1. hunting (except for the law on hunting licenses);
