Joint Tasks

(1) In the following areas the Federation shall participate in the discharge of responsibilities of the Länder, provided that such responsibilities are important to society as a whole and that federal participation is necessary for the improvement of living conditions (joint tasks):

1. improvement of regional economic structures;

2. improvement of the agrarian structure and of coastal preservation.

(2) Federal laws enacted with the consent of the Bundesrat shall specify the joint tasks as well as the details of coordination.

(3) In cases to which item 1 of paragraph (1) of this Article applies, the Federation shall finance one half of the expenditure in each Land. In cases to which item 2 of paragraph (1) of this Article applies, the Federation shall finance at least one half of the expenditure, and the proportion shall be the same for all Länder. Details shall be regulated by law. The provision of funds shall be subject to appropriation in the budgets of the Federation and the Länder.

Article 91b[Education programmes and promotion of research]

(1) The Federation and the Länder may cooperate on the basis of agreements in cases of supraregional importance in the promotion of sciences, research and teaching. Agreements primarily affecting institutions of higher education shall require the consent of all the Länder. This provision shall not apply to agreements regarding the construction of research facilities, including large scientific installations.

(2) The Federation and the Länder may mutually agree to cooperate for the assessment of the performance of education systems in international comparison and in drafting relevant reports and recommendations.

(3) The apportionment of costs shall be regulated in the pertinent agreement.

Article 91c [Information technology systems]

(1) The Federation and the Länder may cooperate in planning, constructing and operating information technology systems needed to discharge their responsibilities.

(2) The Federation and the Länder may agree to specify the standards and security requirements necessary for exchanges between their information technology systems. Agreements regarding the bases of cooperation under the first sentence may provide, for individual responsibilities determined by their content and scope, that detailed regulations be enacted with the consent of a qualified majority of the Federation and the Länder as laid down in the agreements. They require the consent of the Bundestag and the legislatures of the participating Länder; the right to withdraw from these agreements cannot be precluded. The agreements shall also regulate the sharing of costs.

(3) The Länder may also agree on the joint operation of information technology systems along with the establishment of installations for that purpose.

(4) To link the information networks of the Federation and the Länder, the Federation shall establish a connection network. Details regarding the establishment and the operation of the connection network shall be regulated by a federal law with the consent of the Bundesrat.

(5) Comprehensive access by means of information technology to the administrative services of the Federation and the Länder shall be regulated by a federal law with the consent of the Bundesrat.

Article 91d[Comparison of performance]

With a view to ascertaining and improving the performance of their administrations, the Federation and the Länder may conduct comparative studies and publish the results thereof.

Article 91e[Cooperation in respect of basic support for persons seeking employment]

(1) In the execution of federal laws in the field of basic support for persons seeking employment, the Federation and the Länder or the municipalities and associations of municipalities responsible pursuant to Land law shall cooperate as a rule in joint institutions.

(2) The Federation may authorise a limited number of municipalities and associations of municipalities, at their request and with the consent of the highest Land authority, to discharge the tasks pursuant to paragraph (1) alone. In this case, the Federation shall bear the necessary expenditures including the administrative expenses for the tasks which are to be discharged by the Federation in the execution of laws pursuant to paragraph (1). (3) Details shall be regulated by a federal law requiring the consent of the Bundesrat.