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The three parties of Hungarian minority in Romania signed a joint resolution on autonomy concepts. They claim regional autonomy for Szeklerland (a historical region with Hungarian majority population), "special administrative status" for Partium (a historical region with a significant Hungarian population), administrative autonomy for municipalities with Hungarian majority population and cultural autonomy for all Hungarians living in Romania. Most ethnic Hungarians of Romania live in Transylvania, which became part of Romania after the First World War. Read more...​

A referendum on independence was held in Iraqi Kurdistan on 25 September 2017 despite Iraq's Supreme Court order to suspend the vote after the Iraqi parliament had declared it unconstitutional. On 1 October 2017, Catalonia held its own independence referendum although the Spanish Constitutional Court suspended the Catalan referendum law. Both referendums were met with strong domestic and international criticism. In mid-October, Iraqi troops attacked Kurdish security forces and captured several key disputed areas. On 25 October, Iraqi Kurdistan decided to "freeze" the referendum result and start a dialogue with Baghdad. On 27 October, the Catalan parliament unilaterally declared independence from Spain. Madrid suspended the autonomy of Catalonia, dissolved the Catalan parliament and called for regional elections on 21 December. Read more about the situation in Catalonia and Iraqi Kurdistan​.

Italian northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto voted for greater autonomy in referendums that aim to secure a mandate to negotiate a better financial arrangement with Rome. These referendums were held in line with the Constitution but they are not binding on Rome. According to the Italian Constitution, a greater autonomy may be conceded upon request of the region involved, and on the basis of an agreement between the region and the state. Ultimately, the law has to be approved by both Houses of Parliament with an absolute majority of their members. Lombardy, home to financial hub Milan, accounts for about 20% of Italy's economy. Veneto, which includes the tourist magnet Venice, accounts for 10%. Read more... ​

The ERC Starting Grant project "Non-Territorial Autonomy as Minority Protection in Europe: An Intellectual and Political History of a Travelling Idea, 1850–2000" examines the history of non-territorial autonomy as a political idea and as an applied policy. The project explores how this idea of granting cultural rights to a national group as a corporate body within a state, as a means of integrating diverse nationalities, travelled and transformed throughout the Habsburg Empire from 1850 to the present. Four research positions are open for this project. Read more...​

The Institut d'Estudis de l'Autogovern (IEA) has launched a new programme of grants for visiting researchers. The aim of the grant is to promote international academic research into the self-government of Catalonia by funding foreign researchers who will work for between three and nine months within established research groups linked to Catalan universities. Applications for grants must include a research project and the deadline for application is 3 July 2017. ​Read more...​

The Åland Islands Peace Institute has developed a university-level e-course on territorial autonomy, with the Åland Example as a main case study. The course encompasses five modules and is taught online on a digital learning platform, through a rich selection of resources including course literature, audio and video material and discussion forums. The aim of the course is to provide participants with a broad academic framework for discussing territorial autonomy from different perspectives. Registration for the autumn 2017 course is open until 4 September 2017. Read more...