11.03.

2015

Theprincipleofsubsidiarity

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Theprincipleofsubsidiarity
INTRODUCTION
TheprincipleofsubsidiarityisfundamentaltothefunctioningoftheEuropeanUnion(EU),
andmorespecificallytoEuropeandecisionmaking.Inparticular,theprincipledetermines
whentheEUiscompetenttolegislate,andcontributestodecisionsbeingtakenascloselyas
possibletothecitizen.
TheprincipleofsubsidiarityisestablishedinArticle5oftheTreatyonEuropeanUnion.It
appearsalongsidetwootherprinciplesthatarealsoconsideredtobeessentialtoEuropean
decisionmaking:theprinciplesofconferralandofproportionality.
TheProtocolontheapplicationoftheprinciplesofsubsidiarityandproportionalityalso
definestheimplementationoftheprincipleofsubsidiarity.Inaddition,theTreatyofLisbon
hasconsiderablystrengthenedtheprincipleofsubsidiaritybyintroducingseveralcontrol
mechanismsinordertomonitoritsapplication.
DEFINITION
Theprincipleofsubsidiarityaimsatdeterminingthelevelofinterventionthatismost
relevantintheareasofcompetencessharedbetweentheEUandtheMemberStates.This
mayconcernactionatEuropean,nationalorlocallevels.Inallcases,theEUmayonly
interveneifitisabletoactmoreeffectivelythanMemberStates.TheProtocolonthe
applicationoftheprinciplesofsubsidiarityandproportionalitylaysdownthreecriteriaaimed
atestablishingthedesirabilityofinterventionatEuropeanlevel:
DoestheactionhavetransnationalaspectsthatcannotberesolvedbyMemberStates?
Wouldnationalactionoranabsenceofactionbecontrarytotherequirementsofthe
Treaty?
DoesactionatEuropeanlevelhaveclearadvantages?
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TheprincipleofsubsidiarityalsoaimsatbringingtheEUanditscitizenscloserby
guaranteeingthatactionistakenatlocallevelwhereitprovestobenecessary.However,
theprincipleofsubsidiaritydoesnotmeanthatactionmustalwaysbetakenatthelevelthat
isclosesttothecitizen.
Complementaritywiththeprinciplesofconferralandofproportionality
Article5oftheTreatyonEuropeanUniondefinesthedivisionofcompetencesbetweenthe
UnionandtheMemberStates.Itfirstreferstotheprincipleofconferralaccordingtowhich
theUnionhasonlythosecompetencesthatareconferreduponitbytheTreaties.
Subsidiarityandproportionalityarecorollaryprinciplesoftheprincipleofconferral.They
determinetowhatextenttheEUcanexercisethecompetencesconferreduponitbythe
Treaties.Byvirtueoftheprincipleofproportionality,themeansimplementedbytheEUin
ordertomeettheobjectivessetbytheTreatiescannotgobeyondwhatisnecessary.
TheUnioncanthereforeonlyactinapolicyareaif:
theactionformspartofthecompetencesconferredupontheEUbytheTreaties(principle
ofconferral)
inthecontextofcompetencessharedwithMemberStates,theEuropeanlevelismost
relevantinordertomeettheobjectivessetbytheTreaties(principleofsubsidiarity)
thecontentandformoftheactiondoesnotexceedwhatisnecessarytoachievethe
objectivessetbytheTreaties(principleofproportionality).
MONITORINGTHEPRINCIPLEOFSUBSIDIARITY
MechanismstomonitortheprincipleofsubsidiaritywereputinplacebytheProtocolonthe
applicationoftheprinciplesofsubsidiarityandproportionality.TheTreatyofLisbonreformed
theaboveProtocolinordertoimproveandreinforcemonitoring.
TheProtocol,introducedbytheTreatyofAmsterdam,providedforcompliancewithcertain
obligationsduringtheactualdraftingoflegislation.Thus,beforeproposinglegislativeacts,
theCommissionmustprepareaGreenPaper.GreenPapersconsistofwideranging
consultations.TheyenabletheCommissiontocollectopinionsfromnationalandlocal
institutionsandfromcivilsocietyonthedesirabilityofalegislativeproposal,inparticularin
respectoftheprincipleofsubsidiarity.
TheProtocolalsoaddsanobligationfortheCommissiontoaccompanydraftlegislativeacts
withastatementdemonstratingcompliancewiththeprinciplesofsubsidiarityand
proportionality.
TheTreatyofLisboninnovatesbyassociatingnationalParliamentscloselywiththe
monitoringoftheprincipleofsubsidiarity.NationalParliamentsnowexercisetwofold
monitoring:
theyhavearighttoobjectwhenlegislationisdrafted.Theycanthusdismissalegislative
proposalbeforetheCommissioniftheyconsiderthattheprincipleofsubsidiarityhasnot
beenobserved(seefileNationalParliaments)
throughtheirMemberState,theymaycontestalegislativeactbeforetheCourtofJustice
oftheEUiftheyconsiderthattheprincipleofsubsidiarityhasnotbeenobserved.
TheTreatyofLisbonalsoassociatestheCommitteeoftheRegionswiththemonitoringofthe
principleofsubsidiarity.InthesamewayasnationalParliaments,theCommitteemayalso
contest,beforetheCourtofJusticeoftheEU,alegislativeactthatdoesnotcomplywiththe
principleofsubsidiarity.
Thissummaryisforinformationonly.Itisnotdesignedtointerpretorreplacethe
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/institutional_affairs/treaties/lisbon_treaty/ai0017_en.htm#

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Thissummaryisforinformationonly.Itisnotdesignedtointerpretorreplacethe
referencedocument,whichremainstheonlybindinglegaltext.
Lastupdated:04.03.2010

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