Review calls for simpler, more effective EU policy by strengthening
relations between
EU, national, local and regional governments.
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) today welcomed a
wide-ranging set of recommendations that would give local and regional
authorities a greater say, alongside national authorities, on the
preparation, adoption and implementation of EU policies, noting that
the ideas would benefit citizens, increase EU efficiency and improve
politics.
The CoR said that proposals developed by the
Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and Doing Less More
Efficiently
could lead – as the European Commission's First Vice-President,
Frans Timmermans
, has
argued
– to "a new way of working" that would ensure the EU takes better account
of the ideas and concerns of all local and regional authorities. Three of
the seven members of the Task Force, which was chaired by Vice-President
Timmermans, are members of the CoR – namely, CoR President
Karl-Heinz Lambertz
,
Michael Schneider
,
President of the CoR's EPP Group, and
François Decoster
of the CoR's ALDE group. The
report
includes nine key recommendations to improve EU policy-making.
Karl-Heinz Lambertz
, the CoR's President, said: "First Vice-President Timmermans has shown the
Commission's pragmatism and openness in developing a new way of working for
the EU. This Task Force is about improving the effectiveness of EU policies
by developing better teamwork and delivering real EU added value in the
lives of our citizens. This report sets out ways to engage all levels of
government and has the potential to transform the role of cities and
regions in the decision-making process. The proposals are about putting
citizens first: making the EU work for them, by reinforcing a bottom-up
approach to EU policy-making. To use a football analogy, the Task Force
wants a whole new ballgame – instead of just raising red and yellow cards
when someone oversteps the mark, the 'active subsidiarity' approach looks
to use the potential of both teams to ensure everyone gets a win."
Michael Schneider
(DE/EPP)
, State Secretary for the Land of Saxony-Anhalt, said: "The level of
consultation and transparency in the EU decision-making process is greater
than in national systems. But we are particularly pleased that the Task
Force recommends broader and deeper input by local and regional
governments, in line with their shared or exclusive competences as foreseen
by their national legislation, diminishing the density of EU legislation,
as well as ensuring a clearer added value of EU legislation. If accepted
and implemented, these proposals would significantly improve the flow of
information from local and regional authorities, and thereby increase their
ownership and trust in the European project."
François Decoster
(FR/ALDE),
Vice-President of the Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie Regional Council, said:
"The Task Force recognises that EU legislation must be more efficient and
its added value made more visible by 'upgrading' the involvement of local
and regional authorities. Under these proposals, local and regional
authorities would be able to provide legislators with a clear assessment of
the impact of EU legislation on the ground, have more influence in
reviewing existing legislation and developing new laws, and offer a simpler
way to ensure flexibility in EU legislation. They would have an opportunity
to develop their relations with national parliaments, working together to
assess the impact of EU legislation and be involved in the design and
delivery of economic reforms."
It is expected that the President of the European Commission,
Jean-Claude Juncker
, will take the proposals into account during his State of the Union
address in September. In October, President Lambertz will elaborate on the
value and implications of the Task Force proposals in his second State of
the EU Regions and Cities address during the European Week of Regions and
Cities. In the same week, President Lambertz and First Vice-President
Markku Markkula
will present the CoR's opinion "Reflecting on Europe: the voice of local
and regional authorities to rebuild trust in the European Union", a report
requested by
Donald Tusk
, President of the European Council.
Background
The Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and Doing Less More
Efficiently was established by European Commission President Jean-Claude
Juncker in November 2017. He asked the Task Force to look at three issues:
(1) the role of local and regional authorities in policymaking and
implementation of European Union policies; (2) the role of subsidiarity and
proportionality in the work of the Union's institutions and bodies; (3)
whether responsibility for particular policies areas should be re-delegated
to the Member States.
The Task Force met seven times to discuss the three objectives. On the
basis of those discussions, a public hearing and the inputs provided from
numerous stakeholders, the Task Force report presents nine recommendations,
with implementation actions addressed to national parliaments, national,
regional and local authorities, the European Parliament, the Council, the
European Committee of the Regions and the European Commission.
Chaired by the European Commission's First Vice-President, Frans
Timmermans, the Task Force includes three members from the European
Committee of the Regions – President Karl-Heinz Lambertz (Belgium), Michael
Schneider (Germany) and François Decoster (France) – and three members from
national parliaments: Toomas Vitsut (Estonia), Kristian Vigenin (Bulgaria)
and Reinhold Lopatka (Austria).
See also:
Report of the Task-Force
Website of the Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and Doing Less More Efficiently
Inter-institutional press release
Factsheet
State of the Union Address 2017 by European Commission President Juncker
Contact:
Natalie Vandelle
Tel. +32 2 282 2499
natalie.vandelle@cor.europa.eu
Andrew Gardner
Tel. +32 473 843 981
andrew.gardner@cor.europa.eu