Task force on subsidiarity, proportionality and doing less more efficiently

The 'Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and ‘Doing less more efficiently' was established on 14 November 2017 by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker with the aim to:

• make recommendations on how to better apply the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality
• identify policy areas where work could be re-delegated or definitely returned to EU countries
• find ways to better involve regional and local authorities in EU policy making and delivery.

The Task Force met from January to July 2018 and made recommendations to improve the application of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles by the EU institutions. To this end, the report of the Task Force includes concrete actions addressed to national Parliaments, national, regional and local authorities, the European Parliament, the Council, the Committee of the Regions and the European Commission.

On 23 October 2018 the Commission set out the changes it intended to introduce to the Commission's policymaking process as a result of the Task Force recommendations. 

On 15-16 November 2018 the Austrian Presidency of the EU organised a conference on subsidiarity in Bregenz, which provided an opportunity to further discuss the Task Force report and ways to take forward its recommendations.

The Task Force recommendations fed into the Commission’s stock taking exercise of its Better regulation policy and the updated Better regulation guidelines and toolbox.

From January to July 2018, the task force met once a month to discuss specific topics. Interested parties were invited to comment on the working papers related to these topics. 

Task force meeting details have been archived. This includes agendas, background documents and discussions. 

• 25 January 2018
• 23 February 2018
• 15 March 2018
• 27 April 2018
• 28 May 2018
• 28 May Hearing
• 21 June 2018
• 10 July 2018

At the time the task force was active in 2018, the management and members consisted of the following persons:   

Chair

First Vice-President Frans Timmermans - in charge of Better Regulation

Members

National Parliaments

• Toomas Vitsut - Chairman of the European Affairs Committee of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu)
• Reinhold Lopatka - Chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on EU affairs of the National Council - Austrian Parliament
• Kristian Vigenin - Chair of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria

Committee of the Regions

• Karl-Heinz Lambertz - President of the European Committee of the Regions
• Michael Schneider - Member of the European Committee of the Regions
• François Decoster - Member of the European Committee of the Regions

Press release on appointments to the task force

The Task Force handed over its final report on 10 July 2018 to Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker. It is responding to three questions he asked the Task Force to address: how to apply better subsidiarity and proportionality principles within the EU institutions; how to involve better regional and local authorities in EU policy-making and implementation; and whether there are policy areas where responsibility could be returned over time to the Member States.

The Task Force concluded that a new way of working on subsidiarity and proportionality is needed to allow local and regional authorities and national Parliaments to make a more effective contribution to EU policymaking and in the design of new legislation. The proposed new approach would see subsidiarity and proportionality being assessed more consistently by all levels of government, on the basis of a "model grid" – a kind of subsidiarity and proportionality checklist. It is also suggested, when the next opportunity for EU Treaty revision presents itself, to increase the time available for national Parliaments to contribute their opinions on draft EU legislation from 8 weeks to 12 weeks. Lastly, another recommendation is that the 3 EU institutions agree on a focused multi-annual programme that would promote a rebalancing of the EU's work in some policy areas towards more effective implementation of existing legislation and away from initiating new legislation. This builds on the introduction, under the Juncker Commission, of much more targeted Commission Work programmes and annual Joint Declarations agreed among the 3 institutions on the priority files for adoption that year.

Press release on the final report

 

• Documents annexed to contributions
• 20 February 2018

Views of public organisations on subsidiarity and proportionality

• Documents annexed to contributions
• 20 March 2018

Views of non-governmental organisations on subsidiarity and proportionality