Enhancing cooperation on subsidiarity monitoring was the key issue raised by Michael Schneider, President of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions, during exchange of views with the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, today. The meeting took place within the remits of the CoR's Conference of Presidents.
"I note with satisfaction that subsidiarity monitoring is becoming increasingly important in the inter-institutional debate. However, there is a room for improvement. Closer cooperation with the European Parliament needs to be ensured as early as possible in the legislative phase. In particular with the Parliament's committee on legal affairs, as subsidiarity monitoring falls within its remit" underlined President Schneider.
The CoR is ready to work closely with the European Parliament, the Commission and the Council to review existing EU legislation for its compliance with the principle of subsidiarity and proportionality, following the negotiations agreements with the UK in February.
Subsidiarity seeks to ensure that policy making takes place as close as possible to the citizen. The CoR is the guardian of this principle and takes the responsibilities conferred on it by the Treaties very seriously. It's annual subsidiarity work programme identifies the key initiatives which it will closely monitor. This year they will include: Energy Union, Circular Economy, implementation of the Digital Single Market Strategy, Labour Mobility and the follow-up to the Single Market Strategy.
"This is something the CoR and local and regional authorities hold very close to their hearts, and even more so in the current context of scepticism towards the EU and its institutions" concluded Michael Schneider.