In view of the results of the UK referendum as well as the rise in anti-EU populism across Europe Michael Schneider, President of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions asked the European Commission to put a stronger emphasis on the subsidiarity principle in its Work Programme for 2017.
During the General Structured Dialogue with the EC's First Vice-President Frans Timmermans last Wednesday, President Schneider further emphasized a need to address the growing distance between EU citizens and the EU institutions:
"What we all need to firmly stand for, is more Europe and less Europe at the same time. It might sound a little paradoxical, but we need as much Europe as necessary and as little of Europe as possible."
The EPP/CoR Group President called for more Europe in areas where the EU faces global challenges: strengthening the internal market, security of its external borders and the response to the refugee crisis – "We need a lot more willingness to compromise and solidarity between EU Members States in line with the community spirit, which has suffered in recent years" he argued.
But at the same time he asked the Commission to continue the reduction of new regulations not only by cutting down the numbers of proposals but also their content "This seems necessary especially in relation to the EU structural funds where an excessive red tape, results in less flexibility, lack of territorial tailor-made solutions or dissatisfaction among potential end-users" he complained.
During the debate, the CoR President Markku Markkula requested guaranteed complementarities and additionalities between the European Fund for Strategic Investment (EFSI) and the European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF). He also asked for more simplification, a re-launch of the debate on "GDP and Beyond" as well as development of further synergies between Horizon 2020, ESIF, EFSI financing and links to smart specialisation strategies.
Finally, President Markkula sought a better use of territorial impact assessments in the spirit of subsidiarity and to bring Europe closer to the citizens: "Regional and local authorities feel that the heavy inter-governmental and inter-institutional system governing the EU decision-making process is dramatically deepening the gap between them and citizens" - he stated - "We call for decentralised communication activities on EU matters in close cooperation with local and regional media in order to reach citizens, local media, schools, business and help in fighting disinformation spread in the forms of populist and simplistic slogans."
