Regions and Subsidiarity in the European Union: A Look at the Role of the Spanish and other Regional Parliaments in the Monitoring of Compliance with the Principle of Subsidiarity

European regions have had a limited involvement in the European Union decision-making process, despite having an important role in the implementation of EU acts. The principle of subsidiarity, as established in the Treaty of Lisbon, has acquired an important regional dimension, which results in the possibility of the regional parliaments playing a role in the law-making process in the European Union for the first time.

However, the internal mechanism set up in Spain narrows the possible scope of involvement of the regional parliaments, subordinating it to the national Parliament's will and even placing the regional governments in a similar position as the legislatures.