Regional participation in EU decision-making

The aim of this paper is to look from a legal perspective at the ways in which sub-national authorities participate in EU decision-making. Particular attention is paid to the access of regional ministers to the Council of the EU and to some of the innovations of the Lisbon Treaty regarding subsidiarity monitoring. The latter include the role of regional parliaments with legislative powers within the 'Early Warning Mechanism', and the right of the Committee of the Regions to bring an action for annulment.

Existing research points to problems and challenges which regional parliaments face in engaging in genuine subsidiarity monitoring. Ex-ante subsidiarity monitoring is complemented by the possibility of ex post judicial review. Generally, challenges to Union acts on subsidiarity grounds are infrequent. At the same time, it is agreed that the very possibility of judicial review forces greater weight to be given to subsidiarity concerns during the preparation of Union law and encourages EU institutions to consider carefully whether an issue is best addressed at the European, national, regional or local level.

Author: Laura Tilindyte

European Parliament: Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the Union: Publications available via the EU Bookshop http://bookshop.europa.eu/en/directorate-general-for-internal-policies-of-the-union-cbf.cKABstF7wAAAEjwYYY4e5K/

European Parliament: European Parliamentary Research Service: In-Depth Analysis, April 2016: Regional participation in EU decision-making: Role in the legislature and subsidiarity monitoring http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2016/580913/EPRS_IDA(2016)580913_EN.pdf

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