Better lawmaking 2002: application of the principle of subsidiarity. 10th annual report

The committee adopted the own-initiative report drawn up by Diana WALLIS (ELDR, UK) in response to the Commission's 10th report on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. It welcomed the work of the Convention on the Future of the EU with regard to subsidiarity and proportionality, in particular the Convention's idea of an early warning system involving national parliaments. MEPs felt that this system should be extended, where appropriate, to other legislative parliaments and assemblies within the Member States, and urged the latter to take the necessary steps to put the system into practice in the legislative procedure. The committee also felt that, although the Commission's report explored some interesting aspects of lawmaking, it did not amount to a proper assessment of how and to what extent the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality had actually been applied by the Community. MEPs accordingly hoped that future reviews would focus on this and that it would result in the Commission "concentrating on the truly European issues assigned to it by the Treaties and refraining from intervening in fields which are clearly better dealt with by levels of government closer to citizens".�