Written question asked by Lord Garel-Jones (Conservative) on Thursday, 25 June 2015, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 9 July 2015. It was answered by Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Conservative) on Friday, 3 July 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Subsidiarity

Question: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the functioning of the principle of subsidiarity as a result of the procedures brought into effect by the Treaty of Lisbon; and what action they plan to take as part of the United Kingdom's renegotiation with its European Union partners to ensure that the subsidiarity principle is strengthened to the benefit of national governments and parliaments.

Answer: The Balance of Competences Review examined how the principle of subsidiarity applied in areas of EU action. It found that the mechanisms for protecting subsidiarity and proportionality could be improved in a number of ways, in particular by improving the role of national parliaments as the guardians of subsidiarity and affording them closer involvement in the EU’s functioning. The Government is seeking a stronger role for national Parliaments as part of its renegotiation.

Secondary information