EU subsidiarity review in the Netherlands a regional and local perspective

Need for a different approach ?

Caspar Sluiter

Netherlands Association of Municipalities

Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten

National subsidiarity review

• Stock taking exercise EU legislation

• European what is necessary, national what is possible

• No treaty change, no opt-outs

Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten

National subsidiarity review

• 54 specific points for action

• 9 recommendations for legislative process

• More focus in policy and more effective legislative process

Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten

The regional and local perspective

• EU policy – local and regional ramifications

• National what is necessary, local what is possible

• Decentralisation makes subsidiarity more important

Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten

The way forward

• Subsidiarity and proportionality answer for enlarged EU

• Room for diversity, leeway for local and regional policy

• Proportional legislation, open bottum up legislative process

Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten

Proportional legislation

• Legislative proposals with focus on main policy goals, legislation last resort

• No unnecessary details, no emphasis on uniformity

• Rigorous impact assessments: implementing costs, administrative burdens and territorial consequences

Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten

Open legislative process

• Smart regulation programme is a good start

• Dialogue and consultation during whole EU policy cycle

• More transparency during the policy cycle

• Involvement of all levels of government, but also other stakeholders

Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten

Alternatives to legislation

• No EU legislation is not the same as no EU

• EU can be platform for exchange of ideas and best practices

• EU can financially support regional and local initiative