ECR Members welcome the creation of a new Task Force on Subsidiarity, but call for further clarification of its role.

Bringing EU decision-making closer to citizens and making it more effective was the focus of the 8th Subsidiarity Conference, organised by the Committee of the Regions in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Council. In attendance were two ECR Members – Mr Adam Banaszak and Cllr Keith Prince, who welcomed the creation of the new Subsidiarity Task Force by the European Commission, but warned that its role requires further clarification.

Representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Estonian EU Presidency of the Council, as well as EU regional governments and municipalities, met on 4 December 2017 in Vienna to discuss the role of national and regional parliaments in subsidiarity monitoring and the latest developments regarding the Task Force on Subsidiarity and Proportionality and "Doing Less More Efficiently" set up by the European Commission. 

The decision to set up the task force was welcomed by Keith Prince, ECR Group Member and Member of the London Assembly: "It is a step in the right direction. The EU should be less ambitious and adopt a more realistic approach to policymaking. To achieve this, we need greater involvement of subsidiarity monitoring at the EU level. Decisions need to be taken at the level that is as close as possible to the citizens".

Another ECR Group Member present in the Austrian capital, Adam Banaszak (Vice-President of Kujawsko-Pomorskie Regional Assembly in Poland) also welcomed the establishment of the Task Force, but warned that its role and political objectives required further clarification. "The EU should act only where it adds value, whereas other areas should be left to national, regional and local government. I hope that the new body will be strong enough to help the EU to more successfully adhere to this common-sense principle." he said.

Chaired by the European Commission's First Vice-President, Frans Timmermans, the Task Force began its work on 1 January 2018 and is to make recommendations on how to better apply the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality and how to better involve regional and local authorities in EU policy-making and delivery; it is also to identify policy areas where work could be re-delegated or returned to the Member States. The Task Force includes three Members of the CoR, together with three Members of national parliaments and three Members of the European Parliament.