Europaudvalget 2017-18
EUU Alm.del Bilag 644
Offentligt
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Hearing to support the work of the
Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and "Doing Less More Efficiently"
On 28 May 2018, the European Committee of the Regions will host a hearing to inform the
work of the Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and "Doing Less More Efficiently"
i
.
The hearing will provide an opportunity for the Chairman and members of the Task Force to
listen to the views of national, regional and local stakeholders on the three objectives of the
Task Force set out in the decision of President Juncker. The conclusions from the hearing will
inform the work of the Task Force in preparing its report to President Juncker.
Programme
09.00
09.30
Registration
Opening remarks
from Frans Timmermans, the First Vice President of the
European Commission, & Karl-Heinz Lambertz, President of the European
Committee of the Regions.
Session 1:
The participation of local and regional authorities in policymaking
and implementation, and the application of subsidiarity in the work of the
institutions. Interactive discussion with members of the Task Force.
This
discussion will focus on Tasks (a) and (c) as identified by President Juncker.
Session 2:
"Doing less, more efficiently" - Interactive discussion with
members of the Task Force.
This discussion will focus on Task (b) of the Task
Force mandate - the identification of areas where decision-making and/or
implementation could be re-delegated in whole or in part or definitively
returned to the Member States.
Closing remarks.
Hearing closes.
Light buffet lunch in the VIP area of the Jacques Delors Building (1st floor).
09.45
10.30
11.15
11.30
11.30-12.00
Venue:
Interpretation:
Webstreaming:
Formalities:
Documents:
Conclusions:
Room JDE 52, Jacques Delors Building, Committee of the Regions, Rue Belliard 99-101, B-
1040 Brussels, Belgium. (A listening room will also be available in room JDE 51).
Languages provisionally available are: FR/EN/DE/IT/ES/PT/PL/CZ/HU/RO/BG/ET.
We have arranged for live web streaming of the Hearing, which will be available through the
following link:
https://livestream.com/corlive1/events/8164874
Please confirm your participation to the following email address (SG-TF-
[email protected])
and bring a passport or identity card with you.
All background documents relevant to the Task Force's work can be viewed online
i
.
A short summary of the issues raised in the hearing will be posted to the web site of the Task
Force together with a list of participants.
 EUU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 644: Invitation og program for høring om Timmermans Task forcen 28/5-18 i Bruxelles
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Background information
The President of the Commission established the Task-Force to provide advice and
recommendations regarding the current application of the Treaty-based principles of
subsidiarity and proportionality
ii
. Article 3 of the President's Decision sets out the three tasks
that the Task Force should address in its work:
(a)
How to better apply the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality in the
work of the Union's Institutions, notably regarding the preparation and
implementation of Union legislation and policies.
The identification of any policy areas where, over time, decision making and/or
implementation could be re-delegated in whole or in part or definitively returned
to the Member States.
The identification of ways to better involve regional and local authorities in the
preparation and the follow up of Union policies.
(b)
(c)
The Task Force will present its findings in the form of a written report to President Juncker by
15 July 2018.
The Commission will assess the advice it receives from the Task Force and has
indicated that it will present a policy Communication in the autumn of this year. The members
of the Task Force have been appointed to act in a personal capacity and do not represent the
views of any particular body or institution in their work for the Task Force.
Session 1:
This session examines issues related to the participation of local and regional authorities in
policymaking and in the implementation of EU legislation, and also looks at the application of
the subsidiarity and proportionality principles in the EU decision-making process. The Task
Force has itself discussed these issues on 23 February
iii
and 15 March
iv
, and the discussion
papers presented at the meeting and the minutes can be found online.
The key questions addressed by the Task Force are the following:
Task (a)
Task (c)
How can the principles of subsidiarity and
How can the EU improve its consultation and
proportionality be better reflected in the work
feedback process to better involve local and
of the EU institutions?
regional authorities in assessing the territorial
impact of legislation, and the functioning of
Does the process of subsidiarity assessment
existing legislation?
by national Parliaments function effectively?
Do national Parliaments feel they can
How can the views of regional and local
adequately express their concerns in their
authorities
about
subsidiarity
and
"reasoned opinions"?
proportionality be better taken into account
by the European Parliament and the Council
Would better cooperation and coordination
when considering Commission proposals?
between national Parliaments
–
and possibly
with the Committee of the Regions'
Do the Commission's and national
Subsidiarity Monitoring Network
–
bring
implementation plans facilitate the realisation
greater effects?
of Union policies at regional and local level?
How can they be improved?
How can the Commission better justify and
explain how its proposals conform to the
How can practical experience and hard data
principles of subsidiarity and proportionality?
from local and regional authorities be more
effectively captured and used by the
Commission when evaluating and revising
Union law?
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 EUU, Alm.del - 2017-18 - Bilag 644: Invitation og program for høring om Timmermans Task forcen 28/5-18 i Bruxelles
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Session 2:
This session tackles the issue of whether the Union should do less and how it can deliver its
policies more efficiently. The Task Force has devoted one meeting to this subject on 27 April,
and will discuss it again at a meeting on 28 May after the hearing. The discussion papers
presented at the meeting on 27 April are available online
v
.
The key questions addressed by the Task Force are the following:
Task (b)
What means can be identified to "do less more efficiently"? (i.e. Treaty change to reduce
competences, repeal of legislation, political restraint, reducing the "density" of EU legislation).
Are there concrete examples of policy areas or legislation where these means should be applied?
What processes or mechanisms could be envisaged to tackle the issue of doing less more efficiently
on an ongoing basis (c.f. the REFIT programme for tackling unnecessary regulatory costs)?
How might legislation that is "too dense" be identified? And how might such legislation be
"lightened" to give more flexibility and discretion to national regional and local authorities in their
implementation?
On what basis might Union competences be identified for removal from the Treaty or might
individual policy instruments be identified for repeal?
In addition to participating in the Hearing, invitees are also welcome to submit documents or
suggestions to the Task Force via its
website
i
.
i
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/democratic-change/better-regulation/task-force-subsidiarity-
proportionality-and-doing-less-more-efficiently_en
C(2017) 7810 of 14 November 2017
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/democratic-change/better-regulation/task-force-subsidiarity-
proportionality-and-doing-less-more-efficiently/23-february-2018_en
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/democratic-change/better-regulation/task-force-subsidiarity-
proportionality-and-doing-less-more-efficiently/15-march-2018_en
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/democratic-change/better-regulation/task-force-subsidiarity-
proportionality-and-doing-less-more-efficiently/27-april-2018-0_en
ii
iii
iv
v
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