Subsidiarity goes right to the heart of many of the tensions now facing the EU. The principle articulates a presumption that the powers of EU institutions should be limited to those that cannot be adequately performed by its member states. This Report argues that until detailed arguments for and against centralization are made, the principle remains an incomplete guide to decisions as to where power should reside. Sections cover: labour mobility and its implications for the centralization of income tax and social security; economic integration and the Social Chapter; fiscal policy, macroeconomic stabilization and the Maastricht rules; environmental policy; merger policy; and European agriculture.
Authors