§ Mr. BatesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the application of the principle of subsidiarity in the European Union.
§ Mr. HurdThe number of new Commission proposals for principal legislation fell to 25 in the first five months of 1994. This confirms the continuing downward trend which resulted in a fall from 185 new proposals in 1990, to 75 in 1993.
The Commission has withdrawn 12 new proposals in line with their undertakings at the Edinburgh and Brussels European Councils. These include a number of proposals which threatened to be particularly difficult for the United Kingdom, such as the draft Directive on Liability of Service Supplies.
Twelve more proposals are to be amended on subsidiarity grounds. The Commission is also making greater use of white and green consultative papers, in order to take proper account of the effect of proposed legislation on those who would be affected by it.
The Commission's work programme includes subsidiarity reviews of environmental, rights of residence, and pharmaceuticals legislation. In the customs area, a review has led to the replacement of 75 instruments with just two regulations.
We look forward to further evidence of progress in the Commission's detailed report to the Essen Council in December, and we are continuing our regular discussions of subsidiarity with our partners and with the Commission.