§ 29. Sir Teddy TaylorTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in returning sovereignty to member states of the EU since the introduction of the subsidiarity provisions. [15452]
§ Peter HainSubsidiarity is not about returning powers to the member states. It is the principle which ensures that where the EC Treaty allows for action at both community and member state level, the most appropriate level is chosen each time action is required. Article 5 TEC and the Subsidiarity Protocol to the Amsterdam Treaty spell out how the principle is to be applied in practice.