The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, described Parliament's refusal to participate in the working group set up in November of last year by the European Commission on subsidiarity and 'Better Regulation' as a “big mistake”. “We want you on board; please reconsider your position”, the President asked.
“I feel that it is a mistake that the EP is not part of the working group”, Parliament's President, Antonio Tajani, said later. Parliament's presence in this working group would have been limited to three MEPs, he explained; but “Parliament cannot be treated like a minor consultant”, Tajani said, stressing that it was a matter of dignity rather than resentment of the Commission.
The working group on subsidiarity, proportionality and the mission to do less but more efficiently, which was announced in September's state of the union speech, was created in November and is chaired by Frans Timmermans. It will bring together members of Parliament, the Committee of the Regions and the national parliaments (three members each) to make recommendations on how to apply these principles and better identify what could be redirected to sole national competence. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)