Brussels, 25 October 2024
Today, the Commission adopted the 2023 annual report on relations with national parliaments and on the application of the subsidiarity and proportionality principles. This report highlights an increase in the participation of national parliaments in the political dialogue with the Commission, showcasing a total of 402 written opinions by parliaments to the Commission, a figure that stands over 10% more than that of 2022.
This indicates that national parliaments continued to engage with the Commission on its political priorities, whilst paying particular attention to the European Green Deal, a new push for European democracy and promoting our European way of life. National parliaments also paid special attention to the 2023 Commission work programme, making it the most commented document, as well as the ongoing Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, reflections on the future of the Union, enlargement, migration and security.
The number of reasoned opinions by national parliaments indicating perceived breaches of the subsidiarity principle in Commission proposals amounted to 22. This number represents almost a third fewer than the 32 received in 2022, a figure in line with a long-term downward trend in this respect.
The report shows that Members of the College held 127 meetings with national parliaments. It explains the changes that several national parliaments have implemented to be earlier and better informed on the EU policy process, as well as how to express their views more effectively. Similarly, it points out that some national parliaments have started using the political dialogue in innovative ways. For example, one Chamber issued several opinions on the same proposal at different stages of the legislative process, and other Parliaments used joint opinions to collectively influence ongoing negotiations in their final phase. This illustrates the strategic potential and flexibility that the dialogue between the national parliaments and the Commission offers.
Source: The 2023 report and its previous editions are available online.