What is Proportionality?
Proportionality means: Proportionality is the EU principle that action should not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaties. Source: EUR-Lex glossary of summaries and 1 other official source.
Why it matters
It is used to assess whether obligations, penalties and administrative burdens are justified by the policy goal.
Related law explainers
Related lobbying pages
Related glossary terms
Frequently asked
What is Proportionality?
Proportionality is the EU principle that action should not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaties.
Why does Proportionality matter in EU policy?
It is used to assess whether obligations, penalties and administrative burdens are justified by the policy goal.
Where can I verify the definition of Proportionality?
Lex cites EUR-Lex glossary of summaries; European Commission: better regulation for this definition and links the source records on this page.
Official sources
Definitions are short paraphrases of official records, not legal advice. For binding text, use the linked EUR-Lex act, Official Journal or EU institution page.
See your company’s exposure — every claim cited.
Enter your company and Lex builds a cited Exposure Map in about 30 seconds. Free, no login.