What is Subsidiarity?
Subsidiarity means: Subsidiarity is the EU principle that, outside exclusive EU competences, action should be taken at EU level only when objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by Member States alone. Source: EUR-Lex glossary of summaries and 1 other official source.
Why it matters
It is a core test for whether a proposed EU law should exist at EU level at all.
Related law explainers
Related lobbying pages
Related glossary terms
Frequently asked
What is Subsidiarity?
Subsidiarity is the EU principle that, outside exclusive EU competences, action should be taken at EU level only when objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by Member States alone.
Why does Subsidiarity matter in EU policy?
It is a core test for whether a proposed EU law should exist at EU level at all.
Where can I verify the definition of Subsidiarity?
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.