With Trump’s return to the White House, geopolitical tensions are intensified, while the urgent need for a sustainable European growth model is reshaping interactions between Member State governments and the EU.
This seminar will explore the evolving concept of subsidiarity, examining whether European Public Goods are best managed at the EU level or through national authorities.
Many scholars and policy makers tend to see ‘more Europe’ as a necessity for delivering on common priorities, but doubts remain as to the political viability of a supranational approach. In other words, issues of subsidiarity are back in play. Are the objectives of a European Public Goods (EPGs) framework best achieved at the European level – as a matter of both execution and financing – or ‘by aggregation’, thus leaving national authorities in charge? The clash between these two perspectives is clearly visible in the currently ongoing debate on the EU Multiannual Budget 2028-34.
This seminar will take a fresh look at subsidiarity in an effort to conceptualise the continually evolving relationship between the EU and Member States, where, contrary to the classic fiscal federalism, the ‘horizontal’ division of tasks is being replaced (or complemented) by vertical coordination between the two institutional levels. Rethinking subsidiarity is central to creating ‘policy space’ for Europe to achieve common priorities by moving away from a narrow focus on spending towards the consistent management of budget with regulation and coordination as fundamental tools for efficient and equitable governance.
Event held under the Chatham house rules.
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The Economic and Monetary Union Laboratory (EMU Lab) is a collaborative initiative driven by the Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa Chair and the Pierre Werner Chair, aiming to reassess the Economic and Monetary Union's structure in light of current European and global economic conditions.
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