Subsidiarity for a Changing Union
Research Handbook on Economics of European Union Law, 95-110 (Elgar, 2012)
27 Pages Posted: 11 Oct 2012
Date Written: September 28, 2012
Abstract
In this paper, we develop an economic model of subsidiarity and discuss the ways in which this instrument should best be applied in the context of a changing European Union. The results suggest that the application of the subsidiarity test in the context of a union with growing membership requires both a prospective and retrospective analysis of the reallocation of competences between states and Union. Absent such a dynamic application, the instrument of subsidiarity could become an instrument of entrenched centralization, contrary to its historical origins and functional purpose.
Keywords: subsidiarity, centralization, devolution
JEL Classification: D70, H73, K33, P16
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation