Report of Inquiry into Subsidiarity. March 2009

The National Assembly for Wales’ European and External Affairs Committee is calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to share more information about draft European Union policy with it.

Members say they’re not currently receiving enough detail to properly scrutinise the impact of EU initiatives on Wales.

The findings form part of a report, on the committee’s inquiry into subsidiarity, which also calls for greater cooperation on the issue between all parliamentary bodies in the UK.

“The report highlights how the committee can better screen and select topics to scrutinise from the vast number of European proposals every year,’’ said committee chair, Sandie Mewies AM.

“We also want to improve the way we communicate with the Welsh Assembly Government, and other UK legislatures, as part of our strategic approach to scrutinising topics.

“We believe our recommendations will improve our scrutiny work and will also encourage closer working relationships with other devolved institutions in the UK, as well as both Houses of Parliament, on European matters.”

The main recommendations of the report are:

+ that the National Assembly for Wales continues to use the subsidiarity monitoring network of the Committee of the Regions in order to provide positive support to the monitoring work of National Assembly for Wales committees.
+ The committee encourages joint working other European Regional Assemblies, and other EU networks.
+ That the Welsh Assembly Government should provide regular updates to the European and External Affairs Committee on its short-term and long-term European priorities in the context of the annual work and legislative programmes of the Commission.
+ That the Welsh Assembly Government should make available, in a timely manner, all UK Government Explanatory Memoranda on European Legislative and policy proposals of relevance to Wales.
+ That the Welsh Assembly Government should produce a Welsh Assembly Government version of each Explanatory Memorandum, explaining its views on all new proposals that have devolved consequences and the implications they will have for Wales.

• Primary Source

Wales: National Assembly for Wales: Assembly Business: Committees http://www.assembly.wales/en/bus-home/committees/Pages/committees.aspx

NAW: Business: Committees: European and External Affairs: Reports: EUR(3) - Subsidiarity Report - Response from Presiding Officer, April 2009 http://www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-committees/bus-committees-third1/bus-committees-third-eur-home/bus-committees-third-eur-report/eur_3__-_subsidiarity_report_-_response_from_presiding_officer.htm

---