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REPORT (2025/2015(INI))

On the European Union regulatory fitness and subsidiarity and proportionality – report on Better Law-Making covering 2023 and 2024

A-10-2026-0020

Committee on Legal Affairs · Rapporteur: Jörgen Warborn

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This resolution on better law-making for 2023 and 2024 calls for improved subsidiarity and proportionality, more effective impact assessments, and a more ambitious approach to reducing regulatory burdens. It urges greater involvement of national parliaments, including a 'green card' mechanism, and stresses the need for competitiveness checks and SME support.

Committee position. The Committee on Legal Affairs proposes a resolution calling for stronger subsidiarity and proportionality, better impact assessments, and a more ambitious burden reduction approach.

Key points

  1. Recalls that the EU must legislate only where necessary, respecting subsidiarity and proportionality, and warns against misuse of emergency legal bases.
  2. Notes the decline in reasoned opinions from national parliaments and calls for their earlier, structured involvement in EU policymaking.
  3. Calls for enhanced cooperation with national parliaments, including a structured 'green card' mechanism for collective suggestions.
  4. Regrets the Commission's failure to carry out impact assessments and calls for improved quality and use of them.
  5. Calls for cost-benefit analysis in impact assessments and a children's rights test in the impact assessment toolbox.
  6. Calls for a more ambitious approach than 'one in, one out' to achieve net reduction in regulatory costs, with a clear methodology and monitoring.
  7. Calls for improving the independence and transparency of the Regulatory Scrutiny Board and informing Parliament of negative opinions.
  8. Calls for streamlining reporting obligations, especially for SMEs, and assessing support measures and compensation mechanisms.
  9. Welcomes the SME and competitiveness check and calls for full competitiveness checks, resisting external pressure to weaken EU law.
  10. Welcomes regulatory sandboxes and calls for using digital tools and AI to simplify compliance and monitor implementation.
  11. Urges member states to avoid gold-plating and late transposition, and calls for mapping of legislation to identify harmonisation opportunities.

Who is affected

  • National parliaments: gain earlier involvement and potential 'green card' mechanism.
  • Small and medium-sized enterprises: benefit from reduced reporting burdens and competitiveness checks.
  • European Commission: must improve impact assessments and develop a cost quantification methodology.
  • Member states: urged to avoid adding burdens when transposing EU law.

Figures and deadlines

  • 22 reasoned opinions submitted by national parliaments in 2023, a third less than in 2022.
  • 577 subsidiarity checks and reasoned opinions, 3,803 contributions, three 'yellow cards' and no 'orange cards' since 2009.
  • 402 opinions submitted in 2023 via political dialogue.
  • 252 opinions, of which 14 reasoned opinions, submitted by national parliaments in 2024.
  • Commission pledge to reduce reporting obligations by 25% and administrative costs for SMEs by 35%.

Legal basis: Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union