Glossary
Subsidiarity
constitutionalinternational
The principle that decisions should be taken at the lowest effective level of government.
In more detail
Central to EU law under Article 5 TEU, subsidiarity requires the Union to act only where objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by member states. Federal systems apply comparable reasoning when allocating competence between national and sub-national authorities.
Related terms
- federalism
- proportionality
See how this applies to you
Definitions are general. How a term operates depends on the jurisdiction you are in.