I propose to take Questions Nos. 11, 32, 33, 44, 52 and 53 together.
Article 3b of the Treaty on European Union provides that the Community shall act within the limits of the powers conferred on it by the Treaty and that action by the Community shall not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaty. The Article sets out the principle of subsidiarity in the following terms:
In areas which do not fall within its exclusive competence, the Community shall take action, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, only if and in so far as the objectives of the proposed action cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore, by reason of the scale or effects of the proposed action, be better achieved by the Community.
The effect of this is that the Community is to act only where it can do so more effectively than can individual member states acting alone.
Article 3b falls within those parts of the Treaty for which the European Court of Justice has jurisdiction. It will therefore be possible for the court to adjudicate on the principle of subsidiarity.
I believe that this principle, properly applied, is in Ireland's interest and that the definition of subsidiarity is not too restrictive. It will not impede the evolution of the Community and will not undermine the operation of Community policies. It represents a reasonable compromise and it is sufficiently flexible to allow for the continued dynamic development of the Community.