Better Regulation and Active Subsidiarity Steering Group (BRASS-G)

Active subsidiarity and multilevel governance are key principles and fundamental features for the EU functioning and democratic accountability.

Local and regional authorities play an essential role when it comes to formulating and implementing EU policies. Therefore, the EU must involve cities and regions better and more strategically in decision-making and in all stages of the legislative cycle, to design and implement more evidence- and place-based policies that benefit all EU citizens.

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Mission

The Better Regulation and Active Subsidiarity Steering Group (BRASS-G) was created by a CoR Bureau decision in June 2022. Building on the former Subsidiarity Steering Group, the mandate of BRASS-G is to streamline the CoR governance in relation to better regulation, as well as to steer and coordinate in a strategic way the activities of the CoR better regulation instruments. 

The CoR policy and activities on Better regulation complement its role under the Treaty as the guardian of subsidiarity and strive to promote an approach based on ''active subsidiarity''. This means advocating for a stronger involvement of local and regional authorities in the EU decision and policy making, thus contributing to a more effective, evidence and place-based policies that resonate with the expectations and needs of EU citizens. 

CoR better regulation toolbox

Putting in practice the active subsidiarity approach, the CoR has developed over the years a number of tools to contribute to all phases of the law and policy-making. Such toolbox aims at improving the quality of legislation through better impact assessments, evidence-based policymaking, increased transparency and stakeholder involvement, and a circular approach to EU legislation.

An overview of the CoR better regulation tools and their contribution to the EU better regulation agenda can be found in the study “Charting the course to better EU law-making: optimisation of EU Treaties through inter-institutional cooperation with the European Committee of the Regions” (September 2024). See the link at the bottom of the page in the Documents section.

Members of BRASS-G for the 2025-2030 CoR term of office

  • Karin Müller (DE/EPP), President and member for the Subsidiarity component
  • Luca Menesini (IT/PES), for the Subsidiarity component
  • Pär Löfstrand (SE/Renew E.), for the Subsidiarity component
  • Dagmar Škodová Parmová (CS/ECR)/Matteo Luigi Bianchi (IT/ECR), for the Subsidiarity component
  • René Jansen (NL/EA)/Kieran McCarthy (IE/EA), for the Subsidiarity component
  • Niina Ratilainen (FI/Greens)/Dan Boyle (IE/Greens), for the Subsidiarity component
  • Anne Karjalainen (FI/PES), for the (former) Fit4Future component
  • Vasco Alves Cordeiro (PT/PES), COTER Chair, for the territorial impact assessment component 
  • Piotr Całbecki (PL/EPP), NAT Chair, for the rural proofing component 
  • Jelena Drenjanin (SE/EPP), for the strategic foresight component

Documents