Decisions should always be taken at the lowest suitable level of power. This would prevent the centralization of power by the EU. Schuman stressed the importance of safeguarding the national identities and interests of the states, but only as long as they did not harm the common European interests.
As mentioned in EU legislation
Subsidiarity aims to ensure that decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen and that constant checks are made to verify that action at EU level is justified in light of the possibilities available at national, regional or local level. Specifically, it is the principle whereby the EU does not take action (except in the areas that fall within its exclusive competence), unless it is more effective than action taken at national, regional or local level. It is closely bound up with the principle of proportionality, which requires that any action by the EU should not go beyond what is necessary to achieve the objectives of the Treaties.
Subsidiarity from Schuman's view
Schuman became a successful lawyer in Metz, Lorraine. The mutual connection between Schuman and Lorraine was clear when the people of Lorraine elected Schuman as a representative of the French National Assembly. It was Schuman’s difficult task to align the interests of Alsace-Lorraine with the central French government.
The people in Alsace-Lorraine didn’t want to lose some of the social rights they had acquired under German occupancy. Due to his background, Schuman was able to find a compromise that pleased both sides. Schuman showed that he aimed to safeguard both regional and national interests, while also showing his willingness to align these interests when necessary. It was a preview of his European vision.
“We do not intend to deny our own past history, or weaken the vitality of our personal aspirations; our only limit is how to coordinate them in our immense collective work.”
- Robert Schuman -