Subsidiarity and multi-level governance: slight breeze or strong winds?

While the process of Europeanization has inflicted a democratic deficit especially at regional level (respectively in Federal States) the Lisbon Treaty with its principle of subsidiary has reinforced parliamentarian competences both on national and sub-national level. Parliaments have been handed a new instrument to regain influenced on EU policy making and the ability to potentially veto supranational decisions. At this stage the infrastructure to make use of the new instruments vary even within countries. This paper is to outline the recent developments in Germany and its respective Federal States drawing on recent developments in institutional parliamentary settings and providing an analytical overview of the multi- level implications of parliamentarian involvement within the domain of regional policy making. An outlook on the potential to durably shift competences and influence is exemplary described the the case of the on-going debate on the post 2013 regional policy.