▁in ▁which ▁the ▁local ▁knowledge ▁enables ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁most ▁adapted ▁dec isions ▁and ▁the ▁citizens ▁can ▁express ▁their ▁disag re ement ▁by ▁direct ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁polit icians ▁or ▁leaving ▁the ▁region ▁( V o ice ▁or ▁Exit ▁principle ). ▁For ▁the ▁inter g overn ment al ist ▁theory , ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁subs id iar ity ▁guarante es ▁that ▁dec isions ▁will ▁be ▁taken ▁as ▁closely ▁as ▁possible ▁to ▁citizens , ▁and ▁therefore ▁at ▁the ▁lowest ▁level ▁possible . ▁ ▁The ▁EU ▁principle ▁of ▁subs id iar ity ▁is ▁seen ▁by ▁the ▁literature ▁as ▁sufficiently ▁un bounded ▁to ▁satisfy ▁both ▁school ▁of ▁thoughts ▁and ▁approach ▁to ▁central ization ▁( G ol ub , ▁ 1 9 9 6 ; ▁Te as dale , ▁ 1 9 9 3 ; ▁van ▁K ers ber gen ▁and ▁Ver be ek , ▁ 1 9 9 4 ). ▁ ▁The ▁principle ▁of ▁subs id iar ity ▁in ▁EU ▁environment ▁policy ▁ ▁EU ▁environmental ▁policy ▁ ▁The ▁Paris ▁Sum mit ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁announced ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁an ▁Environment al ▁Action ▁Program me . ▁This ▁European ▁initi ative ▁demonstrated ▁the ▁European ▁Econom ic ▁Community ' s ▁end ors ement ▁in ▁environmental ▁polic ym aking ▁by ▁defining ▁medium ▁and ▁long - term ▁goals ▁and ▁actions . ▁Histor ically ▁the ▁task - al location ▁model ▁of ▁the ▁EU ▁environmental ▁policy ▁has ▁been ▁widely ▁critic ised , ▁pointing ▁out ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁European ▁coord ination ▁being ▁an ▁obst acle ▁to ▁the ▁decision - making .