Twinning Project RO2004/IB/EN-09

20 July 2006

Component 1 - Activity 1.3 training in EU co-ordination

Twinning Project RO2004/IB/EN-09 Implementation and Enforcement of the Environmental Acquis at National Level and Coordination of the 8 Regional Twinning Projects

Twinning Project RO2004/IB/EN-09

Implementation and enforcement of the environmental acquis at national level and coordination of the other 8 regional twinning

projects

Training

EU accession and membership

Veronika Hunt Šafránková

European Union Department

20 July 2006



Main objectives:

1. EU co-ordination mechanism

2. Daily work after the EU accession

3. Participation in EU institutions

4. Negotiating EU legislation – Case stuy „REACH“

5. Breaching EC legislation – infringement procedure

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1. EU co-ordination mechanism

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Most common EU coordination mechanisms

Centralised • Formal• Strict hierarchy• Regular high level meetings to approve positions• Key coordination role of EU Department • Mainly in new MSs

Decentralized • Less formal• No regular meetings, positions approved by decision-makers

by correspondence• EU dep. cooridnatates but responsibility more on policy level

(e.g. „policy lead“ in UK)• Mainly in old MSs

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Setting up the Czech system of EU co-ordination

Changes on the national level

- Establishment of the national co-ordination mechanism in May 2003

- Main Co-ordinator: Ministry for Foreign Affairs- Notification of transposition – Cabinet Office- EU Committee established – level of the

deputy ministers- Establishment of the office of the government

assignee for representing the CR at the ECJ

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Changes at MoE

- Transformation of European Integration Department into EU Department – redefining tasks

- Establishment of Inter-ministerial Co-ordination Group (ImCG)

- Introducing „new way“ of work – quick and operative decisions, legitimacy of ImCG, accepting EU issues as part of the every-day life

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Inter-ministerial Co-ordination Group (ImCG) Regular weekly meeting (Monday afternoon) Members: Directors of relevant expert departments and

representatives from other ministries Responsible: approval of all positions in the field of

environment (Working Parties of EU Council, COREPER, EU Council)

In urgent cases approval „per rollam“


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EU Committee

Regular weekly meeting (Tuesday afternoon) Members: Deputy Ministers (Executive Chairman –

Minister of Foreign Affairs) Responsible: Co-ordination of positions of all ministries

approval of positions (COREPER, EU Council); debates on strategic issues


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GovernmentGovernment

EU CommitteeEU Committee

Inter-min. Co-ordination GroupInter-min. Co-ordination Group

EU decision-making system in the CR

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Documentation

April 2003 – Government Resolution on Institutional Arrangements at the national level (i.e. establishment and statute of EU Committee)

April 2003 – Order of the Minister on the institutional changes within MoE (i.e. establishment of ImCG)

April 2004 – Strategy of the CR in the framework of the EU

June 2004 – „Cookbook: How to operate in Brussels“

June 2004 – MoE: Methodology for Impact Assessment

Each EU Presidency – MoE: Guide to the …. Presidency

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Lessons learnt

Formal and not very flexible system but provides stable ground for decision-making

ImCG – good place to discuss things Time consuming – internal, external meetings Human capacity – meetings, documents Time pressure – programmes of meetings and documents not in time Impact analysis – extremely useful tool Important to have a good attaché in Permanent Representation in

Bxls

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2. Daily work after the EU accession

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1.EU Department (12/6)

Head of Unit COREPER, waste, ISAP, PRES

Desk officerEU Council, water, energy

Desk officerEC, comitology, air, chemicals, noise

Desk officerEP, reporting, RIA, nature

Deputy Director WP of EU Council, GMOs, INSPIRE

Desk officerEuropean Council, ECJ, Fin.Perspective,

fin.tools, IPPC, ETAP, transport

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1.EU Department

Co-ordination of EU Affairs Secretariat to the Inter-ministerial Co-ordination Group Co-ordination of positions in WP, COREPER, EU Council Communication with the European Commission (incl. coordination of expert groups of EC) Co-operation with Czech Parliament (both chambers) Co-operation with European Parliament Participation in preparation of Impact Assessments (RIA) Consultation with Regional Authorities Consultation with stakeholders (Consultation Forum – 2x year) Briefing for Embassies in Prague Monitoring of infringements and ECJ decisions Preparations of positions for other meetings – EPRG, EEA, IMPEL, etc. Negotiations and co-operation with other MSs Monitoring of transposition and implementation of EC legislation

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2.Other departments in EU issues

Legislative department • Transposition of EC legislation• Notification of transposition to the Cabinet Office• In the team of the government assignee for representing the CR

at the EC

Assistant to the Director General, Directorate of Strategies and Legislation• Co-ordination of infringement procedure

Department of Economics• RIA

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3.Technical (expert) departments

EU issuesEU issues DomesticDomestic issuesissues

Every day workEvery day work

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Lessons learnt

Language issue Experts to be involved right in the beginning of the process Encourage experts to have links with experts from other MSs EU Department to exchange info with other MSs Consultation with stakeholders Find capacity for strategic issues Not divide domestic and EU issues Sources of information

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Sources of information

Programme of the Presidency (Council Programme) • http://www.eu2006.fi

Work plan of the EC, other strategic documents of EC• http://ec.europa.eu/index_en.htm

Council• http://www.consilium.eu.int

Other tips:• Council Guide• Issue Tracker• Sources of the PermRep

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3. Participation in EU institutions

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Main meetings in the EU

European Commission• Expert Groups of the EC –

irregular

EU Council• Working Party of the EU Council

– monthly plan (3-5x week)

• COREPER – Ambassador/Deputy Ambassador (2x week)

• EU Council – Minister (4x formal, 2x informal)

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EU Council

Working Working GroupGroup

PermRep/PermRep/expertexpert

ExpertExpert

ImCGImCG

PermPermRRepep

Expert Expert GroupGroupExpertExpert

EC – DG ENV

COREPECOREPERRPermRepPermRep

EU EU CouncilCouncilministerminister

EU EU ComCom

ImCGImCG

ExpertExpert

PermRepPermRep

ExpertExpert

ImCGImCG

EU EU ComCom

PermRepPermRep

ExpertExpert

ImCGImCG

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Types of Positions

Framework position (on request from the Parliament)

• Description • Position of the CR• Impact on national legislation• Impact on state budget• Other impacts (environmental, health, economical, social)• Position of EC, EP and other MSs• Procedure issues

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Types of Positions

Instructions (Working Party of EU Council, COREPER)

- Basic data – Name, No. of document, etc.- Proposal for speech - In the case of speech – reasoning- Description of the issue- Position of the CR- Position of MS, EP, EC

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Types of Positions

Mandate (EU Council)

- Basic data – Name, No. of document, etc.- Proposal for speech - Description of the issue (incl. process of negotiations

in WP and COREPER)- Position of the CR - Position of MS, EP, EC

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Co-operation with European Parliament

MoE provides info about positions on EU Council

Ad hoc consultations

Seminars for MEPs on specific issues (e.g. REACH)

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Problems after the accession

- Lack of capacity- Time pressure – programme and documents are

received late- Lack of time for detailed analysis- Instructions missed specific arguments- Lack of links with other MS

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Information to stakeholders

ImCG – guests from other institutions, associations, etc. Consultation Forum – broad audience (incl. NGOs,

regions, associations, etc.) – 2x year Guide to the … Presidency of the EU – 2x year Monthly information on latest developments in Czech for

regions, etc. Internet – regular update Briefings for Embassies – 2 year Publications of MoE – Planeta, Zpravodaj, etc.

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Thank you for your attention!

Documents

Twinning Project RO2004/IB/EN-09