European Lobbying Guide. A Guide On Whom and How to Lobby
Transcript of European Lobbying Guide. A Guide On Whom and How to Lobby
A SPECIALLY COMMISSIONED REPORT
EUROPEAN LOBBYING GUIDEA GUIDE ON WHOM AND HOW TO LOBBY
Bryan Cassidy
T H O R O G O O D
P R O F E S S I O N A L
I N S I G H T S
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Bryan Cassidy
EUROPEAN LOBBYING GUIDEA guide on whom and how to lobby
A Thorogood Report
Published by Thorogood
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© Bryan Cassidy 1999
All rights reserved. No part of this
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is available from the British Library.
ISBN 1 85418 144 0
Printed in Great Britain by Printflow Limited.
Other ThorogoodReports:
Public AffairsTechniques forBusinessPeter Wynne-Davies
Practical Techniquesfor Effective LobbyingCharles Miller
Corporate CommunityInvestmentChris Genasi
Internal CommunicationsJames Farrant
New Media in CorporateCommunicationsMic Cady
Managing Reputationin CyberspaceDavid Phillips
Managing CorporateReputation Simon Scott
The author
Bryan Cassidy was a Member of the European Parliament for 15 years from 1984-
1999 specialising in economic, industry and monetary affairs. During that time,
as a recipient of too much ill thought out lobbying from the proliferating interest
and pressure groups in Brussels, he became an expert on the subject.
He a business advisor, lecturer and writer on the European Union.
Before his election to the European Parliament, he had a successful career in inter-
national business and he is a former member of the Council of Confederation of
British Industry (CBI).
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Contents
FOREWORD TO THE LOBBYING GUIDE 1Preface...........................................................................................................2
Further information.......................................................................................4
1EUROPEAN LOBBYING GUIDE 7
Lobbying – an introduction ...........................................................................8
What is lobbying? ..........................................................................................9
Interest groups and pressure groups...........................................................10
Governments as lobbyists............................................................................10
2 THE ‘INSTITUTIONS’ OF THE EUROPEAN UNION 11
European Union (EU) or European Community (EC)? ................................12
The European Council.................................................................................13
The Council .................................................................................................13
The European Commission .........................................................................23
3 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OTHER BODIES 29
The Single European Act .............................................................................30
The Maastricht Treaty..................................................................................31
The Treaty of Amsterdam ............................................................................31
The Co-decision Procedure .........................................................................33
Parliamentary Committees ..........................................................................33
Composition and profile .............................................................................34
The European Parliament and the Budget ...................................................36
Parliamentary Committees of Inquiry and committee public hearings ......37
4 41
The Economic and Social Committee .........................................................42
The Committee of the Regions ...................................................................44
The Court of Justice of the European Communities (ECJ) ..........................45
Other bodies................................................................................................46
The different kinds of European Community Law ......................................48
5HOW AND WHOM TO LOBBY 51
Getting a proposal approved ......................................................................52
Lobbying the Commission ..........................................................................53
Commissioners or their officials? ...............................................................53
Council involvement – UKREP ...................................................................53
Publication of draft directives ....................................................................54
THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF EUROPEANCOMMUNITY LAW
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
The parliamentary stage .............................................................................54
Lobbying in the European Parliament ........................................................55
The Commission’s work programme .........................................................55
Rules to observe .........................................................................................56
1 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS 59
2 THE TREATIES 67
3COUNCIL DECISION 71
Rules of Procedure of the Council ..............................................................73
Annex I ........................................................................................................87
Annex II .......................................................................................................88
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C O N T E N T S
4 93
Chapter 1: The Commission........................................................................94
Section I: Commission meetings .................................................................95
Section II: Other decision-making procedures............................................97
Section III: Preparation and implementation of Commission decisions .....98
Chapter 2: Commission departments........................................................100
Chapter 3: Deputising ...............................................................................101
Final provisions .........................................................................................102
5 103
6 107
COUNCIL DECISION 93/731/EC OF 20 DECEMBER 1993 ON PUBLICACCESS TO COUNCIL DOCUMENTSAMENDED 2 DECEMBER 1996
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NEW DIRECTORATES-GENERAL ANDTHEIR DIRECTORS-GENERAL (DGs)
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COMMISSION RULES OF PROCEDUREADOPTED ON 18 SEPTEMBER 1999
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E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
7 THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 113
i) European Parliament President and Vice Presidents
elected July 1999 to serve until December 2001 .................................114
ii) The Political Groups .............................................................................115
iii) British MEPs and how to contact them ................................................117
iv) British Members of Standing Parliamentary Committees .....................134
v) Powers and responsibilities of standing committees ...........................143
vi) Committee co-ordinators of the principle political groups..................160
8 161
Joint declaration on practical arrangements for
the new co-decision procedure.................................................................162
9 CURRENT BRITISH MEMBERS OF ECOSOC 167
10 171
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ...........................172
COMMITTEE OF THEREGIONS (COR)
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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, COUNCIL,COMMISSION
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C O N T E N T S
11 179
Article 1: Passes .........................................................................................180
Article 2: Assistants....................................................................................180
Article 3: Code of conduct ........................................................................181
PROVISIONS GOVERNING THEAPPLICATION OF RULE 9(2) –LOBBYING IN PARLIAMENT
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E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
Foreword to the Lobbying Guide
By Rt Hon Sir Leon Brittan QC, former Vice-President of the European Commission
A new commission has taken office and with greater use of ‘Co-decision’ between
the European Parliament and the Council (of Ministers) on European directives,
an authoritative and detailed guide on how to lobby in Brussels and Strasbourg
is now overdue. Bryan Cassidy, a long serving and prominent member of the
European Parliament from 1984-1999 has produced such a guide, which I warmly
welcome. He explains how the Council of Ministers operates.
The author makes clear the role of COREPER (the Committee of Permanent Repre-
sentatives) and he stresses the importance for business and other pressure groups
of working with the British civil servants who participate in the multifarious Council
working parties and Commission advisory and regulatory bodies.
As for the Parliament, he explains the important role of the ‘Co-ordinators’ of the
political groups and of the Rapporteur and Draughtsman in committee and the
influence that they can have in drafting amendments to Commission proposals
as they pass through the Parliament.
The important role of Britain’s Permanent Representation to the European Union,
commonly known as UKREP, is emphasised, particularly the part it plays in the
detailed negotiations and horse-trading which go on before the Council agrees to
a ‘common position’ and before the final stage of co-decision with the European
Parliament.
The very openness of the European ‘Institutions’ and the influence which they
can have on the shape of legislation make lobbying in Brussels more complicated
than is the case in London, which is why Thorogood is to be congratulated on
its initiative in bringing out this Report.
1
Preface
The new European Commission headed by Romano Prodi began its five year term
of office on 1 January 1999. It began with high hopes for reform and openness
in contrast to the discredited European Commission headed by Jacques Santer
which was forced by the European Parliament to step down in March 1999.
The 20 strong college of Commissioners is moving quickly to reform the admin-
istration too. The Vice-President, the Rt Hon Neil Kinnock has been charged with
responsibility for the reorganising of what is known as the ‘Commission
Services’ and the Directorates-General accompanied by a general post of most
of the department heads, the Directors-General. A welcome change is an end to
the French hegemony in the agricultural directorate-general and a new rule that
a Director-General should not, in general, be of the same nationality as the respon-
sible commissioner.
The new European Parliament (EP) which was elected in June of 1999 is expected
to show that it is not there just to do the Commission’s bidding and can be expected
to take a much tougher line with draft directives and with any commissioner who
is not up to the tasks entrusted to him or her. As an illustration, the European
Parliament secured from President Prodi during the approval hearings of the new
commission last year a five point ‘operating agreement’. The five points are:
1. All Commissioners must be available to EP committees, when requested,
to answer both questions on policy issues and on issues relating to the
administration and management of their Directorate-General, at least
once every two months.
2. The President of the Commission must act if the EP passes a resolution
expressing its loss of confidence in an individual Commissioner. This
process should include a public meeting with the relevant Parliamen-
tary Committee to be followed by a statement to the Plenary, resulting
in the resignation of the Commissioner concerned.
3. A code of conduct must be established in the field of information access
defining clearly only those documents which the Parliament would not
have an automatic right to see.
4. Codes of conduct for Commissioners and officials must be sent to Parlia-
ment for its views to be taken into account before application, as
recommended in the second ‘Wise Men’s Report’. Reflection must be
given, in particular, to the code of conduct for the nomination of high
level officials to ensure that it includes specific reference to merit and
the necessary managerial qualifications, as well as regular detailed infor-
mation to the Parliament on the vacant posts.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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5. Parliament will study both the Wise Men’s Reports and the Screening
Report, submitting proposals to be included in the EU reform process.
(Note: the ‘Wise Men’ were commissioned by the European Parliament to inves-
tigate the accusations of favouritism, maladministration and fraud levelled at the
Santer commission.)
This guide explains how policies are formulated and directives drafted, a process
which is mysterious to most outside observers. The annexes include the rules
of procedure for the Commission and for the Council. (The Council’s workings
are not as well publicised as they should be.)
Politics depends upon personalities. The Commissioners themselves, their
‘Chefs de Cabinet’ (heads of their private offices) and the Directors-General are
responsible for drafting legislation, monitoring member states’ compliance with
directives and carrying out the policies agreed by the European Parliament and
the Council in the Co-decision Procedure initiated by the Treaty of Maastricht
and much extended by the Treaty of Amsterdam. It is this Co-decision Procedure
which makes the European Parliament a much more powerful influence on the
shape of European directives. It has, therefore, led to a huge increase in the amount
of lobbying to which MEPs are subject. There is a detailed description of the Co-
decision Procedure in this Report.
Knowing whom, how and when to make an approach to officialdom in the
European Commission or the Council, or to Members of the European Parliament
is crucial for interest groups who seek to influence the shape of legislation. Timing
is especially critical. It is too late to leave it until a draft directive appears in the
Official Journal (OJ). Anticipation is always better than reaction. Guidance is given
on how to anticipate. The political law of ‘unintended consequences’ which so
often destroys the good intentions of legislators and regulators is one of the principal
reasons why interest groups, lobbyists and others need to prepare their
arguments carefully, especially as the media, particularly in the United Kingdom,
are all too ready to hold the European Union and the European Community up
to ridicule because ill thought out proposals (or gold plated regulations in the
United Kingdom) result in consequences not originally intended.
That mysterious body, the Council (of ministers), is difficult to approach but not
impossible. Advice is given on the best way in to the Council by making frequent
use of national officials who attend the numerous working parties in Brussels.
The United Kingdom permanent representation (UKREP) is a useful guide to which
British officials go to these working parties. British officials whether in govern-
ment departments in Whitehall or in the United Kingdom Permanent
Representation in Brussels are there to do their best for the United Kingdom and
its citizens both natural and legal.
P R E F A C E
3
Another body about which little is known is the Committee of Permanent Repre-
sentatives (COREPER). A section deals with COREPER, how it is made up, how
it works and its decision making processes.
Insufficient attention is given by lobbyists and other interest groups to the influ-
ence of the Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) and the Committee of
the Regions (COR). Sections of this Report explain how they work and their useful-
ness. The names of British members of both are listed in the annexes.
There are a number of other bodies whose role is important but who are not
‘lobbyable’ by interest or pressure groups. This Report contains a section on:
• The European Court of Auditors
• The European Central Bank
• The European Investment Bank
• The European Investment Fund
• The European Ombudsman.
Further information
Official Journal (OJ) ‘L’ and ‘C’ series now available for a period of 45 days,
free of charge on the Eur-Lex Internet site (http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex).
Towards the end of 1999, it was decided to add an exclusively electronic section
to the ‘C’ series to be known as the ‘OJCE’. An index of all the documents in any
day’s OJCE will appear in that day’s printed version.
The OJ ‘L’ and ‘C’ series are also available quarterly on CD-ROM.
Tenders Electronic Daily (TED) is now available free of charge on line from
(http://ted.eur-op.eu.int).
EUROPA (http://www.europa.eu.int/) is the server which provides a compre-
hensive coverage and daily update on all that is happening in the institutions and
in the EU’s relations with third countries. It provides links to all the Institutions’
websites – Parliament, Council, Commission, Court of Justice, Court of
Auditors, Economic and Social Committee, Committee of the Regions,
European Investment Bank, European Central Bank, agencies and other
bodies.
It provides information on the EU, up-to-date news, the Euro exchange rate and
all the latest statistics.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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EUROPARL (http://www.europarl.eu.int/) is the European Parliament server
providing full information on the Parliament’s President and its Members, including
‘mug shots’. It gives full information on the Political Groups and their secretariats,
and on the Committees, including membership, meetings, the calendar and agendas.
Particularly helpful to lobby groups is the Legislative Observatory (OEIL) which
permits a search of progress on legislative dossiers by criteria such as Committee,
Rapporteur, Commission DG or Council involved, by topic, by procedure, by date
or by legal base.
The Council’s website (http://ue.eu.int/) provides information on Council
documents publicly available, meeting timetables, latest news and general infor-
mation on co-operation and working methods. It carries editions on Common
Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), Economic Policy
Co-ordinators (EPC) and Co-operation in the field of Scientific and Technical research
(COST). It also provides links to the 15 member state governments and to 17 other
non-member European Governments.
The Commission website (http://europa.eu.int/comm/) as might be
expected, provides information on all the Commissioners, all of whom have their
own home pages. On the whole, however, the Commission’s website is less infor-
mative than those of the other bodies.
The Court of Justice website (http://curia.eu.int/) provides an index of cases
lodged, recent case law, reports of proceedings normally a month in arrears,
sometimes longer, and judicial statistics on cases.
The Court of Auditors website (http://www.eca.eu.int/) provides biogra-
phies, documents and statistics.
The Economic and Social Committee website (http://www.ces.eu.int/)
surprisingly does not have a Who’s Who section.
The Committee of the Regions website (http://www.cor.eu.int/) is very
lively and provides contact addresses for COR members in their countries of origin
– very useful.
The European Investment Bank website (http://eib.eu.int/).
The European Central Bank website (http://www.ecb.int/) is very informa-
tive on all aspects of the Euro, including fraud prevention.
The European Ombudsman website (http://www.euro-ombudsman.eu.int/)
shows how to make a complaint, with data on his decisions. The European Parlia-
ment server has a lead in to the Ombudsman. Surprisingly, the EUROPA server
does not.
F U R T H E R I N F O R M A T I O N
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The United Kingdom Permanent Representative (UKREP) website (http://
ukrep.fco.gov.uk) is an excellent guide to who does what in that invaluable
organisation. It includes phone and fax numbers for key members of UKREP staff
with their responsibilities.
The UKREP address is:
10 Ave d’Auderglem
1040 Brussels
Tel: 00 32 2 287 8211
Fax: 00 32 2 287 8398
Directory of Special Interest Groups
The European Commission maintains an online directory of these at:
http://europe.eu.int/comm/sg/sgc/lobbies/en/tabledom.htm
Inclusion in it is essential for any interest group wishing to be consulted on Commis-
sion proposals.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
6
1chapter
European Lobbying Guide
L O B B Y I N G – A N I N T R O D U C T I O N
W H AT I S L O B B Y I N G ?
I N T E R E S T G R O U P S A N D P R E S S U R E G R O U P S
G O V E R N M E N T S A S L O B B Y I S T S
Chapter 1:European Lobbying Guide
Lobbying – an introduction
‘Lobbying’ is a much misunderstood activity. Frequently criticised in the media
for being a tool at the disposal of big business to seduce politicians, it is a long
established part of the democratic political process. MPs receive delegations of
their constituents in the central lobby of the House of Commons to be ‘lobbied’
– the origin of the word, therefore, in the United Kingdom. (In Washington, the
home of lobbying and lobbyists, they claim it all began in the lobby of the Willard
Hotel, where in the early days of the United States, presidents and congressmen
received those in search of favours.)
Lobbying is a healthy and necessary part of an open democratic society. The more
open the political decision-making process, the more there will be a role for
lobbying and lobbyists. The European Commission, the European Parliament, the
Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC) and the Committee of the Regions
(COR) are the main influences on the proposals put forward by the European
Commission for Directives, Regulations, Decisions and Recommendations. They
are, therefore, the main focus of attention.
The Council (of Ministers) which represents the governments of the Member States
is where the ultimate power resides. The Commission can propose draft legis-
lation, the European Parliament shares with the Council the power of decision
on much of this legislation but neither the Commission nor the Parliament can
force legislation through unless it has the support of the Council.
Representatives of Member States, frequently civil servants, also have an input
into the Commission’s early drafts. There would be no point in the Commission
working on a proposal without the support of the Council. Indeed, most Commis-
sion initiatives arise from requests either by the heads of government of the fifteen
Member States meeting at the European Council or by a ministerial meeting.
Representatives of the Member States negotiate the details of draft legislation while
the European Parliament, ECOSOC and the COR are considering their response
to the Commission’s proposed draft. The Council is supposed to take into account
those institutions’ amendments in arriving at an amended text which then goes
back to the European Parliament as what is known as a ‘common position’ (neither
ECOSOC nor the COR are consulted on ‘common positions’).
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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Lobbying of the Council is, on the whole, best carried out in national capitals in
discussion with the civil servants who attend the innumerable working parties,
study groups and committees for adaptation to technical progress which are part
of the processes both before and after directives have gone through the full legisla-
tive process.
What is lobbying?
Quite simply, a process of information to officials and legislators so that measures
are better thought out in the hope of reducing the effect of the political law of
‘unintended consequences’ (where an ill thought out proposal can have entirely
unintended harmful effects).
Lobbying can be either ‘proactive’ or ‘reactive’. Proactive lobbying is practised
by many pressure groups to encourage the European Commission to produce a
proposal. The single market programme was the result of proactive lobbying by
business. The wide range of environmental directives is a result of lobbying by
environmental pressure groups.
Reactive lobbying is necessary when the European Commission produces a green
paper or a discussion document, or holds a public hearing. These frequently antic-
ipate a future directive. They provide an opportunity for interest and pressure groups
to respond with reactions, ideas and suggestions. The increasing use by the Commis-
sion of green papers and discussion documents needs vigilance to make sure that
comments are submitted in sufficient time for the officials concerned to take them
into account, before moving to the next stage which may be a draft directive.
Reactive lobbying increasingly arises as a result of the widened powers of the
European Parliament over legislation, whereby the Parliament and the Council
(of Ministers) jointly decide on legislation in ‘co-decision’.
The President of the Commission, Romano Prodi, made a promise to the European
Parliament during the confirmation hearings for the new Commission, to look
closely at calls for new legislative proposals from the European Parliament. The
Parliament will not be slow to hold President Prodi to that promise.
C H A P T E R 1 : E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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Interest groups and pressure groups
Lobbying in Brussels is a growth industry. Every sector of business has its own
European trade association. Trade unions and consumers have their representa-
tive bodies. Environmental pressure groups such as Greenpeace have theirs too.
In spite of media suspicion and criticism of lobbying, the media themselves are
becoming increasingly active in Brussels. The BBC, in addition to its excellent
newsgathering team there, has its own office to lobby the European institutions.
So does ITV. The print media, unable to agree amongst themselves, have a number
of representative bodies.
Governments as lobbyists
Governments also lobby. These are the fifteen Member States of the European
Union who have been forced by the increased power of the European Parliament
and the establishment of the Committee of the Regions to devote more efforts
to lobbying. All fifteen have their Brussels-based teams of lobbyists disguised as
‘permanent representations’. In addition to their duty preparing meetings of the
Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER) they are devoted to
informing their nationals, who are Members of the European Parliament or of
ECOSOC or of the COR of their governments’ views, generally scrupulously avoiding
anything which could be interpreted as an ‘instruction’ on how to vote! The third
role of the fifteen permanent representations is to prepare the ground for Council
meetings, as a part of which they will negotiate with the European Parliament
in a process known as ‘conciliation’.
Third countries’ embassies lobby too. The EU’s major trading partner, the United
States, has its own representation dedicated to negotiating with the Commission
and lobbying in general. Other third countries’ embassies may combine their role
vis-à-vis the European institutions with representing their bilateral Embassies accred-
ited to Belgium or to NATO. Particularly active are the countries in Africa, the
Caribbean and the Pacific who are associated with the European Community
through the Lomé Convention.
Knowing how the system works and how to get the best out of it is the object
of this guide.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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2chapter
The ‘Institutions’ of the European Union
E U R O P E A N U N I O N ( E U ) O R E U R O P E A N C O M M U N I T Y ( E C ) ?
T H E E U R O P E A N C O U N C I L
T H E C O U N C I L
T H E E U R O P E A N C O M M I S S I O N
Chapter 2:The ‘Institutions’ of the European Union
Confusion, often compounded by inaccurate reporting in the media, arises from
the similarity between the names of some of the EU ‘institutions’ and those of entirely
separate organisations such as the Council of Europe. For example, the media often
refer to the European Commission on Human Rights (based in Strasbourg and part
of the Council of Europe) as the ‘European Commission’. The body based in Brussels,
which is responsible for drawing up proposals for legislation and for monitoring
the way in which the fifteen Member States adhere to their treaty commitments
and the way in which they implement EU directives, is the Commission of the
European Communities, generally known simply as ‘the Commission’.
‘Communities’ rather than ‘Community’ because the Commission is responsible
not only for the European Community (previously known as the European Economic
Community (EEC)) but also the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC), the
precursor of the EEC, and of the European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM).
Confusion arises too because the European Union itself uses terms which are easily
confused such as the European Council and the Council (see below).
European Union (EU) or European Community (EC)?
The EU and EC are not synonymous though most people think they are. The
European Union was established by the Treaty on European Union, commonly
known as the Maastricht Treaty, in 1992. It created a new structure with three
separate areas of activity. These three, known as ‘the three pillars’, are the European
Community (EC), previously known as the EEC; the Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP) and Co-operation in the Fields of Justice and Home Affairs (JHA).
(The last two arise from the wish of the Member States’ governments to co-operate
more closely together outside the framework of the EU institutions and are, there-
fore, described as ‘inter-governmental’.)
The European Community, which now consists of fifteen Member States, produces
the legislation which gives rise to the need for lobbying and creates a body of jurispru-
dence arising from the decisions of the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
There is no co-decision yet between the European Parliament and the Council
on common foreign and security policy matters, nor on justice and home affairs
matters.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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The European Council
Commonly known as ‘European Summits’, the term means meetings of the heads
of government. They happen at least twice a year though in recent years the practice
has grown up of having special ‘mini-summits’. The foreign ministers of the fifteen
Member States also attend as do the Presidents of the European Commission and
of the European Parliament.
The European Council is not part of the legislative process. The European Council
is a political body often called upon to resolve issues on which agreement cannot
be reached in the Council of Ministers.
The European Council is required to agree unanimously on changes to treaties,
subject to ratification by national parliaments and on all key appointments.
The Council
Generally known as the Council of Ministers in order to avoid confusion with
the European Council, the Council is made up of ministerial representatives of
the fifteen Member States. Its composition depends upon the areas of discussion.
For example, Ministers of Agriculture attend Agriculture Councils, and Finance
Ministers such as the Chancellor of the Exchequer attend meetings of the Economic
and Finance Council, known as ECOFIN.
The General Secretariat of the Council
The Council has its own secretariat consisting of around 2,300 EU civil servants
and its own organisation structure. The 2,300 does not include additional Council
staff who will need to be recruited to handle the Common Foreign and Security
Policy (CFSP) with the appointment of the new Council Secretary General – Javier
Solana Madariaga.
The secretariat of the Council is responsible for policy continuity in that institu-
tion thereby ensuring a smooth hand over from one country’s six months Presidency
to the next. As in each country, assuming the Presidency has its own order of prior-
ities, the strand of continuity is dependent upon the Council General Secretariat.
A small group of top ‘A’ (administrative) grade officials prepare the agendas for
meetings in conjunction with the Presidency. They prepare the documents to
be discussed, attend meetings and prepare notes and summaries afterwards. They
will follow the development of a proposal from its initial exchange of views in
a Working Party to the final stage of adoption by the Council. The new head of
C H A P T E R 2 : T H E ‘ I N S T I T U T I O N S ’ O F T H E E U R O P E A N U N I O N
13
the Council Secretariat is the Secretary-General, Javier Solana Madariaga (the former
Secretary-General of NATO) who will combine the role of Secretary-General of
the Council with that of High Representative for the European Union’s Common
Foreign and Security Policy. He will be assisted by a Frenchman, Pierre de Boissieu,
who has been appointed Assistant Secretary-General of the Council.
The Council Secretariat is organised into the Secretary-General’s department and
eleven directorates general with the following areas of responsibility:
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
14
Secretary-General
• Financial Control
PRIVATE OFFICE• General Political Questions
• European Councils
• Press and Current Information
LEGAL SERVICEDirectorate-General A
• Personnel and Administration
• Protocol, Organisation, Security, Infrastructures
• Translation and Document Production
Directorate-General B
• Agriculture – Fisheries
Directorate-General C
• Internal market: Customs Union, Industrial
Policy
• Approximation of Laws, Right of Establishment
and Freedom to Provide Services, Company Law,
Post and Telecommunications, Intellectual
Property
Directorate-General D
• Research, Energy, Transport
Directorate-General E
• External Economic Relations and Development
Co-operation
Directorate-General F
• Relations with the European Parliament, Insti-
tutional Affairs, Budget and Staff Regulations
• Co-decision Legislative Procedures, Relations
with ECOSOC and the Committee of the Regions,
Information Policy, Public Relations
Directorate-General G
• Economic and Financial Affairs
• Economic and Monetary Union, Own Resources
• Tax Harmonisation, Bank and Stock Exchange
Law
Directorate-General H
• Justice and Home Affairs (JHA)
Directorate-General I
• Environment, Consumer Protection, Civil Protec-
tion, Health, Foodstuffs
Directorate-General J
• Social Policy, Employment, Social Dialogue,
Regional Policy and Economic and Social
Cohesion, Education and Youth, Culture, Audio-
visual Questions
Directorate-General K
• Common Foreign and Security Policy
Though the Council is the final arbiter of all European Community and European
Union Acts, since the Treaty of Amsterdam came into force on 1 May 1999, it increas-
ingly acts in co-decision with the European Parliament on European Community
matters.
Most of the work of the Council is done in working parties consisting of officials
from the fifteen Member States who work on the details of legislative proposals
both before the European Commission adopts it and throughout the various stages
of the co-decision procedure. Council working parties will often be working in
parallel with the consideration of proposals by the European Parliament, ECOSOC
and the Committee of the Regions.
In order to open up the meetings of the Council, voting and explanations of votes
by Member States, representatives can be published in media information distrib-
uted by the Press Office of the General Secretariat of the Council as provided for
in the Council Rules of Procedure*.
Publication of the results of votes in Council
Since 1995 voting records have appeared in the Review of the Council’s work
published annually by the Council Secretary General.
When the Council is acting in its legislative capacity adopting legally binding instru-
ments such as regulations, directives or decisions, the results of the votes by the
members of the Council are automatically published.
When the Council adopts common positions as part of its co-decision or co-opera-
tion procedures with the European Parliament or in the conciliation committee
with the Parliament, the results of voting are also published.
When the Council is not acting in its legislative capacity, voting results and expla-
nations of votes are not generally made public unless the Council so decides. In
the case of the Council acting in the areas of the Common Foreign and Security
Policy and of Justice and Home Affairs, a decision to publish must be unanimous.
National officials with specialised knowledge of the topic will also attend concil-
iation meetings with representatives of the European Parliament, under the
conciliation arrangements which are part of the co-decision procedure.
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*Official Journal (OJ) Number L147, 12.6.99 and L251, 24.9.99.
The Council and Council working party meetings take place behind closed doors
with no published record other than the occasional press release. The result of
their votes, however, is often known. The topic under discussion and the treaty
article under which it is brought forward (known as the legal base) governs the
voting method of the Council. Decisions can be arrived at, therefore, either by:
• unanimity
• simple majority
• qualified majority, with each Member State having a number of votes
roughly in accordance with its population, known by the acronym QMV.
(See pages 21-22 on Voting in Council.)
Publication of Statements and Minutes
Sometimes the Council, the Commission or a Member State representative may
insert a written statement in the Council Minutes often indicating a reservation
or aimed at public opinion in the Member State concerned. Such statements have
no legal effect but are considered to be ‘political’ and do not hinder decision-making.
Public and media access has been permitted to statements in the Council Minutes
and to the Minutes themselves since the adoption of a Council Code of Conduct
on 2 October 1995. (Releases from the Council Secretariat Press Office indicate
the existence of such statements by an asterisk.)
Access to Council documents
The public and the media have had the right to see Council documents since
December 1993*. Access is not easy, however, because applications have to be
submitted in writing to the General Secretariat of the Council. The Secretary General
is required to reply within one month with, in certain circumstances, an exten-
sion by a further month. The applicant has to pay for the Council documents if
hard copy is required.
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*Council Decision 93/731/EC on 20 December 1993 established the public right to Council documents. It wasamended by another Council Decision in 96/705/EC on 6 December 1996. The text of that Decision appears inthis guide as Annex 6.
The Presidency of the Council
Under current arrangements, Member States take it in turns to preside over Council
meetings for a period of six months, January to June and July to December. In
2000 Portugal will preside for the first six months, France for the second six months.
Sweden and Belgium will hold the presidency in 2001, Spain and Denmark in
2002 and Greece the first half of 2003.
The duties and responsibilities of the Presidency of the Council are laid down in
the various treaties establishing the European Union, the European Community,
the European Coal and Steel Community and Euratom, though in very general terms*.
The President of the Council, known as the ‘President in Office’ also has to report
regularly to the European Parliament with the Foreign Minister of the country holding
the Presidency setting out the programme for the coming six months and the Prime
Minister reporting back to the Parliament at the end on progress made. The minis-
ters from the country holding the Presidency chair ministerial meetings and attend,
when invited, parliamentary committees and meetings of ECOSOC and the COR.
A useful way for an interest group to pursue an issue is through questions to the
Council which take place during every plenary session of the European Parlia-
ment in Strasbourg. Such parliamentary questions, however, principally serve a
publicity purpose.
The Presidency represents the Union in CFSP matters and is required to consult
the European Parliament on co-operation on Justice and Home Affairs.
The President also has the responsibility of convening Inter-Governmental Confer-
ences (IGC) to adopt amendments to the Treaties.
The same Member State holds the Presidency in every sphere of the European
Union’s activities (EC, CFSP and JHA) and at all levels from working parties right
up to the European Council.
Inevitably, some programmes such as the single market or the liberalisation of
financial services currently in hand, will spread over several Presidencies. As a
way of ensuring continuity, an institution has developed known as the ‘Troika’
which involves the Presidency-in-Office, its predecessor and its successor. The
order in which the Member States hold the Presidency provides for there always
to be one large state in each Troika.
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*See, for example, Arts 202-210 of the Treaty of Rome.
The Presidency is neutral and impartial. Its role in presiding over working party
and ministerial meetings is to act as a moderator, favouring neither its own prefer-
ences or those of any other particular Member State. This does not mean that
the President in Office’s Member State’s case goes by default as another repre-
sentative will be present and able to speak.
The Presidency in its role as an impartial chairman should try to broker a compro-
mise to reconcile different national interests where a stalemate may have occurred.
The Presidency requires a considerable amount of additional resource from the
Member State holding the Presidency, easier for large Member States than small
States. This is one of the reasons why there is currently debate about reforming
the arrangements for the Presidency to give a longer period of office than six
months. One of the advantages of the present arrangement is that it gives an oppor-
tunity for the smaller Member States to play a role, not only within the European
Union, but internationally in relationships with countries such as the United States
where the Presidency-in-Office represents the Union.
Lobbying the Presidency is virtually impossible owing to the requirement that the
Presidency should be neutral. However, lobbying can be carried out indirectly via
national capitals including that of the country holding the Presidency.
The Council of the Union
The EU and the EC become confused because the Council is the Council for both
and refers to itself as the Council of the Union. The reason is that the Council
decides on matters to do with the common foreign and security policy and with
justice and home affairs when most decisions are taken by unanimity. There is
no co-decision with the European Parliament in those two ‘pillars’ of the Union.
Co-decision only applies to European Community measures.
QMV also applies only to European Community measures. The Council established
its own Rules of Procedure on 31 May 1999 (see Annex 3).
The composition of the Council differs depending on the agenda. The most frequent
Council meetings are those of General Affairs, Agriculture, Budget, Consumers,
Culture, Development, Economic and Financial Affairs (known by the acronym
ECOFIN), Education, Energy, Environment, Industry, Justice and Home Affairs,
Internal Market, Fisheries, Research, Health, Telecommunications, Transport and
Employment, and Social Affairs.
The General Affairs, Agriculture and ECOFIN Councils generally meet once a month
whilst the others meet as often as required, normally two to four times a year.
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18
Ministerial meetings are normally held at the Council’s Brussels headquarters, the
Justus Lipsius Building, though in April, June and October they are held at the
European Centre in Luxembourg.
The Permanent Representatives’ Committee (COREPER)
The fifteen Member States each have ‘embassies’, known as Permanent Repre-
sentations, to the European Union in Brussels. The fifteen ‘ambassadors’, known
as Permanent Representatives, normally meet each week in a committee commonly
called COREPER. COREPER is divided into two parts. COREPER I is composed of
the Deputy Permanent Representatives who normally meet on Wednesdays.
COREPER II is composed of the Permanent Representatives themselves and usually
meets on Thursdays, except for weeks preceding General Affairs or ECOFIN Councils
when it meets on Wednesdays.
COREPER I
This is responsible for the preparation of Internal Market, Energy, Research, Industry,
Telecommunications, Fisheries, Transport, Environment, Consumers, Labour and
Social Affairs, Health and Culture, Tourism, and Agriculture (Veterinary and Plant-
health questions) Councils.
COREPER II
This is responsible for preparing Council meetings on General Affairs, ECOFIN,
Development, Justice and Home Affairs, and the Budget.
COREPER agendas are divided into two parts. Part I is made up of items expected
to be approved by COREPER without discussion, prior agreement having been
reached within the working party.
If a delegation is opposed, however, the item is moved into Part II which consists
of items requiring detailed and substantive discussion and includes ‘other business’
added to the agenda at the request of the Presidency, a national delegation or
the Commission.
Items sometimes appear on the agenda marked ‘possibly’ which indicates that
the Presidency may either add or withdraw the item at short notice.
Reports for COREPER are usually drafted by the General Secretariat of the Council.
As the purpose of COREPER meetings is to prepare for Council ministerial meetings,
items already agreed will be entered on the Council agenda as an ‘A’ item.
Where there is a difference of views needing a discussion at Council level, those
items are entered on the Council agenda as ‘B’ items.
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Matters which require further study and discussion by COREPER before going
on to Council can be entered on the agenda for a future meeting.
COREPER may also instruct working parties to re-examine certain technical diffi-
culties which may have been insufficiently considered at first reading or which
have emerged in the COREPER meeting.
Council Meetings
The Presidency-in-Office may convene a meeting of the Council or do so at the
request of a Member State or of the Commission. Normally, however, Council
Meetings are held in accordance with a timetable generally agreed well before
the beginning of the six months of the Presidency.
The Council consists of one representative of each Member State holding minis-
terial rank with the authority to commit their government. Council members are
generally accompanied by officials from their Member State. Though the Commis-
sion is generally invited to take part in Council Meetings, it is not essential. The
Council may decide to hold discussions without the Commission being present.
Agendas for Council Meetings
The responsibility for drawing up agendas for Council Meetings rests with the
Presidency. For inclusion, an item should be submitted with its supporting papers
at least 14 days before the meeting. However, if a national delegation or the Commis-
sion asks, items may be added providing the request is submitted at least 16 days
before the Council Meeting and relevant papers are available. Further items can
only be added once the 16 day deadline has passed if Council Members agree
unanimously.
The draft agenda is sent by the Presidency to COREPER with an indication by an
asterisk of those items on which a vote may be taken and distinguishing other
items either for negotiation or for decision.
It is the responsibility of the General Secretariat of the Council to brief the Presi-
dency on the latest situation on agenda items indicating substantive, legal,
procedural and tactical points which are likely to arise.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
20
As with the agenda for COREPER, the Council’s agenda is divided into two parts:
• ‘A’ items which the Council frequently adopts without any discussion.
A Council Member can ask for ‘A’ items to be withdrawn and postponed
to a later meeting or converted into a ‘B’ item.
National delegations may make statements to be attached to ‘A’ items
explaining their vote or their reservations.
• ‘B’ items are all other items on which further discussion and perhaps
votes may take place.
A preparatory briefing meeting is held before the Council Meeting attended by
the President, the Permanent Representative or his deputy, the Secretary-
General of the Council and other Council officials including a representative of
the Council Legal Service.
Only six people per national delegation (including the relevant Minister and the
Permanent Representative or his deputy) can have access to the Council
chamber. Everyone else must follow the discussions from a separate room.
In cases of political sensitivity or technical complexity, the President may limit
the composition of delegations (meetings in restricted session, Ministers plus one
person, Ministers only, etc).
Voting in Council
The rule for voting in the Council depends on the Treaty articles governing the
agenda item in question. They are set out in detail in the Council’s Rules of Proce-
dure*. Annex 3 shows the Council Rules of Procedure in full.
The different kinds of vote are:
Simple majority
Voting by simple majority in Council is limited. Though Article 205 of the Treaty
of Rome states ‘save as otherwise provided in this Treaty the Council shall act
by a majority of its members’ i.e. simple majority, in reality simple majority voting
is rare, applying to procedural decisions, the questions of the Commission’s right
to collect information and in those circumstances where no other form of voting
is specifically indicated.
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*Official Journal (OJ) Number L147, 12.6.99 and L151, 24.6.99.
Unanimous voting
Unanimity is required in certain politically sensitive policy areas such as taxation
and the EU budget and on legislation based on Article 308 concerning the opera-
tion of the Common Market where the Treaty has not provided the necessary
powers to achieve one of the objectives. Unanimous voting is necessary if the
Council is to overrule the Commission and it is also the rule in actions under the
Common Foreign and Security Policy or in Justice and Home Affairs.
Qualified majority voting
Qualified majority voting, generally known as QMV, means that to be adopted a
measure needs 62 votes in support out of a total of 87. Under the current QMV
arrangements the number of votes to which each Member State is entitled is:
10 United Kingdom
10 Germany
10 France
10 Italy
8 Spain
5 Belgium
5 Greece
5 The Netherlands
5 Portugal
4 Austria
4 Sweden
3 Denmark
3 Finland
3 Ireland
2 Luxembourg
Total: 87
To defeat a measure requires a ‘blocking minority’ of a minimum of 26 out of the
total of 87. That means at least 3 Member States must vote against.
It is not necessary, however, for all fifteen Member States to participate in voting.
In a manoeuvre known as ‘constructive abstention’ a single Member State can
signify its reservations by abstaining rather than voting against – a way of avoiding
‘rocking the boat’.
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The European Commission
The Commission of the European Communities has political, administrative and
regulatory roles.
The political direction comes from the collegiate body of 20 Commissioners, each
of whom is appointed for a period of 5 years. The present Commission’s term
of office lasts from the 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2004.
The new Commissioners and their portfolios are:
Romano Prodi President
Italian
Neil Kinnock Vice-president
British Administrative Reform
Loyola de Palacio Vice-president
Spanish Relations with the European Parliament
Transport and Energy
Mario Monti Competition
Italian
Franz Fischler Agriculture and Fisheries
Austrian
Erkki Liikanen Enterprise and the Information Society
Finnish
Frederik Bolkestein Internal Market
Dutch
Philippe Busquin Research
Belgian
Pedro Solbes Mira Economic and Monetary Affairs
Spanish
Poul Nielson Development and Humanitarian Aid
Danish
Günter Verheugen Enlargement
German
Christopher Patten External Relations
British
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23
Pascal Lamy Trade
French
David Byrne Health and Consumer Protection
Irish
Michel Barnier Regional Policy and ‘ad personam’
French Intergovernmental Conference
Viviane Reding Education and Culture
Luxembourgeoise
Michaele Schreye Budget
German
Margot Wallström Environment
Swedish
Antonio Vitorino Justice and Home Affairs
Portuguese
Anna Diamantopoulou Employment and Social Affairs
Greek
In carrying out their duties, members of the Commission are obliged to be completely
independent of their national governments and to act only in the interests of the
European Union. The European Parliament has the right to pass a motion of censure
on the Commission as a whole. Though each member of the Commission has special
responsibility for one or more policy areas (see list above) decisions are taken on
the basis of collective responsibility.
The Commission is first and foremost the guardian of the treaties. It must ensure
that treaty provisions and European Union decisions are correctly applied. It can
initiate infringement proceedings against any Member State and may, if neces-
sary, refer matters to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). It can also impose fines
on individuals or companies, notably when they act in breach of the European
Union’s competition rules.
The Commission has the sole right of initiative in the field of legislation and it
can exert its influence at every stage of the process leading to the adoption of a
new European directive.
In the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Justice and Home Affairs
(JHA) the Commission has the same rights as Member States to submit proposals.
Both areas of policy are decided upon through inter-governmental co-operation,
a Council responsibility.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
24
Commission Services
The Commission is the European Union’s executive body. The ‘Commission Services’
are the permanent EU civil service who draw up proposals for legislation, issue
rules for the implementation of Treaty articles and administer the Community budget,
the bulk of which is spent under one or other of the major funds:
• The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF)
• The European Social Fund (ESF)
• The European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
• The Cohesion Fund (CF).
In carrying out these executive responsibilities, the Commission is often required
to seek the opinion of committees of representatives from the Member States when
drawing up regulations to manage Community policies. This procedure, known
as ‘comitology’, is a source of conflict between the European Parliament, the
Commission and the Council, as it is not fully subject to European Parliament scrutiny.
Most directives are ‘framework’ directives in the sense that they lay down general
principles. There is a parallel with the British system whereby an act of Parlia-
ment creates the law but the detail of how that law is to be operated is filled in
by regulations known as Statutory Instruments (SI’s).
Contrary to popular belief about a huge bureaucracy, the European Commission
permanent staff numbers less than 17,000.
The Commission is also responsible for producing official texts published in the
Official Journal, commonly referred to as the ‘OJ’. The ‘C’ series of the OJ carries
the texts of draft directives and other proposals, the exchange rate of the Euro,
invitations to tender for participation in EU funded programmes and ‘sits vac’ which
appear in the ‘C’ series with the suffix ‘A’, e.g. C153A. The ‘L’ series are authori-
tative texts of Parliament and Council directives, Council directives, Council decisions
and the innumerable regulations concerned with the day-to-day administration of
the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). These texts appear in light type. All other
texts with legislative significance appear in bold type in the ‘L’ series preceded
by an asterisk.
The Commission has the responsibility for negotiating on behalf of the fifteen
Member States in international fora such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
and for negotiating treaties of accession with countries wishing to become members
of the EU known as ‘candidate countries’. It also, through its offices in more than
120 national capitals, represents the European Union diplomatically.
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25
The Commission is also authorised to set up specialist committees to advise it.
The details of these committees and their membership are published in the ‘C’
series of the OJ together with their periods of office, generally two years, renew-
able. The members of these committees whose names are public are often worth
lobbying as they know their field well.
Organisation of the Commission
The Amsterdam Treaty has enhanced the role of the Commission President. It is
he who gives political direction to the Commission as a whole. It is he who allocates
the portfolios to members of the Commission and he has the power to reallo-
cate portfolios during the Commission’s five year term of office. The current
President’s principal priorities will be the next enlargement of the European Union
and internal reform.
Internal reform of the Commission Services
The Rt Hon Neil Kinnock has been appointed as Vice-president for Administrative
Reform of the Commission. He will have the task of drawing up a comprehensive
reform plan and responsibility for ensuring that it is carried out.
Hitherto, the Commission Services’ principal policy functions have been carried
out by Directorates-General identified by Roman numerals DGI to DGXXIV. As
even experts were frequently confused by the numbering, one of the first changes
instituted by Romano Prodi has been to give the Directorates-General names clari-
fying their functions.
The new Directorates-General, their Directors-General and their areas of respon-
sibility will be found at Annex 5.
Commissioners’ ‘Cabinets’
Each Commissioner is assisted by a private office, known as the ‘cabinet’. Cabinet
members serve the Commissioner individually and their term of office is depen-
dent upon their Commissioner. Cabinet members can be very helpful in giving
advice and their influence is considerable. The heads of the private offices, known
as the ‘chefs de cabinet’, meet regularly to prepare the ground for the weekly
meetings of the Commission which normally take place on Wednesday in Brussels
except when the European Parliament has a plenary session in which case the
Commission’s meeting takes place in Strasbourg.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
26
As members of the cabinet depend upon their working relationship with their
Commissioner, the composition of cabinets inevitably changes over a five year
period. Generally, however, the ‘chefs’ serve the full five years. The current line
up of Commissioners and their ‘chefs’ is:
Commissioner Chef de cabinet
President Romano Prodi.............................David O’Sullivan
Vice-president Neil Kinnock ......................Andrew Cahn
Vice-president Loyola de Palacio ................Daniel Calleja Crespo
Michel Barnier ............................................Christine Roger
Frederik Bolkestein.....................................Henk Post
Philippe Busquin ........................................Daniel Jacob
David Byrne................................................Martin Power
Anna Diamantopoulou ...............................Giorgos Glynos
Franz Fischler .............................................Corrado Pirzio-Biroli
Pascal Lamy.................................................Pierre Defraigne
Erkki Liikanen.............................................Olli Rehn
Mario Monti ................................................Enzo Moavero Milanesi
Poul Nielson ...............................................Claus Haugaard Sorensen
Christopher Patten .....................................Anthony Cary
Viviane Reding............................................Gregory Paulger
Michaele Schreyer ......................................Eckhart Guth
Pedro Solbes Mira .......................................Luis Planas Puchades
Günther Verheugen ....................................Alexander Italianer
Margot Wallström .......................................Rolf Annerberg
Antonio Vitorino.........................................Antonio Cavaco
Each Commissioner is entitled to a cabinet of up to 6 ‘A’ (administrative) grade
officials.
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Blank page
3chapter
The European Parliament and other bodies
T H E S I N G L E E U R O P E A N A C T
T H E M A A S T R I C H T T R E AT Y
T H E T R E AT Y O F A M S T E R D A M
T H E C O - D E C I S I O N P R O C E D U R E
PA R L I A M E N TA R Y C O M M I T T E E S
C O M P O S I T I O N A N D P R O F I L E
T H E E U R O P E A N PA R L I A M E N T A N D T H E B U D G E T
PA R L I A M E N TA R Y C O M M I T T E E S O F I N Q U I R Y A N D C O M M I T T E EP U B L I C H E A R I N G S
Chapter 3:The European Parliament and other bodies
Though the European Parliament has only been directly elected since 1979, there
has from the earliest days of the European Coal and Steel Community been some
form of parliamentary oversight. Until direct elections in 1979, members of what
was then known as the European Assembly were nominated members of national
parliaments. After 1979, the legitimacy conferred upon the Parliament by direct
election led to it wanting increased powers.
Although from the beginning of the 1970s the Parliament shared with the Council
responsibility for the budget, on legislative proposals it could only suggest amend-
ments and there was no obligation on either the Commission or the Council to
take notice. At that time, the only important measure which required two readings
was the annual budget.
1987, however, saw a substantial increase in Parliament’s influence over legisla-
tion with the Single European Act. For the first time and subject to certain
conditions, the Parliament was able to amend draft directives, especially in the
important area of the creation of the single market.
The Single European Act
The Single European Act also introduced Qualified Majority Voting in a number
of areas, especially single market measures in place of unanimity. There could
have been little progress towards achieving the single market without Qualified
Majority Voting.
The Single European Act introduced the Co-operation Procedure providing the
Parliament with the power to amend draft directives after two readings.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
30
The Maastricht Treaty
The Maastricht Treaty (the Treaty on European Union) which came into force in
November 1993 increased the Parliament’s role further by introducing the Co-
decision Procedure whereby Parliament and Council jointly decide on Commission
proposals for legislation in the following areas:
• Free movement of workers
• Right of establishment
• Treatment of foreign nationals
• Mutual recognition of qualifications
• Co-ordination of provisions relating to self-employment
• Freedom to provide services
• Internal market
• Community education measures
• Community cultural measures
• Public health
• Consumer protection
• Trans-European networks
• Research and technical development framework programmes
• Adoption of environment action programmes.
The Treaty of Amsterdam
The Treaty of Amsterdam which came into force on 1 May 1999 has extended
the European Parliament’s powers yet further by introducing co-decision into a
greater number of policy areas in particular:
• Employment incentive measures
• Rules to prohibit discrimination on nationality grounds
• Provisions to facilitate the right of free movement
• Social security for Community migrant workers
• Co-ordination of provisions for special treatment for foreign nationals
(right of establishment)
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• Co-ordination of provisions for right of establishment of self-employed
persons
• Amendment of principles on training and conditions of access for the
professions
• Transport policy – international transport, operating conditions for non-
resident carriers, transport safety
• Transport policy – sea and air
• Customs co-operation
• Social policy – excluding areas needing unanimity in Council such as
rights at the work-place
• Social policy – equal opportunities and treatment
• European social fund – implementing decisions
• Vocational training
• Public health
• Veterinary and phytosanitary measures to protect public health
• Trans-European networks (other measures)
• European regional development fund (ERDF) implementing decisions
• Research measures
• Environment – action to achieve objectives of Article 174, i.e.:
– preserving and protecting the quality of the environment
– protecting human health
– prudent and rational utilisation of natural resources
• Promoting measures at international level to deal with regional or world-
wide environmental problems
• Development co-operation
• General principles for transparency
• Countering fraud against the Community’s financial interests
• Statistics
• Independent advisory authority on data protection
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32
The Co-decision Procedure
The Co-decision Procedure, therefore, becomes the normal way of adopting
European Community law, though there are major exceptions such as the Common
Agricultural Policy where the Parliament is merely consulted and where the Council
still votes by unanimity.
Neither the Common Foreign and Security Policy nor Justice and Home Affairs
matters are covered by the Co-decision Procedure.
Parliamentary Committees
The effect of these gradual but substantial increases in the power of the European
Parliament over draft legislation has led to an increase in lobbying activity in and
around the Parliament’s 17 committees.
Parliamentary committees are where most of the work of the Parliament is carried
out, where Commission texts are scrutinised and where amendments are
proposed. Committees, therefore, are of particular interest to pressure groups and
others who wish to influence the shape of European Community legislation.
The committees have cumbersome names and are, therefore, generally referred
to by a four letter acronym. Thus, for example, the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy is known by the acronym
AFET. The 17 committees are:
1. Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and
Defence Policy (AFET)
2. Committee on Budgets (BUDG)
3. Committee on Budget Control (CONT)
4. Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs
(LIBE)
5. Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON)
6. Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market (JURI)
7. Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy (INDU)
8. Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL)
9. Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy
(ENVI)
10. Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI)
11. Committee on Fisheries (PECH)
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12. Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism (REGI)
13. Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport (CULT)
14. Committee on Development and Co-operation (DEVE)
15. Committee on Constitutional Affairs (AFCO)
16. Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities (FEMM)
17. Committee on Petitions (PETI).
Parliamentary committees hold most of their meetings in Brussels and most of
them meet once or twice a month. Much of the work of committees is reactive
– delivering reports and opinions on the Commission’s legislative proposals,
agreeing papers, discussion documents, etc. However, there are arrangements
for what are known as ‘own initiative reports’ where a committee will produce
a report on a topic often inviting the Commission to draft a legislative proposal
based on the Parliament report. This is the first step towards the European Parlia-
ment having the power to initiate legislation using Article 192 of the Amsterdam
Treaty stating:
‘The European Parliament may, acting by a majority of its members,
request the Commission to submit any appropriate proposal on matters
on which it considers that a Community Act is required for the purpose
of implementing this Treaty.’
The President of the Commission, Mr Prodi, has underlined his willingness to
take the utmost account of requests by Parliament under Article 192 to the Commis-
sion to submit legislative proposals.
A list of British MEPs will be found at Annex 7(iii).
The British members and terms of reference of the 17 committees appear at
Annexes 7(iv) and 7(v).
Composition and profile
With 626 Members sitting in political, not national, groups, the political balance
in the European Parliament is important with the Parliament’s newly increased
powers after Amsterdam. In the Co-decision Procedure, Parliament can override
the Commission and the Council if it votes by an absolute majority of all of its
Members, i.e. 314 or more. Since no one political group has an overall majority,
there is a much greater emphasis on consensus and inter-party agreements than
is the case in the British Parliament. There is much greater sharing of committee
presidencies and vice-presidencies (chairmanships and vice-chairmanships).
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
34
Similarly, appointments of ‘rapporteurs’ and ‘draftsmen’ are allocated propor-
tionately to the representation of each political group in each committee.
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626Total
26Independents
16European Democracies and Diversities Group (includes 3 UKIPMEPs)
31Union for a Europe of Nations Group
42European United Left Group
48Green Group (includes 2 British Green, 2 SNP and 2 Plaid CymruMEPs)
50European Liberal, Democratic and Reformist Group (includes10 British Lib Dems)
180Group of Party of European Socialists (includes the 29 BritishLabour MEPs)
233Group of European People’s Party and European Democrats(includes the 36 British Conservatives as allied members)
No of MEPsPolitical Groups in the European Parliament
Of prime political importance are the ‘co-ordinators’ in each of the Committees.
The ‘Co-ordinator’ is the spokesperson for their political group and draws up the
Group’s voting list both in Committee and Plenary. A list for the main groups will
be found at Annex 7(iii). The Political Groups are supported by their own secre-
tariats with a senior official advising Committee members. They are temporary
political appointees and not to be confused with the permanent officials of the
Committee secretariat.
Rapporteurs and draftsmen
Many Commission proposals will be of interest to more than one parliamentary
committee. In such a case there will be one committee which leads and others
which will give opinions. The lead committee appoints a rapporteur. The commit-
tees offering opinions will each appoint a draftsman. (In the case of the annual
budget procedure, all committees put forward their recommendations as opinions
to the budget committee, the lead committee.)
There is a variation under something known as the ‘Hughes procedure’ (after a
British MEP who invented it) whereby two committees will appoint joint rappor-
teurs who are supposed to work together to produce a coherent parliamentary
opinion.
Parliamentary questions
Every plenary session of the European Parliament, except in exceptional circum-
stances, will include a period for questions to both the Council (answered by
the President-in-Office) or to the Commission. ‘Oral’ questions are mainly used
for making a political point or highlighting an issue. They can be very useful to
interest groups and many parliamentary questions have obviously been drafted
for MEPs by third parties who have a specific concern.
‘Written’ questions are a more appropriate way of eliciting information, some of
it very detailed. Written questions to the Commission and the Council should
be answered within six weeks. The questions and answers are published in the
OJ. (Past parliamentary questions published in the OJ are an invaluable research
resource for the lobbyist.)
The European Parliament and the Budget
The annual budgetary procedure under which the Commission makes proposals,
but Parliament and the Council co-decide as what is known as the ‘budgetary
authority’, provides an opportunity for interest groups, especially non-governmental
organisations (NGOs), to try to get a reference to themselves or their spheres of
activity in the budget. This may not be as specific as a sum of money but can be
an amendment to the ‘remarks’ section. Most expenditure comes under the Commis-
sion budget and, in theory, the Commission is not entitled to make a spending
decision without reference to a particular ‘budget line’. Each budget line is accom-
panied by ‘remarks’ which is where interest groups can hope to get their activities
provided for. As each of the seventeen parliamentary committees makes its own
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
36
recommendation for spending, the budget draftsmen for those committees are
important contacts.
Parliament, through its budgetary control committee and other committees, monitors
the implementation of the budget.
Spending is kept within an overall ceiling as a result of an inter-institutional agree-
ment lasting five years. As long as spending is kept within that ceiling, it avoids
the Parliament rejecting the whole budget. Broadly speaking the Council has the
last word on what is called compulsory expenditure, which accounts for about
half the budget and arises from specific spending commitments in treaties or adopted
in accordance with them. By far the biggest element in this category are the Common
Agricultural Policy and what are generically known as ‘the structural funds’.
Parliament has the last word on ‘non-compulsory expenditure’ within a maximum
rate of increase fixed annually in agreement with the Council. The current Inter-
Institutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the
Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the
budgetary procedure establishes a ceiling on expenditure of a maximum of 1.27%
of GDP right up to the year 2006*.
Parliamentary Committees of Inquiry and committee public hearings
Article 193 of the Amsterdam Treaty allows the European Parliament, at the request
of a quarter of its Members, to set up a temporary Committee of Inquiry to inves-
tigate alleged contraventions or maladministration in the implementation of
Community law (except those already sub judice). The first use of this power
was when the Parliament set up a Committee of Inquiry into the BSE crisis.
Rule 166 of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure** provides for a committee
to organise a public hearing of experts if it considers such a hearing essential to
the effective conduct of its work on a particular subject. These hearings can provide
an opportunity for interest groups to provide ‘experts’ and to follow what goes
on at them. This is essential for lobbyists as the outcome of these experts’ hearing
may influence the committee’s amendments to a Commission proposal.
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*Official Journal (OJ) Number C172, 18.06.99.
**Official Journal (OJ) Number C202, 02.08.99.
The Co-decision Procedure
Committeeof the
regions
Council of Ministers
European Commissionsubmits draft proposal
Economicand SocialCommittee
1
If the Council agrees withthe Parliament’s amendments,
or if no amendments, the Councilmay adopt the legislation
2
Otherwise the Counciladopts a common position
which is referred backto the Parliament
European Parliament(2nd Reading)
1
Parliament accepts common position or fails
to reach a decision
2
Parliament rejects commonposition by absolute majority
3
Parliament amends commonposition by absolute majority
Council of Ministers European Commission
1
Council approves Parliament’samendments (must be by unanimity in case
of amendmentsrejected by Commission)
2
Council convenes jointCouncil/Parliament
Conciliation Committee
1
Committee agrees jointtext, endorsed by Council
and Parliament
2
Committee fails to agree
European Parliament(1st Reading)
Legislation adopted
Legislation adopted
Legislation not adopted
Legislation adopted
Legislation not adoptedLegislation adopted
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
38
The Council, the Commission and the European Parliament have updated the
practical arrangements for the co-decision procedure in the light of Article 251
of the Treaty of Rome*.
The first reading on Commission proposals under co-decision allows not only
the European Parliament but also the Economic and Social Committee (ECOSOC)
and the Committee of the Regions to propose amendments. All three vote at first
reading by simple majority. If the Council agrees the Parliament’s amendments,
or there are none, the proposal is adopted. The joint declaration aims to arrive
at a situation where as many proposals as possible can be adopted at first reading.
The Commission is committed to facilitating that.
The Parliament’s second reading is based on a ‘common position’ arrived at by
the Council by qualified majority voting (QMV). The Council is required to explain
to the Parliament the reasons that have led it to adopt the common position and
the reasons for rejection (if any) of Parliament amendments. The Commission’s
role at second reading is to facilitate contacts between the Parliament and the
Council with a view to reconciling their two positions.
The Parliament has three choices at second reading. It can EITHER accept the
common position in which case the position is adopted. (Alternatively, if the Parlia-
ment fails to reach a decision within the agreed time limit, the legislation is adopted
anyway.) OR, the Parliament may reject the common position by an absolute
majority of its Members. In that case the legislation is not adopted. OR Parlia-
ment amends the common position by an absolute majority of its Members (314
or more).
If the Parliament amends the common position by an absolute majority, the Council
has two choices: EITHER to approve Parliament’s amendments in which case the
legislation is adopted. OR to convene a joint Council/Parliament conciliation
committee. Such a conciliation committee is chaired jointly by the President of
the European Parliament and the President-in-Office of the Council. The Concil-
iation Committee has to approve a joint text within six weeks. If either the Council
or the Parliament fails to approve within that period, the proposed legislation is
not adopted.
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*Joint declaration on practical arrangements for the new co-decision procedure (Article 251 of the Treaty estab-lishing the European Community) the full text is reproduced at Annex 8.
Amendments to the Council’s common position
Apart from the requirement for an absolute majority of its Members to amend a
common position, the Parliament Rules of Procedure only allow an amendment
if it:
• restores wholly or partly the position adopted by the Parliament at its
first reading
• is intended to reach a compromise between the Council and Parliament
• amends a part of the text of a common position which was not included
in or differs in content from the Commission proposal at first reading
• takes account of a new fact or legal situation which has arisen since
the first reading.
(European Parliament Rules of Procedure, Rule 80)
European Parliament Plenary Session Dates – 2000
Strasbourg
17-21 January
14-18 February
13-17 March
10-14 April
15-19 May
13-16 June
03-07 July
04-08 September
02-06 October
23-27 October
13-17 November
11-15 December
Brussels
02-03 February
01-02 March
29-30 March
03-04 May
20-21 September
29-30 November
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
40
4chapter
The different kinds of European Community Law
T H E E C O N O M I C A N D S O C I A L C O M M I T T E E
T H E C O M M I T T E E O F T H E R E G I O N S
T H E C O U R T O F J U S T I C E O F T H E E U R O P E A N C O M M U N I T I E S ( E C J )
O T H E R B O D I E S
T H E D I F F E R E N T K I N D S O F E U R O P E A N C O M M U N I T Y L AW
Chapter 4:The different kinds of European Community Law
The Economic and Social Committee
The Economic and Social Committee, generally known by its acronym, ECOSOC
or as the ESC, brings together representatives of trade unions, employers and other
interest groups. It was set up in 1957 by the Treaty of Rome, the agreement which
gave life to the EEC.
The members of ECOSOC
ECOSOC consists of 222 members with the following nationality breakdown:
24 United Kingdom
24 Germany
24 France
24 Italy
21 Spain
12 Belgium
12 Greece
12 The Netherlands
12 Portugal
12 Austria
12 Sweden
9 Denmark
9 Finland
9 Ireland
6 Luxembourg
Members of ECOSOC are appointed to serve a four year term. The appointments
are made by the Council on the recommendation of Member States’ governments.
ECOSOC involves the various social and economic interest groups in the estab-
lishment of the common market. Employers’ representatives are in group 1.
Workers’ representatives are in group 2. Other interest groups such as consumers,
environmentalists, farmers, the professions and the co-operative and self-help sector
are in group 3.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
42
The principal policy areas of ECOSOC
The principal policy areas on which ECOSOC has to be consulted are:
• Agriculture and fisheries
• Industry and commerce
• Financial and monetary questions
• Social and cultural affairs
• Transport and communications
• Trade and development policy
• Nuclear and research
• Regional development
• Environment
• Consumer affairs.
This list is by no means exhaustive as the ECOSOC can offer opinions on any other
policy area covered by the treaties either on its own initiative or when requested
by the Council, Parliament or the Commission. Generally, it will produce its opinion
on a Commission proposal in advance of the European Parliament. The Parliament
is supposed to give due weight to the conclusions of ECOSOC. As the European
Parliament does most of its work in committee, so the ECOSOC does most of its
work in sections. There are currently six:
1. Section for the single market, production and consumption
2. Section for transport, energy, infrastructure and the information society
3. Section for agriculture, rural development and the environment
4. Section for economic and monetary union and economic and social
cohesion
5. Section for employment, social affairs and citizenship
6. Section for external relations.
The Economic and Social Committee’s opinions are produced by rapporteurs and
draftsmen. In contrast to the European Parliament, however, an ECOSOC rappor-
teur may make use of the services of an ‘outside expert’. There is nothing in the
rules to prevent such an expert being associated with an activity over which the
Commission is making a proposal.
When vacancies occur in the membership replacements are nominated by Member
States and approved by the Council.
Annex 9 lists the current British Members of the Economic and Social Committee.
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The Committee of the Regions
The Members
The Committee of the Regions of the European Union, to give it its full title, was
created by the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht). Like the Economic and
Social Committee, it has 222 members with the same nationality breakdown. In
addition to the 222 full members of the COR, there are also 222 ‘alternates’.
The members who serve for a four year term are proposed by their Member States.
Appointed from local and regional bodies, some are outstanding figures in polit-
ical life and are, for example, regional presidents, mayors of large cities and heads
of local authorities. Such people are professional politicians and are able to bring
to the deliberations of the COR a high level of knowledge and experience as well
as substantial staff assistance from their home authorities. (The British members
of the COR unfortunately do not enjoy the same level of support.) The Treaty on
European Union lays down that the Council and Commission must consult the
COR in policy areas which have implications for the regions. These include educa-
tion, youth, culture, public health, trans-european transport, telecommunications
and energy networks and economic and social cohesion.
The policy areas of COR
The Treaty of Amsterdam extended the range of areas on which the COR had to
be consulted to include employment, the environment, social affairs, transport
in general, vocational training and arrangements for implementing public health
and social fund measures. Like the ECOSOC, the COR can take up issues on its
own initiative and deliver opinions on them.
Like the Parliament and ECOSOC, the COR appoints rapporteurs and draftsmen
for its ‘commissions’. These are:
• Regional policy, structural funds, economic and social cohesion, cross-
border and inter-regional co-operation
• Agriculture, rural development, fisheries
• Trans-European networks, transport, information society
• Spatial planning, urban issues, energy, the environment
• Social policy, public health, consumer protection, research, tourism
• Employment, economic policy, single market, industry, small and medium
enterprises (SMEs)
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
44
• Education, vocational training, culture, youth, sport, citizens’ rights
• Institutional affairs.
Composed as it is of local and regional politicians, the COR operates politically
and its members are serviced by political group secretariats.
A consultative body, the Committee of the Regions, contributes to the work of
the European Community through its opinions to the Commission, the Council
and the European Parliament.
Annex 10 lists the current British members of the Committee of the Regions.
The Court of Justice of the European Communities (ECJ)
The ECJ is based in Luxembourg and is composed of 15 judges and 9 advocates-
general. A Court of First Instance was attached to it as a result of the Treaty of
Maastricht. The Court of First Instance is composed of 15 judges. Members of both
courts are appointed for a term of six years by common accord of the governments
of the Member States.
The role of the Court is to ensure that European Community law is observed in
the interpretation and application of the Treaties, a full list of which will be found
in Annex 2.
The Court may declare that a Member State has failed to fulfil its obligations under
the treaties. If so, that Member State would be expected to take the necessary
measures to comply with the judgment of the Court. Under the Treaty of Maastricht,
non-compliance with a court judgement could lead to a further action being brought
before the Court which may impose a fine or penalty on the Member State
concerned.
The Court of Justice is also empowered to review the legality of acts adopted by
other institutions. Similarly, other institutions or Member States or, in some circum-
stances, natural or legal persons, may bring an action for annulment. Natural or
legal persons, however, must bring their actions before the Court of First Instance
(CFI). National courts or national tribunals may request the Court of Justice to
give a preliminary ruling on the interpretation of the treaties especially in cases
where a Member State may have erroneously implemented a European directive.
The increasing number of these referrals is adding substantially to the workload
of the Court.
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The CFI has jurisdiction over actions brought by natural or legal persons such as
staff employed by the institutions. There is a right of appeal to the Court of Justice
on points of law only. The CFI’s terms of reference do not permit it to deal with
questions submitted by national courts for a preliminary ruling. The CFI also deals
with cases concerning the EU’s competition policy and intellectual property.
The Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance are the last resort for any
organisation, interest group or pressure group to attempt to challenge any European
Community directive or regulation. Any such action, however, would have to show
that the legal base of the legislation was inadequate or that an essential proce-
dural requirement had been ignored.
Other bodies
There are a number of other bodies whose role is important but who would not
normally be considered to be ‘lobbyable’ by interest or pressure groups. They are:
1. The European Court of Auditors
The European Court of Auditors functions as a corporate body. It consists of 15
members appointed for a six year period by the Council of the European Union
acting unanimously following consultation of the European Parliament. Members
of the Court of Auditors may serve more than one term. The members of the Court
of Auditors elect one of their colleagues for a three year term to act as president.
The president of the Court of Auditors represents the Court in its relations with
other bodies such as the Parliament or the Commission and with audit bodies in
Member States.
The Court has to be consulted prior to the adoption of legislation concerning
financial regulations. Other Community bodies like the European Parliament, the
Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions may ask it
to give opinions on specific matters.
2. The European Central Bank
Set up by the Treaty on European Union (Maastricht), the European Central Bank
is based in Frankfurt. Its principal role is to oversee the successful launch of the
Euro, a process which culminates on the 1 January 2002 with Euro coins, notes
and other financial instruments becoming legal tender. The European Central Bank
with the representatives of the national central banks of the Member States partic-
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
46
ipating in the Euro form the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). Its basic
tasks are:
• to define and implement the policy of the Community
• to conduct foreign exchange operations
• to hold and manage the official foreign reserves of the Member States
• to promote the smooth operation of the payment systems.
Additionally, the ESCB through the competent national authorities, oversees the
prudential supervision of credit institutions and the stability of the financial system.
As the finance ministers of some Member States of the Euro zone have discov-
ered, the European Central Bank is not ‘lobbyable’!
3. European Investment Bank (EIB)
Based in Luxembourg, the EIB is the European Union’s financing institution. Its
shareholders are the fifteen Member States of the Union who contribute to its
capital. Its function is to provide long-term loans and support capital investment
in projects which make a contribution towards achieving EU policy objectives.
The EIB also has a role in the development aid policies of the European Union
in over 100 countries throughout the world, providing finance for projects in
Central and Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean region, Africa, the Caribbean and
the Pacific, South Africa, Latin America and Asia.
4. European Investment Fund (EIF)
Set up in June 1994 the EIF is also based in Luxembourg. It is a financial agency
whose purpose is to provide guarantees principally in support of private and semi-
public major infrastructure projects in transport, telecommunications and energy
which are part of the trans-european networks. It also provides guarantees for assis-
tance to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and can take equity
participations in venture capital funds or other bodies which finance SMEs.
5. European Ombudsman
Not strictly speaking ‘lobbyable’, the European Ombudsman, however, has a useful
role in conducting enquiries into complaints made by any natural or legal person
residing in or having its registered office in a Member State.
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The office of the European Ombudsman is in the European Parliament building
in Strasbourg. With his staff his task is to investigate and report on maladminis-
tration in the institutions and bodies of the European Community, i.e. the European
Commission, the Council, the Parliament and the Court of Auditors. Only the Court
of Justice and the Court of First Instance fall outside his jurisdiction.
The different kinds of European Community Law
It is technically incorrect to talk of ‘European Union law’. The European Court
of Justice and the Court of First Instance interpret European Community (EC)
law, not EU law. It is another area where confusion arises because of the incor-
rect assumption that the terms EU and EC are synonymous or interchangeable.
There are three different sources of European Community law. These are:
1. Primary legislation – the treaties (see Annex 2) and other agreements
possessing similar status.
2. Secondary legislation – the directives, regulations, decisions, and recom-
mendations with legal authority (legal base) arising from the treaties.
3. Case law of the European Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance.
The ‘acquis communautaire’ is the phrase generally used, even in English, to refer
to the body of law emanating from those three sources.
Primary legislation results from direct negotiations between Member States. They
are agreements in the form of treaties and require the unanimous agreement of
the Council. They do not take effect until ratified by the parliaments of all fifteen
Member States. This can be a lengthy process as in some Member States the consent
of their citizens is required by means of a referendum.
Secondary legislation may be directives, regulations or decisions. They all require
justification by a treaty article (the legal base). Directives are the most important
type of secondary legislation. They set out the objectives to be achieved and lay
down general principles and a deadline. Those covering a whole area of policy
are normally known as ‘framework’ directives.
Contrary to popular belief, directives are not addressed to bodies corporate or
individuals so, unlike an Act of Parliament, they are not binding on anyone except
the Member States who are expected to implement the directives according to
the methods most commonly used in each country. In the United Kingdom, the
most common form of implementing directives into United Kingdom law is via
Statutory Instruments drawn up under Section 2(2) of the European Communi-
ties Act of 1972.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
48
Only occasionally does an EEC directive require an amendment to UK primary
legislation (Acts of Parliament).
It is directives which generate the most intensive lobbying activity in Brussels and
Strasbourg. With the increase in co-decision between the European Parliament
and the Council, the Parliament in particular has become the place in which interest
and pressure groups try to make their point at the stage when a draft directive
begins its progress. Lobbyists who know their job avoid overloading members of
the European Parliament with lengthy and closely argued documents. MEPs have
limited spans of attention and the shorter the document the more likely it is to
be read.
Regulations
Regulations are drawn up by the Commission using powers delegated to it by the
relevant directive. Regulations will generally have as their legal base a directive
which in its turn will have as its legal base an article of one of the treaties.
The Commission does not operate on its own. Regulations are drawn up by commit-
tees of representatives of Member States who may be either national ‘experts’ or,
most often, national civil servants. The way in which these committees work and
their membership is not at all transparent. They meet behind closed doors and
publish no minutes. The European Parliament has been trying for some time to
open them up at least to some form of parliamentary scrutiny.
The system of drawing up regulations by committee is known as ‘comitology’ and
arises from an agreement in 1987 between the Commission and the Council to
which the Parliament was not a party*. There were half a dozen different ways in
which regulations could be drawn up. The Council and the Commission accept
that this cumbersome system is not satisfactory but its updating is likely to lead
to conflict between the European Parliament and the other two institutions. Commis-
sion and Council amended the comitology practice while the European Parliament
was in recess following its election campaign.**
Though the comitology procedure is not subject to public scrutiny, well-informed
trade associations, pressure groups, interest groups and other lobbyists have their
methods of finding out what has been decided. Some are so well-informed that
they brief civil servants and national experts in advance of committee meetings.
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*Decision 87/373/EEC.
**Official Journal (OJ) Number C203 17.07.99: Declaration on the Council Decision 1999/463/EC laying downthe procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission.
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5chapter
How and whom to lobby
G E T T I N G A P R O P O S A L A P P R O V E D
L O B B Y I N G T H E C O M M I S S I O N
C O M M I S S I O N E R S O R T H E I R O F F I C I A L S ?
C O U N C I L I N V O LV E M E N T – U K R E P
P U B L I C AT I O N O F D R A F T D I R E C T I V E S
T H E PA R L I A M E N TA R Y S TA G E
L O B B Y I N G I N T H E E U R O P E A N PA R L I A M E N T
T H E C O M M I S S I O N ’ S W O R K P R O G R A M M E
R U L E S T O O B S E R V E
Chapter 5:How and whom to lobby
Getting a proposal approved
Contrary to common belief, the European Commission does not spring directives
on an unsuspecting world. The process of getting a proposal approved by both
the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament (in the case of co-decision)
can take a long time. So, there is no excuse for not being prepared.
There are a number of ways in which the Commission signals its intentions. The
alert trade association, pressure group, interest group or lobbyist needs to keep
an eye on the studies for which the Commission regularly invites offers. Always
initiated by one of the directorates-general, the way in which the invitation to
tender is phrased can give a clue to the possible direction in which that direc-
torate-general’s policy planning may be evolving.
The next stage, which may be a year or two later, may well be a Commission green
paper or other form of discussion document communicated to the Council, the
Parliament and increasingly often, to the ECOSOC and to the COR. Interested
parties are invited to submit their comments by a given deadline, sometimes rather
short. The other institutions invariably take their time over their responses.
As part of this discussion procedure, the Commission may hold a conference to
which interested parties are invited. If possible, try to be asked by the Commis-
sion to present a paper. But it is essential to be there if only to hear what other
interest groups have to say so as to be, perhaps, forewarned about the possible
direction in which the Commission’s policy might be steered.
At the same time, the European Parliament may decide to hold a public hearing,
an increasingly frequent occurrence as the Parliament is entitled to do so under
the Maastricht Treaty. The ECOSOC and the COR are also entitled to hold public
hearings. None of them can be ignored.
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52
Lobbying the Commission
The Commission in Brussels is very open. Commission officials responsible for
drafting legislation are open to suggestion and advice and the earlier those sugges-
tions and advice are proffered the better. Most Brussels based trade associations
and other interest groups have good relationships with those departments of the
Commission with whom they need to work and are therefore generally consulted
by Commission officials at a very early stage.
The Commission with the Parliament maintains a directory of interest groups listing
all the Brussels based non-profit-making lobbying organisations. Inclusion in it
is essential for being forewarned and consulted. Now available online at http://
europa.eu.int/comm/sg/sgc/lobbies/en/tabledom.htm
The Commission published in 1993 its position on lobbying in its communica-
tion ‘An Open and Structured Dialogue Between the Commission and Special
Interest Groups’. It was accompanied by a statement on ‘Increased Transparency
in the Work of the Commission’.
Commissioners or their officials?
As a general rule, it is not a sensible tactic to make a head-on approach to the respon-
sible Commissioner nor, indeed, to a director-general. The drafting of a directive
is the responsibility of Administrative Grade officials who do not take kindly to
lobbyists trying to bypass them or go over their heads. It is much better to estab-
lish a good relationship with those responsible, something which can be created
by showing them that you have understood their thinking and policy objectives.
Council involvement – UKREP
Inevitably, representatives of Member States are involved in the drafting of direc-
tives since many of them arise from requests from the Council. The United Kingdom
permanent representation to the European Union (known as UKREP) is a very
useful guide as to who to speak to at the European Commission and which British
officials are involved in the drafting process and Council Working Parties.
UKREP is a very valuable resource for British interests.
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53
Publication of draft directives
Before a draft directive is published in the Official Journal (C series) it has to be
formally adopted by the collegiate body of 20 Commissioners. A draft can go
through several revisions before finally being adopted by the Commission and
then sent to the European Parliament, the Economic and Social Committee and
the Committee of the Regions. Even then the process of modification and ‘improve-
ment’ continues in parallel with this consultation. It is essential to keep up with
that process and it requires good contacts in the Commission, UKREP and the
British civil service.
The parliamentary stage
After the coming into force of the Amsterdam Treaty, an increasing number of draft
directives are subject to co-decision between the Parliament and the Council. As
the Parliament can now amend directives under the co-decision procedure, the
two principal parliamentary stages are of vital importance, especially the first reading.
The responsible committees, their rapporteurs and draftsmen are key figures. On
a controversial proposal, they will be subjected to intense lobbying pressure. They
do not work alone, however, all of the European Parliament’s committees have
well qualified staff, one of whom will be allocated to each of the rapporteurs and
draftsmen to assist them in their task. They can be very helpful and should be sent
copies of any communications with the members. (Some members will depend
very much on the committee staff member allocated to help them.)
The same advice applies to the Economic and Social Committee and also the
Committee of the Regions, where they are consulted by the Commission about
a draft directive.
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Lobbying in the European Parliament
The European Parliament Rules of Procedure* include in the Code of Conduct,
Rule 9(2) the provision that:
The Quaestors shall be responsible for issuing nominative passes valid
for a maximum of one year to persons who wish to enter Parliament’s
premises frequently with a view to supplying information to Members
within the framework of their Parliamentary mandate in their own
interests or those of third parties.
In return these persons shall be required to:
• respect the Code of Conduct published as an annex to the Rules
of Procedure;
• sign a register kept by the Quaestors.
This register shall be made available to the public on request in all
of the Parliament’s places of work and, in the form laid down by the
Quaestors, in its information offices in the Member States.
The Code of Conduct referred to above appears at Annex 11 to this Guide. (It is
Annex IX to the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.)
The Commission’s work programme
Each year the Commission is required to submit to the Council, the Parliament
and other institutions, its work programme for the forthcoming year. This will
generally be a list of likely policy initiatives such as green papers, discussion
documents and draft directives. It will also include an approximate timetable
showing in which quarter the Commission proposes to table each item. In the
case of draft directives, when they are foreshadowed in the Commission annual
work programme, a great deal of preparatory work will have been done already.
It is almost too late to wait until that stage to influence the Commission’s drafting.
C H A P T E R 5 : H O W A N D W H O M T O L O B B Y
55
*OJL 202 02.08.99.
Rules to observe
There are some basic rules which everyone needs to bear in mind in trying to
influence decisions in Brussels and Strasbourg. While not guaranteed to achieve
one hundred per cent success, they should be borne in mind in preparing a case.
The basic rules are:
• Get in early – try to anticipate the Commission’s future thinking by
keeping an eye on tender invitations and by cultivating officials in British
government departments and in UKREP.
• Try to understand what is wanted – the Commission cannot push
through directives without the agreement of the Council and, in the
case of co-decision, the Parliament as well.
• Work with others – look for allies. With co-decision, draft directives
create a need for coherent lobbying. An example of incoherent lobbying
in recent years is the draft directive on internet copyright when numerous
trade and industry bodies and other pressure groups lobbied separately.
Many of them would have been better off and carried more weight if
they had been able to work together. Officials, parliamentarians and
Members of the Economic and Social Committee and Committee of the
Regions, get very frustrated when more than one pressure group says
more or less the same thing but in different words. It only leads to horrible
confusion.
• Don’t be negative – pressure groups simply cannot turn their back
on the process and hope that draft directives will go away. They do
occasionally go away but only after a very long time. Others, such as
the 5th European company law draft directive have been under discus-
sion since 1972!
• Attention to detail – the saying ‘the devil is in the detail’ is one to bear
in mind. Often it is the detail of draft directives (such as annexes laying
down technical specifications) which leads to ‘the law of unintended
consequences’. Officials and parliamentarians will be grateful to anyone
who can help them to avoid making fools of themselves.
Attention to detail also means making sure that you are following all
developments throughout the full co-decision procedure.
• Use UKREP – the United Kingdom permanent representation is a
valuable British resource. Its staff are always helpful and regard it as
their job to get the best possible deal for Britain. Within the limits of
their professional obligation to be impartial, as between one British
interest and another, they can be very helpful in keeping you informed
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
56
about what is going on and even on occasion be prepared to make sugges-
tions as to tactics. It is a part of their job always to be absolutely up-to-date
with the progress of a piece of draft legislation as it makes it way through
the Brussels process.
• Use British representatives – British MEPs, members of ECOSOC and
of the COR. They are there to serve British interests, irrespective of the
political party to which they belong in the United Kingdom. British
Members of lead committees, especially British rapporteurs and
draftsmen, are therefore important contacts.
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57
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1annex
Acronyms and abbreviations
Annex 1:Acronyms and abbreviations
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
60
NIIndependents
EAEuropean Alliance (in the Committee of the Regions)
EDDEurope of Democracies and Diversities
UENUnion for a Europe of Nations
EUL/NGLEuropean United Left/Nordic Green Group
VERTS/ALEGreens/European Free Alliance
ELDREuropean Liberal, Democratic and Reformist Party
PESParty of European Socialists
EPP/EDEuropean People’s Party (Christian Democrats and EuropeanDemocrats)
Political Groups in the European Parliament
26LLuxembourg
421AAustria
422SWSweden
316SFFinland
525PPortugal
315IRLIreland
531NLNetherlands
525BBelgium
316DKDenmark
525GRGreece
864ESSpain
1087IItaly
1087FRFrance
1099DGermany
1087UKUnited Kingdom
No of Votes in CouncilNo of MEPsAbbreviationsMember States
A N N E X 1 : A C R O N Y M S A N D A B B R E V I A T I O N S
61
PETIPetitions
FEMMWomen, etc
AFCOConstitutional
DEVEDevelopment, etc
CULTCulture, etc
REGIRegional, etc
PECHFisheries
AGRIAgriculture, etc
ENVIEnvironment, etc
EMPLEmployment, etc
INDUIndustry, etc
JURILegal Affairs, etc
ECONEconomic, etc
LIBECitizens’ Freedoms, etc
CONTBudgetary Control
BUDGBudgets
AFETForeign Affairs
Committee Abbreviations
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62
European Investment BankEIB
European Free Trade AreaEFTA
European Economic CommunityEEC
European Coal and Steel CommunityECSC
Economic and Social CommitteeECOSOC & ESC
Economic and Finance CouncilECOFIN
European Court of JusticeECJ
European Central BankECB
European CommunityEC
European Agricultural Guidance & Guarantee FundEAGGF
European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom)EAEC
Directorate General or Director GeneralDG
Co-operation, Scientific and Technical ResearchCOST
Committee of Permanent RepresentativesCOREPER
Committee of the RegionsCOR
Common Foreign Security PolicyCFSP
Court of First InstanceCFI
Cohesion FundCF
Compact Disc – Read Only MemoryCD-ROM
Common Agricultural PolicyCAP
Africa, the Caribbean and the PacificACP
A N N E X 1 : A C R O N Y M S A N D A B B R E V I A T I O N S
63
Tenders Electronic DailyTED
Community Initiative for the Restructuring of the Fisheries SectorPESCA
Official Journal Legislative textsOJL
Official Journal, C Series, Electronic in formationOJCE
Commission Proposals and General InformationOJ-C
Official JournalOJ
Legislative Observatory, part of the European Parliament websiteOEIL
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and DevelopmentOECD
Joint Research CentreJRC
Justice and Home AffairsJHA
Joint European TorusJET
International Thermonuclear Experimental ReactorITER
Financial Investment for Fisheries GuidanceFIFG
European Police OfficeEUROPOL
European UnionEU
European Social FundESF
European System of Central BanksESCB
European Regional Development FundERDF
Economic Policy Co-operationEPC
European Parliament EP
European Investment FundEIF
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64
Western European UnionWEU
United Kingdom Permanent Representation to the European UnionUKREP
World Trade OrganisationWTO
A N N E X 1 : A C R O N Y M S A N D A B B R E V I A T I O N S
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2annex
The Treaties
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68
Refined the budgetary procedureto give the European Parliamentmore power and set up the Courtof Auditors
1978
Treaty amending certain FinancialProvisions of the Treaties estab-lishing the EuropeanCommunities (and of the MergerTreaty) (1975)
Laid down a new procedure for setting the Budget and introduced the system of ‘ownresources’
1971
Treaty amending certainBudgetary Provisions of theTreaties establishing theEuropean Communities (and ofthe Merger Treaty) (Treaty ofLuxembourg, 1970)
Amended the ECSC, EEC andEuratom Treaties to create aCouncil and a Commissionserving all three Communities
July1967
Treaty establishing a SingleCouncil and a Single Commissionof the European Communities(Merger Treaty, 1965)
A sector-specific treaty of limitedapplication
1958European Atomic Energy Commu-nity (EAEC or Euratom) Treaty(also signed in Rome, 1957)
Concluded on the model of theECSC Treaty but with a muchbroader range of objectives; themost important of the Treaties
1958European Economic Community(EEC) Treaty (Treaty of Rome,1957)
Concluded for 50 years amongstthe six on the basis of theSchuman plan
1952European Coal and SteelCommunity (ECSC) Treaty (Treatyof Paris, 1951)
SummaryIn forceTreaty
Annex 2:The Treaties
A N N E X 2 : T H E T R E A T I E S
69
Amended the Maastricht Treatyand the EEC Treaty; extended co-decision; added new provisionson social policy; the Schengenacquis EEC Treaty; created‘constructive abstention’;strengthened transparency
May1999
Treaty of Amsterdam (1997)
Established the European Union;amended and expanded the EECTreaty; created the co-decisionprocedure; created ‘pillars’ ofCommon Foreign and SecurityPolicy (CFSP) and Co-operation inthe Fields of Justice and HomeAffairs (JHA)
Nov1993
Treaty on European Union(Maastricht Treaty, 1992)
Amended and expanded the EECTreaty (most importantly byextending the scope of qualifiedmajority voting) and laid downnew procedures for foreign policyco-operation
July1987
Single European Act (1986)
The basis for the first (1979) andsubsequent European elections
1978
Act concerning the election of therepresentatives of the EuropeanParliament by direct universalsuffrage (European Elections Act,1976)
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3annex
Council decision
R U L E S O F P R O C E D U R E O F T H E C O U N C I L
A N N E X I
A N N E X I I
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72
*OJL 147 of 12.6.99 and corrigenda OJL 215 of 24.9.99.
Annex 3:Council decision*
of 31 May 1999 adopting the Council’s Rules of Procedure
(1999/385/EC, ECSC, Euratom)
The Council of the European Union,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in partic-
ular Article 207(3), first subparagraph,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 30(3) thereof,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 121(3) thereof,
Has decided as follows:
Sole Article
The Rules of Procedure of the Council of 6 December 1993 (93/662/EC), as amended
on 6 February 1995 and 7 December 1998, shall be replaced by the following,
which shall enter into force on 1 June 1999.
Rules of Procedure of the Council
Article I
Notice and venue of meetings
1. The Council shall meet when convened by its President on his own
initiative or at the request of one of its members or of the Commission.
2. The President shall make known the dates which he envisages for
meetings of the Council during his period of office as President, seven
months before the beginning thereof.
3. The Council shall have its seat in Brussels. During the months of April,
June and October, the Council shall hold its meetings in Luxembourg.
In exceptional circumstances and for duly substantiated reasons, the
Council or the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper), acting
unanimously, may decide that a Council meeting will be held elsewhere.
Article 2
Agenda
1. The President shall draw up the provisional agenda for each meeting.
The agenda shall be sent to the other members of the Council and to
the Commission at least 14 days before the beginning of the meeting.
2. The provisional agenda shall contain the items in respect of which a
request for inclusion on the agenda, together with any documents relating
thereto, has been received by the General Secretariat from a member
of the Council or from the Commission at least 16 days before the begin-
ning of that meeting.
The provisional agenda shall also indicate the items on which the Presi-
dency, a member of the Council or the Commission may request a vote.
3. Items relating to the adoption of an act or a common position on a legisla-
tive proposal or a proposal for a measure to be adopted under Title VI
of the EU Treaty shall not be placed on the provisional agenda for a
decision until the six-week period provided for in point 3 of the Protocol
on the role of national parliaments in the European Union has elapsed.
The Council may unanimously derogate from the six-week period where
the entry of an item is subject to the exception on grounds of urgency
provided for in point 3 of that Protocol.
A N N E X 3 : C O U N C I L D E C I S I O N
73
4. Only items in respect of which documents have been sent to the
members of the Council and to the Commission by the date on which
the provisional agenda is sent may be placed on that agenda.
5. The General Secretariat shall transmit to the members of the Council
and to the Commission requests for the inclusion of items in the agenda,
documents and indications concerning voting relating thereto in
respect of which the time limits specified above were not respected.
6. The agenda shall be adopted by the Council at the beginning of each
meeting. The inclusion in the agenda of an item other than those
appearing on the provisional agenda shall require unanimity in the
Council. Items entered in this way may be put to the vote.
7. The provisional agenda shall be divided into Part A and Part B. Items
for which approval of the Council is possible without discussion shall
be included in Part A, but this does not exclude the possibility of any
member of the Council or of the Commission expressing an opinion
at the time of the approval of these items and having statements included
in the minutes.
8. However, an ‘A’ item shall be withdrawn from the agenda, unless the
Council decides otherwise, if a position on an ‘A’ item might lead to
further discussion thereof or if a member of the Council or the Commis-
sion so requests.
9. Any request for the inclusion of an ‘other business’ item shall, in principle,
be accompanied by an explanatory document.
Article 3
Representation of a Council member unable to attend
Subject to the provisions of Article 9 on the delegation of voting rights, a member
of the Council who is prevented from attending a meeting may arrange to be
represented.
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Article 4
Meetings and public debates
1. Meetings of the Council shall not be public except in the cases referred
to in paragraph 2.
2. The Council shall hold policy debates on the six monthly work
programme submitted by the Presidency and, if appropriate, on the
Commission’s annual work programme. These debates shall be the subject
of public transmission by audio-visual means.
The Council or Coreper may decide unanimously and on a case-by-case
basis that other Council debates are to be the subject of public trans-
mission by audio-visual means, in particular where they concern an
important issue affecting the interests of the Union or an important new
legislative proposal. To that end, it shall be for the Presidency, any member
of the Council, or the Commission to propose issues or specific subjects
for such a debate.
3. The Commission shall be invited to take part in meetings of the Council.
The same applies to the European Central Bank in cases where it exercises
its right of initiative. The Council may, however, decide to deliberate
without the presence of the Commission or of the European Central Bank.
4. The members of the Council and of the Commission may be accom-
panied by officials who assist them. The number of such officials may
be laid down by the Council.
The names and functions of such officials shall be notified in advance
to the Secretary-General or the Deputy Secretary-General.
5. Admission to meetings of the Council shall be subject to the produc-
tion of a pass.
Article 5
Professional secrecy and production of
documents in legal proceedings
1. Without prejudice to Article 7 and other applicable provisions, the delib-
erations of the Council shall be covered by the obligation of professional
secrecy, except insofar as the Council decides otherwise.
2. The Council or Coreper may authorise the production for use in legal
proceedings, of a copy of or an extract from Council documents, which
have not been released to the public pursuant to these Rules or the
Council’s rules on public access to its documents.
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75
Article 6
Cases where the Council acts in its legislative capacity
The Council acts in its legislative capacity within the meaning of the second subpara-
graph of Article 207(3) of the EC Treaty when it adopts rules which are legally binding
in or for the Member States, by means of regulations, directives, framework decisions
or decisions on the basis of the relevant provisions of the Treaties, with the excep-
tion of discussions leading to the adoption of internal measures, administrative or
budgetary acts, acts concerning inter-institutional or international relations or non-
binding acts (such as conclusions, recommendations or resolutions).
Article 7
Making deliberations public
1. Where the Council acts in its legislative capacity within the meaning
of Article 6, the results of votes and explanations of votes by Council
members, as well as the statements in the Council minutes and the items
in those minutes relating to the adoption of legislative acts, shall be made
public.
The results of votes and explanations of votes shall also be made public
when the Council adopts a common position pursuant to Article 251
or 252 of the EC Treaty. The same rule shall apply for votes and expla-
nations of votes by members of the Council or their representatives on
the Conciliation Committee set up by Article 251 of the EC Treaty.
2. The results of votes and explanations of votes shall also be made public
when the Council establishes a convention on the basis of Title VI of
the EU Treaty. The statements entered in the Council minutes and the
items in those minutes relating to adoption of such conventions shall
be made public by decision of the Council or Coreper, taken at the
request of one of their members.
3. The results of votes shall be made public:
a) when the Council acts pursuant to Title V of the EU Treaty, by a
unanimous Council or Coreper Decision taken at the request of one
of their members;
b) when the Council adopts a common position within the meaning
of Title VI of the EU Treaty, by a unanimous Council or Coreper
Decision taken at the request of one of their members;
c) in other cases, by Council or Coreper Decision taken at the request
of one of their members.
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76
When the result of a vote in the Council is made public in accordance
with subparagraphs, (a), (b) and (c), the explanations of votes made
when the vote was taken shall also be made public at the request of
the Council members concerned, with due regard for these Rules of
Procedure, legal certainty and the interests of the Council.
Statements entered in the Council minutes and items in those minutes
relating to the adoption of the acts referred to in subparagraphs (a),
(b) and (c) shall be made public by Council or Coreper Decision taken
at the request of one of their members.
4. Votes shall not be made public in the case of discussions leading to indica-
tive votes or the adoption of preparatory acts.
Article 8
Public access to Council documents
The detailed arrangements for public access to Council documents shall be adopted
by the Council.
Article 9
Voting arrangements and quorum
1. The Council shall vote on the initiative of its President.
The President shall, furthermore, be required to open a voting proce-
dure on the initiative of a member of the Council or of the Commission,
provided that a majority of the Council’s members so decides.
2. The members of the Council shall vote in the order of the Member States
laid down in Article 203 of the EC Treaty and in the corresponding
Articles of the other two Community Treaties, beginning with the
member who, according to that order, follows the member holding the
office of President.
3. Where a vote is taken, any member of the Council may also act on behalf
of not more than one other member.
4. The presence of a majority of the members of the Council who are, under
the Treaties, entitled to vote is required to enable the Council to vote.
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77
Article 10
Written procedure
1. Acts of the Council on an urgent matter may be adopted by a written
vote where the Council or Coreper unanimously decides to use that proce-
dure. In special circumstances, the President may also propose the use
of that procedure; in such a case, written votes may be used where all
members of the Council agree to that procedure.
2. Agreement by the Commission to the use of the written procedure shall
be required where the written vote is on a matter which the Commis-
sion has brought before the Council.
3. A summary of acts adopted by the written procedure shall be drawn
up every month.
4. On the initiative of the Presidency, the Council may also act for the purpose
of implementing the common foreign and security policy by means of
the simplified written procedure (COREU). In that case the proposal shall
be deemed to be adopted at the end of the period laid down by the Presi-
dency depending on the urgency of the matter, except where a
member of the Council objects.
5. On the initiative of the Presidency, the Council may also act for the purpose
of deciding to consult other institutions or bodies by means of a stream-
lined written procedure wherever such consultation is required by
Community law. In that case the decision to consult shall be deemed to
be adopted at the end of the period laid down by the Presidency
depending on the urgency of the matter, except where a member of the
Council objects.
6. The General Secretariat shall establish that the written procedures have
been completed.
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Article 11
Minutes
1. Minutes of each meeting shall be drawn up and, when approved, shall
be signed by the President-in-Office at the time of such approval and
by the Secretary-General or the Deputy Secretary-General.
The minutes shall as a general rule indicate in respect of each item on
the agenda:
– the documents submitted to the Council,
– the decisions taken or the conclusions reached by the Council,
– the statements made by the Council and those whose entry has
been requested by a member of the Council or the Commission.
2. The draft minutes shall be drawn up by the General Secretariat within
fifteen days and submitted to the Council or to Coreper for approval.
3. Prior to such approval any member of the Council, or the Commission,
may request that more details be inserted in the minutes regarding any
item on the agenda. These requests may be made in Coreper.
Article 12
Deliberations and decisions on the basis of documents and
drafts drawn up in the languages provided for by the language
rules in force
1. Except as otherwise decided unanimously by the Council on grounds
of urgency, the Council shall deliberate and take decisions only on the
basis of documents and drafts drawn up in the languages specified in
the rules in force governing languages.
2. Any member of the Council may oppose discussion if the texts of any
proposed amendments are not drawn up in such of the languages referred
to in paragraph I as he or she may specify.
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Article 13
Signing of acts
The text of the acts adopted by the Council and that of the acts adopted jointly
by the European Parliament and the Council shall be signed by the President-in-
Office at the time of their adoption and by the Secretary-General or the Deputy
Secretary-General. The Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General may
delegate their signatures to Directors-General of the General Secretariat.
Article 14
Absence of the possibility to participate in the vote
For the purposes of application of these Rules of Procedure, due account will be
taken, in accordance with Annex I, of cases in which, under the Treaties, one or
more members of the Council may not participate in the vote.
Article 15
Publication of acts in the Official Journal
1. The following shall be published in the Official Journal by the Secre-
tary-General or the Deputy Secretary-General:
a) the acts referred to in Article 254(l) and (2) of the EC Treaty;
b) the acts referred to in the first paragraph of Article 163 of the
Euratom Treaty,
c) the common positions adopted by the Council in accordance with
the procedures referred to in Articles 251 and 252 of the EC Treaty,
and the reasons underlying those common positions;
d) the framework decisions and decisions referred to in Article 34(2)
of the EU Treaty;
e) the conventions established by the Council in accordance with
Article 34(2) of the EU Treaty.
Reference shall be made in the Official Journal to the entry into force
of such conventions;
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f) the conventions signed between Member States on the basis of Article
293 of the EC Treaty.
Reference shall be made in the Official Journal to the entry into force
of such conventions;
g) international agreements concluded by the Community or in accordance
with Article 24 of the EU Treaty.
Reference shall be made in the Official Journal to the entry into force
of such agreements.
2. Unless the Council or Coreper decides otherwise, the following shall
be published in the Official Journal by the Secretary-General or the Deputy
Secretary-General:
a) initiatives presented to the Council by a Member State pursuant
to Article 67(l) of the EC Treaty,
b) initiatives presented to the Council by a Member State pursuant
to Article 34(2) of the EU Treaty;
c) the common positions referred to in Article 34(2) of the EU Treaty;
d) directives other than those referred to in Article 254(l) and (2) of
the EC Treaty, decisions other than those referred to in Article 254(l)
of the EC Treaty and recommendations.
3. The Council or Coreper shall decide unanimously, on a case-by-case basis,
whether there should be publication in the Official Journal by the Secre-
tary-General or the Deputy Secretary-General of the common strategies,
the joint actions and the common positions referred to in Article 12 of
the EU Treaty.
4. The Council or Coreper shall decide, on a case-by case basis and taking
account of possible publication of the basic act, whether the following
should be published in the Official Journal by the Secretary-General or
the Deputy Secretary-General:
a) the measures implementing the joint actions referred to in Article
12 of the EU Treaty;
b) the joint actions, the common positions or any other decision
adopted on the basis of a common strategy, as provided for in the
first indent of Article 23(2) of the EU Treaty;
c) any measures implementing the decisions referred to in Article 34(2)
of the EU Treaty and any measures implementing conventions drawn
up by the Council in accordance with Article 34(2) of the EU Treaty.
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5. Where an agreement concluded between the Communities and one or
more States or international organisations sets up a body vested with
powers of decision, the Council shall decide, when such an agreement
is concluded, whether decisions to be taken by that body should be
published in the Official Journal.
Article 16
Notification of acts
1. Directives other than those referred to in Article 254(l) and (2) of the
EC Treaty and decisions other than those referred to in Article 254(l)
of the EC Treaty shall be notified to their addressees by the Secretary-
General, the Deputy Secretary-General or a Director-General acting on
their behalf.
2. When they are not published in the Official Journal, the following acts
shall be notified to their addressees by the Secretary-General, the Deputy
Secretary-General or a Director-General acting on their behalf:
a) recommendations;
b) the common strategies, joint actions and common positions referred
to in Article 12 of the EU Treaty;
c) the common positions referred to in Article 34(2) of the EU Treaty;
d) measures implementing the acts adopted on the basis of Articles
12 and 34 of the EU Treaty.
3. The Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General or a Director-
General acting on their behalf shall send to the Governments of the
Member States and to the Commission authentic copies of Council Direc-
tives other than those referred to in Article 254(l) and (2) of the EC Treaty
and Council Decisions and recommendations.
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82
Article 171
Coreper, committees and working parties
1. Coreper shall be responsible for preparing the work of the Council and
for carrying out the tasks assigned to it by the Council. All items on
the agenda for a Council meeting shall be examined in advance by
Coreper unless the Council decides otherwise. Coreper shall endeavour
to reach agreement at its level to be submitted to the Council for adoption.
It shall ensure adequate presentation of the dossiers to the Council. In
the event of an emergency, the Council, acting unanimously, may decide
to settle the matter without prior examination.
2. Committees or working parties may be set up by, or with the approval
of Coreper, with a view to carrying out certain preparatory work or
studies defined in advance.
3. Coreper shall be chaired, depending on the items on the agenda, by
the Permanent Representative or the Deputy Permanent Representa-
tive of the Member State which holds the Presidency of the Council.
Unless the Council decides otherwise, the various committees provided
for in the Treaties shall also be chaired by a delegate of that Member
State. The same shall apply to the committees and working parties
referred to in paragraph 2, unless Coreper decides otherwise. For the
preparation of meetings of Council compositions meeting once every
six months and held during the first half of this period, the meetings
of committees other than Coreper and those of working parties held
during the preceding six months may be chaired by a delegate of the
Member State whose turn it is to chair the said Council meetings.
4. Coreper may adopt the following procedural decisions, provided that
the items relating thereto have been included on its provisional
agenda at least three working days before the meeting. Unanimity on
the part of Coreper shall be required for any derogation from that period:
a) decision to hold a Council meeting in a place other than Brussels
or Luxembourg (second subparagraph of Article 1(3));
b) decision that certain Council debates may be transmitted to the
public (second subparagraph of Article 4(2));
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1 These provisions are without prejudice to the role of the Economic and Financial Committee as resulting fromArticle 114 of the EC Treaty and existing Council Decisions relating to it (OJ L358, 31.12.1998, p.109, and OJL5,1.1.1999, p.71).
c) authorisation to produce a copy of or an extract from a Council
document for use in legal proceedings (Article 5(2));
d) decision to make the results of votes public in the cases laid down
in Article 7(2) and (3);
e) decision to use the written procedure (Article 10(l));
f) approval or amendment of Council minutes (Article 11(2) and (3));
g) decision to publish a text or an act in the Official Journal (Article
15(2), (3) and (4));
h) decision to consult an institution or body,
i) decision setting or extending a time-limit for consultation of an
institution or body;
j) approval of the wording of a letter to be sent to an institution or
body.
Article 182
Reports from committees and working parties
Notwithstanding the other provisions of these Rules of Procedure, the Presidency
shall organise the meetings of the various committees and working parties so that
their reports are available before the Coreper meetings at which they are to be
examined.
Article 19
Quality of drafting
In order to assist the Council in its task of ensuring the drafting quality of the
legislative acts which it adopts, the Legal Service shall be responsible for checking
the drafting quality of proposals and draft acts at the appropriate stage, as well
as for bringing drafting suggestions to the attention of the Council and its bodies,
pursuant to the inter-institutional Agreement of 22 December 1998.
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84
2These provisions are without prejudice to the role of the Economic and Financial Committee as resulting fromArticle 114 of the EC Treaty and existing Council Decisions relating to it (OJ L358, 31.12.1998, p.109, and OJL5, 1.1.1999, p.71).
Article 20
The General Secretariat
1. The Council shall be assisted by a General Secretariat, under the respon-
sibility of a Secretary-General, High Representative for the common
foreign and security policy, who shall be assisted by a Deputy Secre-
tary-General responsible for the running of the General Secretariat. The
Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General shall be appointed
by the Council acting unanimously.
2. The Council shall decide on the Organisation of the General Secretariat.
Under its authority the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-
General shall take all the measures necessary to ensure the smooth
running of the General Secretariat.
3. The Secretary-General or the Deputy Secretary-General shall submit to
the Council the draft estimate of the expenditure of the Council in suffi-
cient time to ensure that the time limits laid down by the financial
provisions are met.
4. In accordance with the provisions of the Financial Regulation referred
to in Article 279 of the EC Treaty and in the corresponding articles of
the other two Community Treaties, the Secretary-General or the Deputy
Secretary-General shall administer the appropriations entered in Section
11 – Council – of the budget.
Article 21
Security
The rules on security shall be adopted by the Council.
Article 22
Duties as depository of agreements and conventions
In the event of the Secretary-General of the Council being designated as deposi-
tory of an agreement concluded in accordance with Article 24 of the EU Treaty
or concluded by the Community and one or more States or international organi-
sations, of a convention concluded between Member States or of a convention
established pursuant to Article 34 of the EU Treaty, the acts of ratification, accep-
tance or approval of those agreements or conventions shall be deposited at the
address of the Council.
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85
In such instances the Secretary-General shall perform the duties of a depository
and shall also ensure that the dates of entry into force of such agreements or conven-
tions are published in the Official Journal.
Article 23
Representation before the European Parliament
Subject to special procedures, the Council may be represented by the Presidency
or by any other of its members before the European Parliament or its commit-
tees. The Council may also be represented before those committees by its
Secretary-General, its Deputy Secretary-General or by senior officials of the General
Secretariat acting on instructions from the Presidency.
The Council may also present its views to the European Parliament by means of
a written statement.
Article 24
Provisions concerning the form of acts
The provisions concerning the form of acts are set out in Annex II, page 88.
Article 25
Correspondence addressed to the Council
Correspondence to the Council shall be sent to the President at the following
address of the Council:
Council of the European Union
Rue de la Loi/Wetstraat, 175
B-1048 Brussels
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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Annex I
1. In application of the following provisions of these Rules of Procedure
and for decisions in respect of which, under the Treaties, members of
the Council or of Coreper may not participate in the vote; account is
not to be taken of votes by such members:
a) Article 1(3), second subparagraph (holding of a meeting in a place
other than Brussels or Luxembourg);
b) Article 2(6) (inclusion on the agenda of an item other than those
appearing on the provisional agenda);
c) Article 2(8) (maintaining as a ‘B’ item on the agenda an ‘A’ item
which would otherwise have had to be withdrawn from the agenda),
d) Article 4(3), as regards the presence of the European Central Bank
only (deliberation without the presence of the European Central
Bank);
e) Article 7(2) and (3), first subparagraph, points (b) and (c), second
and third subparagraphs (making public the statements in the Council
minutes and items in those minutes relating to the adoption of
conventions established on the basis of Title VI of the EU Treaty;
making public the results of votes, explanations of votes, statements
in the Council minutes and items in those minutes relating to the
adoption of a common position under Title VI of the EU Treaty;
making public the results of votes, explanations of votes, statements
in the Council minutes and items in those minutes relating to cases
other than those referred to in paragraph 3);
f) Article 9(1), second subparagraph (opening of a voting procedure);
g) Article 10(1) (use of the written procedure);
h) Article 12(1) (decision to deliberate and take decisions exceptionally
on the basis of documents and drafts not drawn up in all the
languages);
i) Article 15(2)(a) and (b) (non-publication in the Official Journal of
an initiative presented by a Member State pursuant to Article 67(l)
of the EC Treaty or Article 34(2) of the EU Treaty);
j) Article 15(2)(c) and (d) (non-publication in the Official Journal of
a common position adopted on the basis of Article 34 of the EU
Treaty or certain Directives, Decisions and Recommendations);
A N N E X 3 : C O U N C I L D E C I S I O N
87
k) Article 15(4)(c) (publication in the Official Journal of any measures
implementing decisions or conventions referred to in Article 34(2)
of the EU Treaty);
l) Article 15(5) (whether to publish in the Official Journal decisions
taken by a body set up under an international agreement).
2. A member of the Council or of Coreper may not make use of the following
provisions of these Rules of Procedure in connection with decisions on
which, under the Treaties, that member may not participate in the vote:
a) Article 2(8) (possibility of a member of the Council requesting
withdrawal of an ‘A’ item from the agenda);
b) Article 9(i), second subparagraph (possibility of a member of the
Council requesting the opening of a voting procedure);
c) Article 9(3) (possibility of a member of the Council acting on behalf
of another in a vote);
d) Article 12(2) (possibility for any member of the Council to oppose
discussion if the texts of any proposed amendments are not drawn
up in the language he or she has specified).
Annex II
Provisions concerning the form of acts
A. Form of Regulations
1. Regulations adopted jointly by the European Parliament and the Council
and Council regulations shall include:
a) in their title the word ‘Regulation’, followed by a serial number,
the date of their adoption and an indication of their subject matter,
b) the words ‘The European Parliament and the Council of the European
Union’ or ‘The Council of the European Union’, as appropriate;
c) a reference to the provisions under which the Regulation is adopted,
preceded by the words ‘Having regard to’;
d) a citation containing a reference to proposals submitted and to
opinions obtained and consultations held;
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88
e) a statement of the reasons on which the Regulation is based,
preceded by the word ‘Whereas:’, the recitals being numbered;
f) the words ‘have adopted this Regulation’or ‘has adopted this Regula-
tion’, as appropriate, this followed by the enacting terms of the
regulation.
2. Regulations shall be divided into articles, if appropriate grouped into
chapters and sections.
3. The final article of a Regulation shall fix the date of entry into force,
where that date is before or after the twentieth day following publication.
4. The final article of a Regulation shall be followed by:
a) (i)
or
(ii) the words ‘This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and
directly applicable in the Member States in accordance with
the Treaty establishing the European Community’ in any cases
in which an act is not applicable to, and in, all Member States;
b) the words ‘Done at….’ followed by the date on which the regula-
tion was adopted, and
c) in the case of:
(i) a Regulation adopted jointly by the European Parliament and
the Council, the formula:
‘For the European Parliament
The President
For the Council
The President,’
followed by the name of the President of the European Parliament and
of the President-in-Office of the Council at the time when the regula-
tion is adopted;
(ii) a Council Regulation, the formula:
‘For the Council,
The President’
followed by the name of the President-in-Office of the Council at the
time when the Regulation is adopted.
the words ‘This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and
directly applicable in all Member States’.
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89
B. Form of directives, decisions, recommendations and opinions
(EC Treaty)
1. Directives and decisions adopted jointly by the European Parliament
and the Council, and directives and decisions of the Council, shall include
in their titles the word ‘Directive’ or ‘Decision’.
2. Recommendations and opinions issued by the Council shall include in
their tides the word ‘Recommendation’ or ‘Opinion’.
3. The provisions relating to regulations set out in A above shall apply
mutatis mutandis, subject to the relevant provisions of the EC Treaty,
to Directives and Decisions.
C. Form of common strategies of the European Council, joint
actions and common positions referred to in Article 12 of the
EU Treaty
Common strategies, joint actions and common positions within the meaning of
Article 12 of the EU Treaty shall bear one of the following headings, as appropriate:
a) ‘European Council Common Strategy’, a serial number (year/number/
CFSP), the date of adoption and the subject matter,
b) ‘Council Joint Action’, a serial number (year/number/CFSP), the date
of adoption and the subject matter
c) ‘Council Common Position’, a serial number (year/number/CFSP), the
date of adoption and the subject matter.
D. Form of common positions, framework decisions, decisions
and conventions referred to in Article 34(2) of the EU Treaty
Common positions, framework decisions, decisions and conventions within the
meaning of Article 34(2) of the EU Treaty shall bear one of the following headings,
as appropriate:
a) ‘Council Common Position’, a serial number (year/number/JHA), the
date of adoption and the subject matter;
b) ‘Council Framework Decision’, a serial number (year/number/JHA), the
date of adoption and the subject matter;
c) ‘Council Decision’, a serial number (year/number/JHA), the date of
adoption and the subject matter;
d) ‘Convention established by the Council in accordance with Article 34
of the Treaty on European Union’ and the subject matter.
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90
Done at Brussels, 31 May 1999.
For the Council
The President
J. FISCHER
A N N E X 3 : C O U N C I L D E C I S I O N
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Blank page
4annex
Commission Rules of Procedure adopted on 18 September 1999
C H A P T E R 1 : T H E C O M M I S S I O N
S E C T I O N I : C O M M I S S I O N M E E T I N G S
S E C T I O N I I : O T H E R D E C I S I O N - M A K I N G P R O C E D U R E S
S E C T I O N I I I : P R E PA R AT I O N A N D I M P L E M E N TAT I O N O FC O M M I S S I O N D E C I S I O N S
C H A P T E R 2 : C O M M I S S I O N D E PA R T M E N T S
C H A P T E R 3 : D E P U T I S I N G
F I N A L P R O V I S I O N S
Annex 4:Commission Rules of Procedure adopted on 18 September 1999
The Commission of the European Communities
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 16 thereof,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in partic-
ular Article 218(2) thereof,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Commu-
nity, and in particular, Article 131 thereof,
Having regard to the Treaty on the European Union, and in particular Articles
28(l) and 41(l) thereof,
Has adopted this procedure:
Chapter 1:The Commission
Article 1
The Commission shall act collectively in accordance with these Rules and in compli-
ance with the political guidelines laid down by the President.
Article 2
In compliance with the political guidelines laid down by the President, the Commis-
sion shall establish its priorities and each year adopt its work programme.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
94
Article 3
The President may assign to Members of the Commission special fields of activity
with regard to which they are specifically responsible for the preparation of
Commission work and the implementation of its decisions. He may also change
these assignments at any time.
The President may set up working groups of Members of the Commission, whose
chairpersons he will designate.
The President shall represent the Commission. He shall designate the Members
of the Commission to assist him in this task.
Article 4
Commission decisions shall be taken:
a) at meetings;
or
b) by written procedure in accordance with Article 12;
or
c) by delegation in accordance with Article 13.
Section I:Commission meetings
Article 5
Meetings of the Commission shall be convened by the President.
The Commission shall, as a general rule, meet at least once a week. It shall hold
additional meetings whenever necessary.
Members of the Commission shall be required to attend all meetings. The Presi-
dent shall judge whether Members may be released from this requirement in certain
circumstances.
Article 6
The President shall adopt the agenda of each meeting, taking into account in partic-
ular the work programme provided for in Article 2.
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95
Without prejudice to the prerogative of the President to adopt the agenda, any
proposal involving significant expenditure must be presented in agreement with
the Member of the Commission responsible for the budget.
If a Member of the Commission proposes the inclusion of an item on the agenda,
the President shall, save in exceptional circumstances, be given nine days’ notice.
The agenda and the necessary working documents shall be circulated to the
Members of the Commission within the time limit and in the working languages
prescribed by the Commission in accordance with Article 23.
Where a Member of the Commission requests that an item be withdrawn from
the agenda, the item shall, provided the President agrees, be held over for the
next meeting.
The Commission may, on a proposal from the President, discuss any question which
is not on the agenda or for which the necessary working documents have been
distributed late. it may decide by majority vote not to discuss an item on the agenda.
Article 7
The number of Members present required to constitute a quorum shall be equal
to a majority of the number of Members specified in the Treaty.
Article 8
The Commission shall take decisions on the basis of proposals from one or more
of its Members.
A vote shall be taken if any Member so requests. The vote may be on a proposal
as originally made or as amended by the Member or Members responsible or by
the President.
Commission decisions shall be adopted if a majority of the number of Members
specified in the Treaty vote in favour. This majority shall be required irrespec-
tive of the tenor and nature of the decision.
Article 9
Meetings of the Commission shall not be public. Discussions shall be confidential.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
96
Article 10
Save as otherwise decided by the Commission, the Secretary-General shall attend
meetings. Attendance of other persons shall be determined in accordance with
the rules to give effect to these Rules of Procedure.
In the absence of a member of the Commission, his Chef de cabinet may attend
the meeting and, at the invitation of the President, state the views of the absent
Member.
The Commission may decide to hear any other person.
Article 11
Minutes shall be taken of all meetings of the Commission.
The draft minutes shall be submitted to the Commission for approval at a subse-
quent meeting. The approved minutes shall be authenticated by the signatures
of the President and the Secretary-General.
Section II:Other decision-making procedures
Article 12
The agreement of the Commission to a proposal by one or more of its Members
may be obtained by means of a written procedure, provided the Directorates-General
directly involved are in agreement and the proposal has been endorsed by the Legal
Service.
For this purpose, the text of the proposal shall be circulated in writing to all members
of the Commission in the languages prescribed by the Commission in accordance
with Article 23, with a time limit within which members must make known any
reservations or amendments they wish to make.
Any Member of the Commission may, in the course of the written procedure,
request that the proposal be discussed. He shall send a reasoned request to that
effect to the President.
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97
A proposal on which no Member of the Commission has made a reservation and
maintained it up to the time limit set for a written procedure shall stand adopted
by the Commission. Proposals adopted shall be recorded in a day note which
shall be recorded in the minutes of the next meeting.
Article 13
The Commission may, provided the principle of collective responsibility is fully
respected, empower one or more of its Members to take, on its behalf and under
its responsibility, clearly defined management or administrative measures,
including instruments preparatory to a decision to be taken by the Commission
at a later time.
The Commission may also instruct one or more of its Members, with the agree-
ment of the President, to adopt the definitive text of any instrument as defined
in the first paragraph, or of any proposal to be presented to the other institutions
the substance of which has already been determined in discussion.
Decisions adopted by delegation procedure shall be recorded in a day note which
shall be recorded in the minutes of the next Commission meeting.
Powers conferred in this way may be sub-delegated only as expressly provided
in the enabling decision.
The provisions of the first, second and third paragraphs shall be without preju-
dice to the rules concerning delegation in respect of financial matters or the powers
conferred on the appointing authority and the authority empowered to conclude
contracts of employment.
Section III:Preparation and implementation of Commission decisions
Article 14
Members of the Commission may each appoint personal staff to assist them in
their work and in preparing Commission decisions.
A member of the Commission to whom an area of responsibility is assigned shall
give instructions to the relevant departments.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
98
Article 15
The Secretary-General shall assist the President in preparing the proceedings and
meetings of the Commission. He shall also assist the chairperson of the working
groups set up under the second paragraph of Article 3.
He shall ensure that decision-making procedures are properly implemented and
that effect is given to the decisions referred to in Article 4.
He shall ensure the necessary co-ordination between departments in the
preparatory stages and shall see that the rules for submission of documents are
complied with.
He shall take the necessary steps to ensure that Commission instruments are
officially notified to those concerned and are published in the Official Journal of
the European Communities and that documents of the Commission and its depart-
ments are transmitted to the other institutions of the European Communities.
He shall be responsible for official relations with the other institutions of the
European Communities, subject to any decisions by the Commission to exercise
any function itself or to assign it to its Members or departments. He shall monitor
the proceedings of the other institutions of the European Communities and keep
the Commission informed.
Article 16
Instruments adopted by the Commission in the course of a meeting shall be attached,
in the authentic language or languages, in such a way that they cannot be separated,
to a summary note prepared at the end of the meeting at which they were adopted.
They shall be authenticated by the signatures of the President and the Secretary-
General on the last page of the summary note.
Instruments adopted by written procedure shall be attached in the authentic
language or languages, in such a way that they cannot be separated, to the day
note referred to in Article 12. These instruments shall be authenticated by the
signature of the Secretary-General on the last page of the day note.
Instruments adopted by delegation procedure shall be attached in the authentic
language or languages, in such a way that they cannot be separated, to the day
note referred to in Article 13. They shall be authenticated by the signature of the
Secretary-General on the last page of the day note.
For the purposes of these Rules ‘instruments’ means any instrument as referred
to in Article 14 of the ECSC Treaty, Article 249 of the EC Treaty and Article 161
of the Euratom Treaty.
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99
For the purposes of these Rules, ‘authentic language or languages’ means the official
languages of the Communities in the case of instruments of general application
and the language or languages of those to whom they are addressed in other cases.
Chapter 2:Commission departments
Article 17
A number of Directorates-General and equivalent departments forming a single
administrative service shall assist the Commission in the performance of its tasks.
The Directorates-General and equivalent departments shall normally be divided
into directorates, and directorates into units.
Article 18
The Commission may, in special cases, set up temporary structures to deal with partic-
ular matters and shall determine their responsibilities and method of operation.
Article 19
In order to ensure the effectiveness of Commission action, departments shall work
in close co-operation and in co-ordinated fashion in the preparation or imple-
mentation of Commission decisions.
Before submitting a document to the Commission, the departments responsible
shall, in sufficient time, consult other departments which are associated or concerned
by virtue of their powers or responsibilities or the nature of the subject, and shall
inform the Secretariat-General where it is not consulted. The Legal Service shall
be consulted on all drafts or proposals for legal instruments and on all documents
which may have legal implications. The Directorates-General responsible for the
budgets, personnel and administration shall be consulted on all documents which
may have implications concerning the budget and finances or personnel and admin-
istration respectively. The Directorate-General responsible for financial control shall
likewise be consulted, as need be.
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100
The department responsible shall endeavour to frame a proposal that has the agree-
ment of the departments concerned. In the event of a disagreement it shall append
to its proposal the differing views expressed by these departments, without preju-
dice to Article 12.
Chapter 3:Deputising
Article 20
If the President is prevented from exercising his functions, they shall be exercised
by one of the Vice-Presidents or Members chosen in the order laid down by the
Commission.
Article 21
Where the Secretary-General is prevented from exercising his functions, they shall
be exercised by the Deputy Secretary-General or, where this is not possible, by
an official designated by the Commission.
Article 22
Where a Director-General is prevented from exercising his functions, they shall
be exercised by the most senior Deputy Director-General present, and in the event
of equal seniority, by the one who is eldest, or, where this position does not exist,
by an official designated by the Commission. If no such replacement is designated,
the most senior subordinate present in the highest category and grade shall deputise,
and in the event of equal seniority, the one who is eldest.
A Deputy Head of Unit, where the position exists, shall deputise for the Head of
Unit.
Where any other superior is prevented from exercising his duties, the Director-
General shall designate an official in agreement with the Member of the
Commission responsible. If no replacement is designated, the most senior subor-
dinate present in the highest category and grade shall deputise, and in the event
of equal seniority, the one who is eldest.
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Final provisions
Article 23
The Commission shall, as necessary, lay down rules to give effect to these Rules
of Procedure.
Article 24
The Rules of Procedure of 17 February 1993, as amended by Decision 95/148/EC,
Euratom, ECSC, are repealed.
Article 25
These Rules of Procedure shall enter into force on 18 September 1999.
Article 26
These Rules of Procedure shall be published in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.
Done at Brussels, 18 September 1999.
For the Commission
The President
ROMANO PRODI
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102
5annex
New Directorates-General and their Directors-General (DGs)
Annex 5:New Directorates-General and their Directors-General (DGs)
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
104
DG Adrian FORTESCUEJustice and Home Affairs
DG Klaus VAN DER PASEducation and Culture
DG Michel VANDEN ABEELETaxation and Customs
DG Pablo BENAVIDES SALASEnergy
DG Guy CRAUSERRegional
DG John MOGGInternal Market
DG Steffen SMIDTFisheries
DG Robert VERRUEInformation Society
DG Jorma ROUTTIResearch
DG Jim CURRIEEnvironment
DG François LAMOUREUXTransport
DG José Manuel SILVA RODRIGUEZAgriculture
DG Allan LARSSONEmployment and Social Affairs
DG Alexander SCHAUBCompetition
DG Fabio COLASANTIEnterprise
DG Giovanni RAVASIOEconomic and Financial
DG Jean-Louis DEWOSTLegal Service
Sec Gen Carlo TROJANSecretariat General
DG Jean-Paul MINGASSONBudget
DG Horst REICHENBACHPersonnel and Administration
DG Yves RANCHETStatistics
DG Eneko LANDABARU ILLARAMENDIEnlargement
DG Philip LOWEDevelopment
DG Robert COLEMANHealth and Consumer Protection
DG Hans Friedrich BESELERTrade
DG Philippe SOUBESTREExternal Relations
A N N E X 5 : N E W D I R E C T O R A T E S - G E N E R A L A N D T H E I R D I R E C T O R S - G E N E R A L ( D G s )
105
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6annex
Council decision 93/731/EC of 20 December1993 on public access to Council documentsamended 2 December 1996
Annex 6:Council decision 93/731/EC of 20 December1993 on public access to Council documentsamended 2 December 1996
The Council
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in partic-
ular Article 151(3) thereof.
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Commu-
nity and, in particular Article 30(2) thereof.
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Atomic Energy Commu-
nity and, in particular Article 121(2) thereof.
Having regard to its Rules of Procedure and in particular Article 22 thereof.
Whereas on 6 December 1993 the Council and the Commission approved a code
of conduct concerning public access to Council and Commission documents,
reaching common agreement on the principles which must govern such access.
Whereas experience has shown that a number of amendments need to be made
to Council Decision 93/731/EC of 20 December 1993 on public access to Council
documents.
Whereas provisions should be adopted for the implementation of those princi-
ples by the Council.
Whereas these provisions are applicable to any document held by the Council
whatever its medium, excluding documents written by a person, body or insti-
tution outside the Council.
Whereas the principle of allowing the public whole access to Council documents,
as part of greater transparency in the Council’s work, must however be subject
to exceptions, particularly as regards protection of the public interest, the individual
and privacy.
Whereas, in the interests of rationalisation and efficiency, the Secretary-General
of the Council should sign on behalf of the Council and on its authorisation replies
to applications for access to documents, except in cases where the Council is
called upon to reply to a confirmatory application.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
108
Whereas this Decision must apply with due regard for provisions governing the
protection of classified information.
Whereas provision should be made for some flexibility in the time limits for the
General Secretariat’s reply to an application for access to a Council document
and the Council’s reply to a confirmatory application.
Whereas use of this option should be exceptional.
Whereas Article 9 of Decision 93/731/EC is obsolete and should be replaced.
Has decided as follows
Article 1
1. The public shall have access to Council documents under the condi-
tions laid down in this Decision.
2. Council document means any written text, whatever its medium,
containing existing data and held by the Council, subject to Article 2(2).
Article 2
1. An application for access to a Council document shall be sent in writing
to the Council*.
It must be made in a sufficiently precise manner and must contain infor-
mation enabling the document or documents requested to be identified.
Where necessary, the applicant shall be asked for further details.
2. Where the requested document was written by a natural or legal person,
a Member State, another Community institution or body, or any other
national or international body, the application must not be sent to the
Council, but direct to the author.
A N N E X 6 : C O U N C I L D E C I S I O N 9 3 / 7 3 1 / E C O F 2 0 D E C E M B E R 1 9 9 3
109
*The Secretary General of the Council of the European Union, 175 rue de la Loi, 1048 Brussels, Belgium.
Article 3
1. The applicant shall have access to a Council document either by
consulting it on the spot or by having a copy sent at his own expense.
The fee shall be set by the Secretary-General.
2. The relevant departments of the General Secretariat shall endeavour
to find a fair solution to deal with repeat applications and/or those which
relate to very large documents.
3. Anyone given access to a Council document may not reproduce or circu-
late the document for commercial purposes through direct sale without
prior authorisation from the Secretary-General.
Article 4
1. Access to a Council document shall not be granted where its disclo-
sure could undermine:
• the protection of the public interest (public security, international
relations, monetary stability, court proceedings, inspections and
investigations),
• the protection of the individual and of privacy,
• the protection of commercial and industrial secrecy,
• the protection of the Community’s financial interests,
• the protection of confidentiality as requested by the natural or legal
person who supplied any of the information contained in the
document or as required by the legislation of the Member State
which supplied any of that information.
2. Access to a Council document may be refused in order to protect the
confidentiality of the Council’s proceedings.
Article 5
The Secretary-General shall reply on behalf of the Council to applications for access
to Council documents, except in the cases referred to in Article 7(3), in which
the reply shall come from the Council.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
110
Article 6
Any application for access to a Council document shall be examined by the relevant
departments of the General Secretariat, which shall suggest what action is to be
taken on it.
Article 7
1. The applicant shall be informed in writing within a month by the relevant
departments of the General Secretariat either that his application has
been approved or that the intention is to reject it. In the latter case,
the applicant shall also be informed of the reasons for this intention
and that he has one month to make a confirmatory application for that
position to be reconsidered, failing which he will be deemed to have
withdrawn his original application.
2. Failure to reply to an application within a month of submission shall
be equivalent to a refusal, except where the applicant makes a confir-
matory application, as referred to above, within the following month.
3. Any decision to reject a confirmatory application, which shall be taken
within a month of submission of such an application, shall state the
grounds on which it is based. The applicant shall be notified of the
decision in writing as soon as possible and at the same time informed
of the content of Articles 138e and 173 of the Treaty establishing the
European Community, relating respectively to the conditions for
referral to the Ombudsman by natural persons and review by the Court
of Justice of the legality of Council acts.
4. Failure to reply within a month of submission of the confirmatory appli-
cation shall be equivalent to a refusal.
5. Exceptionally, the Secretary-General, having notified the applicant in
advance, may extend by one month the time limits laid down in the
first sentence of paragraph 1 and in paragraph 3.
Article 8
This Decision shall apply with due regard for provisions governing the protec-
tion of classified information.
A N N E X 6 : C O U N C I L D E C I S I O N 9 3 / 7 3 1 / E C O F 2 0 D E C E M B E R 1 9 9 3
111
Article 9
In 1996, and every two years thereafter, the Secretary-General shall submit a report
on the implementation of this Decision.
Article 10
This Decision shall take effect on the date of its publication in the Official Journal
of the European Communities.
Done at Brussels, 2 December 1996.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
112
7annex
The European Parliament
I ) E U R O P E A N PA R L I A M E N T P R E S I D E N T A N D V I C E P R E S I D E N T S E L E C T E D J U LY 1 9 9 9 T O S E R V E U N T I L D E C E M B E R 2 0 0 1
I I ) T H E P O L I T I C A L G R O U P S
I I I ) B R I T I S H M E P s A N D H O W T O C O N TA C T T H E M
I V ) B R I T I S H M E M B E R S O F S TA N D I N G PA R L I A M E N TA R YC O M M I T T E E S
V ) P O W E R S A N D R E S P O N S I B I L I T I E S O F S TA N D I N G C O M M I T T E E S
V I ) C O M M I T T E E C O - O R D I N AT O R S O F T H E P R I N C I P L E P O L I T I C A L G R O U P S
Annex 7:The European Parliament
i) European Parliament President and Vice Presidentselected July 1999 to serve until December 2001
President: Nicole FONTAINE (France, EPP)
Vice Presidents: David MARTIN (UK, PES)
Renzo IMBENI (Italy, PES)
Gerhard SCHMID (Germany, PES)
James PROVAN (UK, EPP)
Ingo FRIEDRICH (Germany, EPP)
Marie-Noëlle LIENEMANN (France, PES)
Guido PODESTA (Italy, EPP)
Alejo VIDAL-QUADRAS ROCA (Spain, EPP)
Joan COLOM I NAVAL (Spain, PES)
José PACHECO PEREIRA (Portugal, EPP)
Luis MARINHO (Portugal, PES)
Jan WIEBENGA (Netherlands, ELDR)
Alonso PUERTA (Spain, EUL/NGL)
Gérard ONESTA (France, VERTS/ALE)
Secretary-General: Julian PRIESTLEY
All members of the European Parliament can be contacted through the European
Parliament in Brussels:
Rue Wiertz
B-1047 Brussels
Tel: 00 32 2 284 21 11 (from outside Belgium)
Tel: 02 284 21 11 (from in Belgium, outside Brussels)
or by e-mail: @europarl.eu.int
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
114
ii) The Political Groups
I. Group of the European People’s Party Christian Democrats and European Democrats (EPP/ED)
Chairman: Hans Gert PÖTTERING (D)
Vice Chairmen: Carmen FRAGA (ES)
James ELLES (UK)
Françoise GROSSETÊTE (FR)
Ilkka SUOMINEN (SF)
Wim van VELZEN (NL)
Treasurer: Othmar KARAS (A)
II. Parliamentary Group of the Party of European Socialists (PES)
Chairman: Enrique BARON CRESPO (ES)
Vice Chairmen: Klaus HÄNSCH (D)
Alan DONNELLY (UK)
Pervenche BERES (FR)
Pasqualina NAPOLETANO (I)
Antonio José SEGURO (P)
Giorgos KATIFORIS (GR)
Hannes SWOBODA (A)
Max VAN DEN BERG (NL)
Pierre SCHORI (SW)
Claude DESAMA (B)
Riitta MYLLER (SF)
Robert GOEBBELS (L)
Proinsias DE ROSSA (IRL)
Raimon OBIOLS (ES)
Treasurer: Torben LUND (DK)
A N N E X 7 : T H E E U R O P E A N P A R L I A M E N T
115
III. Group of the European Liberal, Democratic and Reformist Party (ELDR)
Chairman: Patrick COX (IRL)
Vice Chairmen: Bertel HAARDER (DK)
Paolo COSTA (I)
Paavo VÄYRYNEN (SF)
Dirk STERCKX (B)
Jan WIEBENGA (NL)
Daniel DUCARME (B)
Graham WATSON (UK)
IV. Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance (VERTS/ALE)
Joint Chairmen: Heidi HAUTALA (SF)
Paul LANNOYE (B)
Vice Chairmen: Nelly MAES (B)
Danielle AUROI (FR)
Jan Joost LANGENDIJK (NL)
Heide RÜHLE (D)
V. Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (EUL/NGL)
Chairman: Francis WURTZ (FR)
Vice Chairmen: Pernille FRAHM (DK)
Sylvia-Yvonne KAUFMANN (D)
Treasurer: Helmut MARKOV (D)
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
116
VI. Union for a Europe of Nations Group (UEN)
Chairman: Charles PASQUA (FR)
Vice Chairmen: Gerard COLLINS (IRL)
Paulo PORTAS (P)
Mogens CAMRE (DK)
Philippe de VILLIERS (FR)
Joint Treasurers: Pat the Cope GALLAGHER (IRL)
Isabelle CAULLERY (FR)
VII. Group for a Europe of Democracies and Diversities (EDD)
Joint Chairmen: Jens Peter BONDE (DK)
Jeans SAINT-JOSSE (FR)
Johanes BLOKLAND (NL)
Vice Chairmen: Véronique MATHIEU (FR)
Nigel FARAGE (UK)
Ole KRARUP (DK)
iii) British MEPs and how to contact them
Eastern region
1. Robert Sturdy MEP (Conservative)
153 St Neots Road
Hardwick
Cambridge CB3 7QJ
Tel: 01954 211790
Fax: 01954 211786
E-mail: [email protected]
2. Eryl McNally MEP (Labour)
Labour Resource Centre
112 Newport Road
New Bradwell
Milton Keynes MK13 OAA
Tel: 01908 314114
Fax: 01908 311713
A N N E X 7 : T H E E U R O P E A N P A R L I A M E N T
117
3. Christopher Beazley MEP (Conservative)
c/o Hertford & Stortford Conservative Association
4a Swains Mill
Crane Mead, Ware
Hertfordshire SGI2 9PY
Tel: 01920 462182
Fax: 01920 485805
4. Bashir Khanbhai MEP (Conservative)
PO Box 69
Sevenoaks
Kent TN13 1PE
Tel: 01732 454020
Fax: 01732 469237
E-Mail: [email protected]
5. Richard Howitt MEP (Labour)
57 Peninsula Cottage
Staitheway Road
Wroxham
Norfolk NR12 8RN
Tel/Fax: 01603 781480
6. Andrew Duff MEP (Liberal Democrat)
Orwell House
Cowley Road
Cambridge CB4 OPP
Tel: 01223 566700
Fax: 01223 566698
E-mail: [email protected]
7. Geoffrey Van Orden MEP (Conservative)
European Parliament
47-53 rue Wiertz
B-1047 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 00 322 284 5332
Fax: 00 322 284 9332
8. Jeffrey Titford MEP (UK Independence Party)
Suites 1 & 2, Rochester House
145 New London Road
Chelmsford, Essex
Tel: 01245 266466 or 251651
Fax: 01245 252071
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
118
East Midlands
1. Roger Helmer MEP (Conservative)
Blaby Conservative Association
35 Lutterworth Road
Blaby, Leicester LE8 4DW
Tel: 0116 277 9992
Fax: 0116 278 6664
2. Mel Read MEP (Labour)
The Marlene Reid Centre
85 Belvoir Road
Coalville, Leicester LE67 3PH
Tel: 01530 830780
Fax: 01530 830781
3. Bill Newton Dunn MEP (Conservative)
10 Church Lane
Navenby, Lincoln LN5 OEG
Tel: 01522 810812/01522 720098
Fax: 0207 602 6187
E-mail: [email protected]
4. Phillip Whitehead MEP (Labour)
53 High Street
Burton-on-Trent
Staffordshire DE14 1JS
Tel: 01283 569779
Fax: 01283 569785
5. Christopher Heaton-Harris MEP (Conservative)
c/o Leicester Conservative Federation
36 Millstone Lane
Leicester LE1 5JN
Tel: 0116 262 8686
Fax: 0116 262 8877
E-mail: [email protected]
6. Nicholas Clegg MEP (Liberal Democrat)
52 Kirklington Road
Southwell
Nottinghamshire NG25 OAX
Tel: 0115 840 2500
Fax: 0115 840 2501
E-mail: [email protected]
A N N E X 7 : T H E E U R O P E A N P A R L I A M E N T
119
London
1. Pauline Green MEP (Labour)
Labour European Office
16 Charles Square
London N1 6HP
Tel: 0207 490 4904
Fax: 0207 490 2143
2. Theresa Villiers MEP (Conservative)
c/o Conservative Central Office
32 Smith Square
London SW1P 3HH
Tel: 0207 984 8234/8227
Fax: 0207 222 1135
E-mail: [email protected]
3. Claude Moraes MEP (Labour)
Labour European Office
16 Charles Square
London N1 6HP
Tel: 0207 490 4904
Fax: 0207 490 2143
4. Cllr Dr Charles Tannock MEP (Conservative)
c/o Conservative Central Office
32 Smith Square
London SW1P 3HH
Tel: 0207 984 8235/8231
Fax: 0207 222 1135
E-mail: [email protected]
5. Robert Evans MEP (Labour)
Labour European Office
16 Charles Square
London N1 6HP
Tel: 0207 490 4904
Fax: 0207 490 2143
E-mail: [email protected]
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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6. Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP (Liberal Democrat)
European Parliament UK Office
c/o Liberal Democrats
2 Queen Anne’s Gate
London SW1H 9AA
Tel: 0207 799 3429
E-mail: [email protected]
7. Lord Bethell MEP (Conservative)
Manor Farm House
Brill, Bucks HP18 9SL
Tel: 01844 238446
Fax: 01844 237821
E-mail: [email protected]
8. Richard Balfe MEP (Labour)
Labour European Office
16 Charles Square
London N1 6HP
Tel: 0207 490 4904
Fax: 0207 490 2143
9. John Bowis OBE, MEP (Conservative)
PO Box 262
New Malden
KT3 4WJ
Tel: 0208 949 2555
Fax: 0208 395 7463
E-mail: [email protected]
10. Jean Lambert MEP (Green)
3 Howard Road
London E17 4SH
Tel/Fax: 0208 520 0676
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North East
1. Alan Donnelly MEP (Labour)
1 South View
Jarrow
Tyne & Wear NE32 5JP
Tel: 0191 489 7643
Fax: 0191 489 0643
2. Martin Callanan MEP (Conservative)
22 Osborne Road
Jesmond
Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE2 2AD
Tel: 0191 240 2600
Fax: 0191 240 2612
E-mail: [email protected]
3. Stephen Hughes MEP (Labour)
Room 1/76
County Hall
Durham DH1 5UR
Tel: 0191 384 9371
Fax: 0191 384 6100
4. Mo O’Toole MEP (Labour)
52 St George’s Terrace
Jesmond
Newcastle NE2 2FY
Tel: 0191 281 8247
Mobile: 0966 528867
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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North West
1. Lord Inglewood MEP (Conservative)
c/o North West Regional Office
9 Montford Enterprise Centre
Wynford Square
Salford M5 2SN
Tel: 0161 745 7880
Fax: 0161 737 1980
2. Arlene McCarthy MEP (Labour)
Talbot House
Talbot Road
Glossop
Derbyshire SK13 7DP
Tel: 01457 857300
Fax: 01457 867339
3. Rt. Hon. Sir Robert Atkins MEP (Conservative)
c/o North West Regional Office
9 Montford Enterprise Centre
Wynford Square, Salford M5 2SN
Tel: 0161 745 7880
Fax: 0161 737 1980
E-mail: [email protected]
4. Gary Titley MEP (Labour)
Euro Office
16 Spring Lane
Radcliffe
Manchester M26 9TQ
Tel: 0161 724 4008
Fax: 0161 724 4009
5. David Sumberg MEP (Conservative)
c/o North West Regional Office
9 Montford Enterprise Centre
Wynford Square, Salford M5 2SN
Tel: 0161 745 7880
Fax: 0161 737 1980
E-mail: [email protected]
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6. Chris Davies MEP (Liberal Democrat)
87A Castle Street
Edgeley
Stockport SK3 9AR
Tel: 0161 477 7070
Fax: 0161 477 7007
E-mail: [email protected]
7. Terry Wynn MEP (Labour)
Lakeside
Alexandra Park
Prescot Road
St Helens WA10 3TT
Tel: 01744 451609
Fax: 01744 29832
E-mail: [email protected]
8. Densmore Dover MEP (Conservative)
c/o North West Regional Office
9 Montford Enterprise Centre
Wynford Square
Salford M5 2SN
Tel: 0161 745 7880
Fax: 0161 737 1980
9. Brian Simpson MEP (Labour)
Gilbert Wakefield House
67 Bewsey Street
Warrington WA2 7JQ
Tel: 01925 654074
Fax: 01925 240799
10. Jacqui Foster MEP (Conservative)
European Parliament
47-53 rue Wiertz
B-1047 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 00 322 284 5957
Fax: 00 322 284 9957
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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South East
1. James Provan MEP (Conservative)
Middle Lodge
Barns Green, Nr Horsham
West Sussex RH13 7NL
Tel: 01403 733700
Fax: 01403 733588
E-mail: [email protected]
2. Roy Perry MEP (Conservative)
Tarrants Farmhouse
Maurys Lane
West Wellow
Romsey
Hampshire S051 6DA
Tel: 01794 322472
Fax: 01794 323498
E-mail: [email protected]
3. Peter Skinner MEP (Labour)
99 Kent Road
Dartford
Kent DA1 2AJ
Tel: 01322 281500
Fax: 01322 281553
4. Baroness Emma Nicholson MEP (Liberal Democrat)
4 Maunsel Street
London SW1P 2QL
Tel: 0207 828 4991
Fax: 0207 828 4992
5. Daniel Hannan MEP (Conservative)
Conservative Central Office
32 Smith Square
London SW1P 3HH
Tel: 0207 984 8238
Fax: 0207 984 8207
E-mail: [email protected]
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6. James Elles MEP (Conservative)
European Parliament
47-53 rue Wiertz
B-1047 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 00 322 284 5951
Fax: 00 322 284 9951
E-mail: [email protected]
7. Mark Watts MEP (Labour)
Euro Office
29 Park Road
Sittingbourne
Kent ME10 1DR
Tel: 01795 477880
Fax: 01795 437224
8. Nigel Farage MEP (UK Independence Party)
74 Holmethorpe Avenue
Redhill, Surrey
RH1 2NL
Tel: 01737 780222
Fax: 01737 768590
9. Nirj Deva MEP (Conservative)
169B Kennington Road
London SE11 6SF
Tel: 0207 642 8880
Fax: 0207 642 8879
E-mail: [email protected]
10. Chris Huhne MEP (Liberal Democrat)
8 Crescent Grove
London SW4 7AH
Tel: 0207 498 2618
Fax: 0207 498 5242
E-mail: [email protected]
11. Caroline Lucas MEP (Green)
The Old Boot Inn
Boot Street
Stonesfield
Oxfordshire OX8 8PX
Tel/Fax: 01993 891741
E-mail: [email protected]
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
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South West
1. Dr Caroline Jackson MEP (Conservative)
14 Bath Road
Swindon
Wiltshire SN1 4BA
Tel: 01793 422663
Fax: 01793 422664
E-mail: [email protected]
2. Giles Chichester MEP (Conservative)
48 Queen Street
Exeter EX4 3SR
Tel: 01392 491815
Fax: 01392 491588
E-mail: [email protected]
3. Glyn Ford MEP (Labour)
European Parliament
rue Wiertz
1047 Brussels
Belgium
Tel: 00 322 284 5518
Fax: 00 322 284 9518
4. Graham Watson MEP (Liberal Democrat)
10 Belvedere Road
Taunton
Somerset TA1 1BW
Tel: 01823 333441
Fax: 01823 333272
E-mail: [email protected]
5. The Earl of Stockton MEP (Conservative)
Glenthorne House
131 Coronation Road
Bristol BS3 1RE
Tel: 01179 639672
Fax: 01179 537621
E-mail: [email protected]
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6. Michael Holmes MEP (UK Independence Party)
UK Independence Party
South West Regional Office
PO Box 1714
Salisbury SP1 2UQ
Tel: 01722 411313
Fax: 01722 413025
7. Neil Parish MEP (Conservative)
16 Northgate
Bridgwater
Somerset TA6 3EU
Tel: 01278 423110
Fax: 01278 431034
West Midlands
1. John Corrie MEP (Conservative)
98 High Street
Evesham
Worcestershire WR11 4HE
Tel: 01386 442469
Fax: 01557 820211
E-mail: [email protected]
2. Simon Murphy MEP (Labour)
Room 2/3 Gresham Chambers
14 Lichfield Street
Wolverhampton WV1 1DP
Tel: 01902 83 17 77
Fax: 01902 83 18 88
3. Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP (Conservative)
The Manor House
Harbury
Leamington Spa
Warwickshire CV33 9HZ
Tel: 01926 612476
Fax: 01926 613168
E-mail: [email protected]
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4. Michael Cashman MEP (Labour)
West Midlands Labour Party
67 Birmingham Road
West Bromwich
West Midlands B70 6PN
Tel: 0121 553 6642
Fax: 0121 553 6603
6. Malcolm Harbour MEP (Conservative)
Manor Cottage
Manor Road
Solihull
West Midlands B91 2BL
Tel: 0121 711 3158
Fax: 0121 711 3159
E-mail: [email protected]
6. Liz Lynne MEP (Liberal Democrat)
55 Ely Street
Stratford upon Avon
Warwickshire CV37 6LN
Tel: 01789 266 354
Fax: 01789 268 848
7. Philip Bradbourn OBE, MEP (Conservative)
10 Greenfield Crescent
Edgbaston
Birmingham B15 3AU
Tel: 0845 606 0239
Fax: 0121 456 5989
8. Neena Gill MEP (Labour)
West Midlands Labour Party
67 Birmingham Road
West Bromwich
West Midlands B70 6PN
Tel: 0121 553 6642
Fax: 0121 553 6603
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Yorkshire and The Humber
1. Edward McMillan-Scott MEP (Conservative)
Conservatives in the European Parliament
32 Smith Square
London SW1P 3HH
Tel: 0207 222 1720/ 01386 552366
Fax: 0207 222 2501/01386 556038
2. Linda McAvan MEP (Labour)
79 High Street
Wath-upon-Deame S63 7QB
Tel: 01709 87 56 65
Fax: 01709 87 42 07
3. Timothy Kirkhope MEP (Conservative)
7 Dewar Close
Collingham
Wetherby
West Yorkshire LS22 5JR
Tel: 01937 574649
Fax: 01937 574651
E-mail: [email protected]
4. David Bowe MEP (Labour)
10 Harris Street
Middlesbrough
Cleveland TSI 5EF
Tel: 01642 24 77 22
Fax: 01642 24 78 04
5. Diana Wallis MEP (Liberal Democrat)
1 Stratton Park
Swanland
East Riding
Yorkshire HU14 3NN
Tel/Fax: 01482 634307
6. Robert Goodwill MEP (Conservative)
Southwood Farm
Terrington
York Y06 4QB
Tel: 01653 648459
Fax: 01653 648225
E-mail: [email protected]
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7. Richard Corbett MEP (Labour)
Threlfall Building
Trueman Street
Liverpool L2 2EX
Tel: 0151 236 1332
Fax: 0151 236 3151
Scotland
1. David Martin MEP (Labour)
PO Box 27030
Edinburgh EH10 7YP
Tel: 0131 654 1606
Fax: 0l3l 654 1607
2. Ian Hudghton MEP (Scottish National Party)
70 Rosemount Place
Aberdeen AB2 4XJ
Tel: 01224 623150
Fax: 01224 623160
E-mail: [email protected]
3. Struan Stevenson MEP (Conservative & Unionist Party)
Conservative & Unionist Office
14 Links Place
Edinburgh EH6 6EZ
Tel: 0131 555 2900
Fax: 0131 555 2869
4. Bill Miller MEP (Labour)
9 Chisholm Street
Glasgow G1 5HA
Tel: 0141 552 2234
Fax: 0141 552 0297
5. Professor Neil MacCormick MEP (Scottish National Party)
Scottish National Party
6 North Charlotte Street
Edinburgh EH2 4JH
Tel: 0131 225 3497
E-mail: [email protected]
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6. John Purvis MEP (Conservative & Unionist Party)
Conservative & Unionist Central Office
14 Links Place
Edinburgh EH6 6EZ
Tel: 0131 555 2900
Fax: 0131 555 2869
E-mail: [email protected]
7. Elspeth Attwooll MEP (Liberal Democrat)
Scottish Liberal Democrats
4 Clifton Terrace
Edinburgh EH12 5DR
Tel: 0131 337 2314
E-mail: [email protected]
8. Catherine Taylor MEP (Labour)
5a Alexandra PIace
St Andrews
Fife KY16 9XD
Tel: 01334 477753
Fax: 01334 473677
Wales
1. Glenys Kinnock MEP (Labour)
1 Bridge View
Cwmfelinfach, Newport
Gwent NP1 7HG
Tel: 01495 20 12 01
Fax: 01495 20 10 30
2. Jill Evans MEP (Plaid Cymru)
202 Tyntyla Road
Ystrad
Rhondda CF41 7SE
Tel: 01443 43232
3. Jonathan Evans MEP (Conservative)
4 Penlline Road
Whitchurch
Cardiff CF4 2XS
Tel: 02920 616031
Fax: 02920 610544
E-mail: [email protected]
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4. Eluned Morgan MEP (Labour)
2 Queen Street
Carmarthen
Dyfed SA31 1JR
Tel: 01222 618 337
Fax: 01222 618 226
5. Eurig Wyn MEP (Plaid Cymru)
Y Freni
Waunfawr
Caernarfon
Gwynedd LL55 4YY
Tel: 01286 650512
Northern Ireland
1. Rev. Ian Paisley MP MEP (Democratic Unionist Party)
256 Ravenhill Road
Belfast BT6 8GF
Tel: 01232 45 42 55
Fax: 01232 45 77 83
2. John Hume MP MEP (Social Democratic & Labour Party)
5 Bayview Terrace
Derry BT48 7EE
Tel: 01504 26 53 40
Fax: 01504 36 34 23
3. James Nicholson MEP (Ulster Unionist Party)
European Office
Glengall Street
Belfast BT12 5AE
Tel: 01232 43 94 31
Fax: 01232 24 67 38
British MEPs all have offices in Brussels. The contact address there is:
European Parliament, 47-53 Rue Wiertz, B-1047 Brussels. Tel : 00 322 284 2111
or by e-mail: @europarl.eu.int.
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iv) British Members of Standing Parliamentary Committees
Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy
NEWTON DUNN, William Francis, Vice-Chairman
NICHOLSON OF WINTERBOURNE, Baroness, Vice-Chairman
BETHELL, The Lord, Member
TITLEY, Gary, Member
VAN ORDEN, Geoffrey, Member
ATKINS, Sir Robert, Substitute
CASHMAN, Michael, Substitute
DUFF, Andrew Nicholas, Substitute
ELLES, James E.M., Substitute
GREEN, Pauline, Substitute
KINNOCK, Glenys, Substitute
LUDFORD, Baroness Sarah, Substitute
McMILLAN-SCOTT, Edward H.C., Substitute
SUMBERG, David, Substitute
Committee on Budgets
WYNN, Terence, Chairman
DOVER, Den, Member
ELLES, James E.M., Member
GILL, Neena, Member
McMILLAN-SCOTT, Edward H.C., Member
MARTIN, David W., Member
TITFORD, Jeffrey William, Member
CORRIE, John Alexander, Substitute
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HANNAN, Daniel J., Substitute
HEATON-HARRIS, Christopher, Substitute
HUGHES, Stephen, Substitute
MORGAN, Eluned, Substitute
NICHOLSON OF WINTERBOURNE, Baroness, Substitute
Budgetary Control
HOLMES, Michael John, Member
KHANBHAI, Bashir, Member
MORGAN, Eluned, Member
ELLES, James E.M., Substitute
Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs
WATSON, Graham R., Chairman
EVANS, Robert J.E., Vice-Chairman
CASHMAN, Michael, Member
HANNAN, Daniel J., Member
KIRKHOPE, Timothy, Member
LUDFORD, Baroness Sarah, Member
BALFE, Richard A., Substitute
FORD, Glyn, Substitute
HOLMES, Michael John, Substitute
LAMBERT, Jean, Substitute
NEWTON DUNN, William Francis, Substitute
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Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
BALFE, Richard A., Member
DONNELLY, Alan John, Member
EVANS, Jonathan, Member
FARAGE, Nigel Paul, Member
GREEN, Pauline, Member
HUHNE, Christopher, Member
TANNOCK, Charles, Member
VILLIERS, Theresa, Member
CALLANAN, Martin, Substitute
CLEGG, Nicholas, Substitute
CORBETT, Richard Graham, Substitute
HUDGHTON, Ian Stewart, Substitute
MURPHY, Simon Francis, Substitute
PURVIS, John, Substitute
Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market
HARBOUR, Malcolm, Member
INGLEWOOD, The Lord, Member
MacCORMICK, Neil, Member
MILLER, Bill, Member
MORAES, Claude, Member
WALLIS, Diana, Member
READ, Imelda Mary, Substitute
VILLIERS, Theresa, Substitute
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Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy
CHICHESTER, Giles Bryan, Member
CLEGG, Nicholas, Member
FORD, Glyn, Member
HARBOUR, Malcolm, Member
LUCAS, Caroline, Member
McAVAN, Linda, Member
McNALLY, Eryl Margaret, Member
MURPHY, Simon Francis, Member
PURVIS, John, Member
READ, Imelda Mary, Member
BEAZLEY, Christopher J. P., Substitute
BOWE, David Robert, Substitute
EVANS, Jonathan, Substitute
FOSTER, Jacqueline, Substitute
GILL, Neena, Substitute
KHANBHAI, Bashir, Substitute
MILLER, Bill, Substitute
O’TOOLE, Barbara, Substitute
PAISLEY, Ian R.K., Substitute
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Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
BUSHILL-MATTHEWS, Philip Rodway, Member
EVANS, Jillian, Member
FOSTER, Jacqui, Member
HUDGHTON, Ian Stewart, Member
HUGHES, Stephen, Member
LAMBERT, Jean, Member
LYNNE, Elizabeth, Member
SKINNER, Peter William, Member
DOVER, Den, Substitute
HELMER, Roger, Substitute
HOWITT, Richard , Substitute
McCARTHY, Arlene, Substitute
MORAES, Claude, Substitute
PARISH, Neil, Substitute
VAN ORDEN, Geoffrey, Substitute
WATTS, Mark Francis, Substitute
Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy
JACKSON, Caroline F., Chairman
BOWE, David Robert, Member
BOWIS, John, Member
DAVIES, Chris, Member
GOODWILL, Robert, Member
HELMER, Roger, Member
WHITEHEAD, Phillip, Member
ATTWOOLL, Elspeth, Substitute
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BUSHILL-MATTHEWS, Philip Rodway, Substitute
DEVA, Nirj, Substitute
EVANS, Jillian, Substitute
McNALLY, Eryl Margaret, Substitute
STURDY, Robert William, Substitute
TANNOCK, Charles, Substitute
TAYLOR, Catherine, Substitute
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
PARISH, Neil, Member
STEVENSON, Struan, Member
STURDY, Robert William, Member
GOODWILL, Robert, Substitute
HUME, John, Substitute
NICHOLSON, James, Substitute
SIMPSON, Brian, Substitute
TITFORD, Jeffrey William, Substitute
WYN, Eurig, Substitute
Committee on Fisheries
ATTWOOLL, Elspeth, Member
FARAGE, Nigel Paul, Member
FORD, Glyn, Member
HUDGHTON, Ian Stewart, Member
NICHOLSON, James, Member
STEVENSON, Struan, Substitute
TAYLOR, Catherine, Substitute
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Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism
ATKINS, Sir Robert, Member
ATTWOOLL, Elspeth, Member
CALLANAN, Martin, Member
HUME, John, Member
McCARTHY, Arlene, Member
SIMPSON, Brian, Member
STOCKTON, The Earl of, Member
WATTS, Mark Francis, Member
BRADBOURN, Philip Charles, Substitute
CHICHESTER, Giles Bryan, Substitute
DAVIES, Chris, Substitute
DONNELLY, Alan John, Substitute
FOSTER, Jacqueline, Substitute
LUCAS, Caroline, Substitute
McAVAN, Linda, Substitute
MARTIN, David W., Substitute
PROVAN, James L.C., Substitute
TITFORD, Jeffrey William, Substitute
WALLIS, Diana, Substitute
WATSON, Graham R., Substitute
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Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport
HEATON-HARRIS, Christopher, Member
O’TOOLE, Barbara, Member
PERRY, Roy, Member
TAYLOR, Catherine, Member
WYN, Eurig, Member
EVANS, Robert J.E., Substitute
KIRKHOPE, Timothy, Substitute
LYNNE, Elizabeth, Substitute
SKINNER, Peter William, Substitute
STOCKTON, The Earl of, Substitute
Committee on Development and Co-operation
CORRIE, John Alexander, Member
DEVA, Nirj, Member
HOWITT, Richard , Member
KHANBHAI, Bashir, Member
KINNOCK, Glenys, Member
PAISLEY, Ian R.K., Member
BOWIS, John, Substitute
HUHNE, Christopher, Substitute
STEVENSON, Struan, Substitute
TITLEY, Gary, Substitute
WHITEHEAD, Phillip, Substitute
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Committee on Constitutional Affairs
BEAZLEY, Christopher J.P., Vice-Chairman
BRADBOURN, Philip Charles, Member
CORBETT, Richard Graham, Member
DUFF, Andrew Nicholas, Member
INGLEWOOD, The Lord, Substitute
MacCORMICK, Neil, Substitute
Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities
EVANS, Jillian, Vice-Chairman
FOSTER, Jacqui, Member
VILLIERS, Theresa, Member
JACKSON, Caroline F., Substitute
McNALLY, Eryl Margaret, Substitute
Committee on Petitions
PERRY, Roy, Vice-Chairman
LAMBERT, Jean, Member
NEWTON DUNN, William Francis, Member
WATTS, Mark Francis, Member
WYN, Eurig, Member
DAVIES, Chris, Substitute
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v) Powers and responsibilities of standing committees
1. Committee on Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, Common Security and Defence Policy
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the common foreign and security policy of the European Union, including
the task of formulating a common defence and disarmament policy
(Article 11 of the EU Treaty);
2. relations with the other institutions in the foreign policy sphere, and
in particular with the High Representative for the common foreign and
security policy;
3. political aspects of relations with third countries and international organ-
isations with regard to the implementation of the Union’s foreign and
security policy;
4. determination of the foreign policy position with regard to the alloca-
tion of the major technical assistance and financial support programmes
to third countries, in co-operation with the Committee on Budgets, the
Committee on Budgetary Control, the Committee on Development and
Co-operation and the Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research
and Energy;
5. opening, monitoring and concluding negotiations concerning the acces-
sion of European States to the Union (Article 49 of the EU Treaty) without
prejudice to the powers of the specialist committees;
6. opening, monitoring and concluding negotiations concerning associ-
ation and partnership agreements (Article 310 of the EC Treaty) and
other international agreements of a mainly political nature;
7. issues concerning human rights and democratisation in third countries
including relations with international human rights organisations;
8. relations with the WEU (Article 17 of the EU Treaty);
9. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
This committee will co-ordinate the work of the inter-parliamentary delegations,
the joint parliamentary committees, the co-operation committees and the ad hoc
delegations, including those sent to monitor elections, both in preparing for and
discussing the outcome of their meetings. The inter-parliamentary delegations
will consult with the committee responsible on economic and trade matters.
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2. Committee on Budgets
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the definition and exercise of Parliament’s budgetary powers (Articles
268 to 273 of the EC Treaty) and the rules thereof dealing with estab-
lishment of the budget;
2. the budgets of the European Union including the ECSC budget and
budgetisation of the European Development Fund;
3 . the multi-annual estimates of the Union’s revenue and expenditure and
the inter-institutional agreements concluded on these matters and the
implementation of budgetary conciliation;
4. financial resources of the Union;
5. the financial activities of the EIB and the other financial and budgetary
instruments of the European Communities and of the Member States
(Articles 266 and 267 of the EC Treaty);
6. financial implications of Community acts, without prejudice to the
powers of the specialist committees;
7. problems relating to administrative and accounting management and
the staff of the European Union, in so far as they do not have substan-
tial implications for the legal status of officials;
8. transfers of appropriations;
9. Parliament’s budget, administration and accounts (Rule 183);
10. the Financial Regulation, with the exception of matters relating to the
implementation, management and control of budgets (Article 279 of
the EC Treaty).
As regards problems relating to Parliament’s budget, the Bureau and the Committee
on Budgets will take decisions in successive stages on:
a) the establishment plan;
b) the preliminary draft and the draft estimates.
The decisions concerning the establishment plan will be taken according to the
following procedure:
1. the Bureau shall draw up the establishment plan for each financial year;
2. a conciliation procedure between the Bureau and the Committee on
Budgets shall be opened in cases where the opinion of the latter diverges
from the initial decisions taken by the Bureau;
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3. at the end of the procedure, the Bureau shall take the final decision on
the estimates for the establishment plan, in accordance with Rule 182(3),
without prejudice to decisions taken pursuant to Article 272 of the EC
Treaty.
As regards the estimates proper, the procedure for drawing up the estimates will
begin as soon as the Bureau has taken a final decision on the establishment plan.
The stages of this procedure will be those laid down in Rule 183, viz.:
1. the Bureau shall draw up the preliminary draft estimates of revenue and
expenditure (paragraph 1);
2. the Committee on Budgets shall draw up the draft estimates of revenue
and expenditure (paragraph 2);
3. a conciliation procedure shall be opened in cases where the positions
of the Committee on Budgets and the Bureau are widely divergent.
In exercising its powers the Committee on Budgets will co-operate closely with
the Committee on Budgetary Control.
3. Committee on Budgetary Control
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the control of financial, budgetary and administrative implementing
measures relating to the general budget of the European Union (including
the EDF);
2. the control of the financial and administrative activities of the ECSC and
the financial activities of the EIB carried out on the basis of instructions
from the Commission;
3. the Financial Regulation in connection with matters relating to the imple-
mentation, management and control of budgets (Article 279 of the EC
Treaty);
4. the decisions on discharge taken by Parliament and measures accom-
panying or implementing such decisions (Article 276 of the EC Treaty);
5. accounts and balance sheets relating to decisions concerning the closure,
presenting and auditing of Parliament’s revenue and expenditure as well
as measures accompanying or implementing these decisions, in partic-
ular as part of the internal discharge procedure;
6. the closure, presenting and auditing of the accounts and balance sheets
of the European Communities, their institutions and any bodies financed
by them, including the establishment of appropriations to be carried
over and the settling of balances;
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7. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current budgets
on the basis of periodic reports provided by the Commission and measures
taken for such implementation with the specialist committees or alter-
natively without prejudice to the powers of the specialist committee
under these Rules;
8. the assessment of the effectiveness of the various forms of Community
financing, the co-ordination of the various financial instruments and the
assessment of the cost-benefit ratio in the implementation of the policies
financed by the European Union;
9. consideration of the credit terms, financing mechanisms and the admin-
istrative structures designed to implement them, by examining cases
of fraud and irregularities;
10. sets of rules or parts thereof dealing with the implementation of budgets;
11. the organisation of checks, the prevention, prosecution and punishment
of fraud and irregularities affecting the budget of the European Union
and concerning the protection of the Community’s financial interests
in general (Article 280 of the EC Treaty);
12. consideration of reports and opinions of the Court of Auditors (Article
248 of the EC Treaty);
13. relations with the Court of Auditors and the appointment of its members,
without prejudice to the powers of the President of Parliament (Article
247 of the EC Treaty).
This committee will examine confidential documents concerning areas within its
remit, having full regard for the provisions of Annex VII.
4. Committee on Citizens’ Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. citizens’ rights, human rights and fundamental freedoms in the European
Union;
2. the measures needed to combat all forms of discrimination on the grounds
of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual
orientation (Article 13 of the EC Treaty) other than those mentioned in
VlII;
3. the protection of physical persons with regard to the processing of
personal data and the free movement of such data (EC Treaty, in partic-
ular Article 286 thereof and Title VI of the EU Treaty);
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4. matters relating to the maintenance and development of an area of
freedom, security and justice (Article 2, first paragraph, fourth indent,
of the EU Treaty), in particular:
a) under the first pillar (Title IV of the EC Treaty), by means of measures
concerning the entry and movement of persons (policies on
immigration, asylum, visas, the crossing of borders and the right
of residence) (Article 3(l)(d) of the EC Treaty);
b) under the third pillar (Title VI of the EU Treaty), by means of measures
to prevent racism and xenophobia and combat crime, in particular
terrorism, trafficking in persons and offences against children, drug
trafficking, arms trafficking, corruption and fraud, through:
closer co-operation among police forces, customs authorities and other
competent authorities in the Member States, both directly and through
the European Police Office (Europol), in accordance with Articles 30
and 32 of the EU Treaty,
closer co-operation among judicial and other competent authorities in
the Member States, in accordance with Article 31 (a) to (d) and Article
32 of the EU Treaty,
the approximation of the rules on criminal matters in the Member States,
in accordance with Article 31(e) (Article 29 of the EU Treaty);
5. the strengthened co-operation arrangements under the first and third
pillars with a view to establishing an area of freedom, security and justice;
6. the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the
European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia;
7. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
5. Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the gradual establishment of Economic and Monetary Union;
2. medium and long-term economic and monetary planning (Articles 98
to 100 of the EC Treaty);
3. questions of monetary policy, balance of payments, capital movements
and borrowing and lending policy (control of movements of capital origi-
nating in third countries, measures to encourage the export of the
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European Union’s capital; application of Articles 56 to 60 and 101 to
124 of the EC Treaty);
4. relations with the European Central Bank;
5. the world monetary system;
6. application of the rules on competition, restrictive practices and monop-
olies (Articles 81 to 86 of the EC Treaty), without prejudice to the powers
of the specialist committees;
7. questions relating to public aid (Articles 87 to 89 of the EC Treaty),
without prejudice to the powers of the specialist committees;
8. tax harmonisation and the application of tax provisions relating to the
free movement of goods, persons, services and capital in the internal
market (Articles 90 to 93 of the EC Treaty);
9. financial services (Article 51(2) of the EC Treaty) and aspects related
to the prudential supervision and monitoring of such services;
10. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
6. Committee on Legal Affairs and the Internal Market
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. legal aspects of the creation, interpretation and application of Commu-
nity law, including the choice of legal basis for Community acts and
compliance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;
2. legal aspects of the creation, interpretation and application of inter-
national law, in so far as it affects the European Union;
3. all matters relating to the simplification of Community law, in partic-
ular legislative proposals for its official codification;
4. co-ordination at Community level of national legislation in the sphere
of the internal market, in particular:
a) the establishment and operation of the internal market (Articles
14 and 15 of the EC Treaty);
b) the right of establishment and the freedom to provide services
(Articles 43 to 55 of the EC Treaty), except for financial services;
c) the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market;
5. intellectual property law;
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6. civil liability law, contract law and procedural law, irrespective of the
sector concerned;
7. consumers’ legal protection;
8. the Staff Regulations of the European Communities (Article 283 of the
EC Treaty), with the exception of matters pertaining to remuneration,
unless they have substantial implications for the legal status of staff;
9. the protection of Parliament’s rights and prerogatives, including its
involvement in actions before the Court of Justice and the Court of First
Instance;
10. ethical questions related to new technologies, in strengthened co-opera-
tion with the relevant committee or committees;
11. verifying the credentials of newly elected Members and ruling on any
dispute concerning the validity of the appointment of a Member;
12. privileges and immunities;
13. the Statute for Members;
14. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
7. Committee on Industry, External Trade, Research and Energy
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. Community industrial policy, including its application in specific
sectors, such as telecommunications, the technological and economic
aspects of the information society, the space industry, information
technology and biotechnology, in particular;
a) the establishment and development of trans-European networks
in the telecommunications infrastructure sector (Articles 154 to
156 of the EC Treaty);
b) the application of new technologies in specific industrial and service
sectors (standards, competition rules, freedom of movement and
freedom to provide services and general problems relating to the
Organisation of production sectors);
c) Community technical standards (in conjunction with the European
standardisation institutes);
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2. monitoring of the Union’s common commercial policy (Articles 131
to 134 of the EC Treaty), in particular:
a) international agreements governing economic and trade relations
with third countries;
b) the economic and trade aspects of the European Economic Area
and relations with EFTA;
c) matters concerning the OECD and regional economic and commer-
cial integration organisations situated outside the Community and
agreements signed in that context;
d) all aspects concerning the WTO and other international economic
organisations, particularly as regards trade in goods and services,
investment, public contracts, competition and intellectual property;
e) the common external tariff and dumping practices by third countries;
f) economic co-operation, including the major programmes offering
technical assistance and financial support to associated third
countries (Phare, Tacis and Meda) and the economic aspects of the
association and partnership agreements;
3. fundamental or pre-industrial research, the Community research and
technological development framework programme and other specific
programmes (Articles 163 to 173 of the EC Treaty), in particular:
a) research and technological development agreements with third parties
and the application of such technological research and development;
b) dissemination of research findings;
c) the arrangements for the implementation of or participation in the
framework research programme (Articles 168 to 171 of the EC
Treaty);
4. the activities of the JRC, the Central Office for Nuclear Measurements,
JET, ITER and other projects in the same area;
5. energy policy in general and in particular energy supplies, including coal
and nuclear energy under the ECSC and EAEC Treaties, in particular:
a) the Energy Charter;
b) the establishment and development of trans-European networks
in the energy infrastructure sector (Articles 154 to 156 of the EC
Treaty);
c) nuclear safety;
d) renewable energies;
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150
6. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
The inter-parliamentary delegations and ad hoc delegations will consult with this
committee on the economic and trade aspects of relations with third countries.
8. Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. employment policy (Title VIII of the EC Treaty), including measures to
combat unemployment, job creation and the Employment Committee;
2. social policy (Articles 136 to 145 of the EC Treaty, with the exception
of Article 141), in particular:
a) protection of living and working conditions, including the working
environment, in order to protect the health and safety of workers;
b) information and consultation of workers;
c) collective protection of workers’ and employers’ interests;
d) wages and pensions policy;
e) social security and welfare protection;
f) social exclusion and social cohesion;
g) employment conditions for legal residents from third countries;
h) housing policy and promotion of low-cost housing schemes;
3. the social dimension and the labour market in the information society;
4. the European Social Fund (Articles 146 to 148 of the EC Treaty);
5. vocational training (Article 150 of the EC Treaty), and in particular:
a) implementation of a Community vocational training policy;
b) harmonisation of professional qualifications;
6. the free movement of workers (Articles 39 to 42 of the EC Treaty);
7. social dialogue;
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8. the following bodies:
• the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training
(Cedefop)
• the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and
Working Conditions
• the European Training Foundation
• the European Agency for Health and Safety at Work;
9. all forms of discrimination on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin,
religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation (Article 13 of the
EC Treaty), related to fundamental social rights and to the labour market;
10. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
9. Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Consumer Policy
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. environmental policy and environmental protection measures (Article
174 of the EC Treaty), in particular:
a) air, soil and water pollution;
b) climate change;
c) classification, packaging, labelling, transport and use of dangerous
substances and preparations;
d) fixing permissible noise levels;
e) treatment and storage of waste (including recycling);
f) international and regional measures and agreements aimed at
protecting the environment;
g) protecting fauna and its habitat;
h) provisions of the Law of the Sea regarding the environment;
i) the European Environment Agency;
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
152
2. public health (Article 152 of the EC Treaty), in particular:
a) programmes in the field of public health;
b) labelling and safety of foodstuffs;
c) veterinary legislation concerning protection against dangers to
human health arising from bacteria and residues in animal products;
public health checks on foodstuffs and food production systems;
d) pharmaceutical products, including veterinary products;
e) the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products;
f) medical research;
g) cosmetic products;
3. consumer policy, in particular:
a) protection of consumers against risks to their health and safety;
b) appropriate consultation and representation of consumers during
the preparation of decisions which affect their interests, in partic-
ular their economic interests;
c) improvement of consumer information and education;
4. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
10. Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the operation and development of the common agricultural policy and
forestry policy (Articles 32 to 38 and, where appropriate, 95 and 152
of the EC Treaty);
2. rural development, including the activities of the EAGGF – Guidance
Section;
3. legislation on:
• veterinary and plant-health matters
• animal feeding stuffs, provided that the agricultural aspect of these
matters is predominant, by comparison with any risks to human
health which may stem from them
• animal husbandry and welfare;
4. supplies of agricultural raw materials;
A N N E X 7 : T H E E U R O P E A N P A R L I A M E N T
153
5. the Community Office for Plant Varieties;
6. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
11. Committee on Fisheries
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the operation and development of the common fisheries policy and its
management;
2. conservation of fishery resources;
3. common organisation of the market in fishery products;
4. structural policy in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, including the
financial instruments for fisheries guidance (FIFG and PESCA);
5. international fisheries agreements (concluded pursuant to Article 37
in conjunction with Article 300 of the EC Treaty);
6. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
12. Committee on Regional Policy, Transport and Tourism
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. Community regional policy understood as a structural policy designed
to foster the convergence of economies, economic and social cohesion,
the harmonious, balanced and sustainable development of the Union
(Article 2 of the EC Treaty) and the lessening of socio-economic imbal-
ances among the various areas of the Union, in particular:
a) the drawing up, implementation and evaluation of Community
regional policy plans and projects concerning, in particular, the
less-developed regions, areas undergoing socio-economic change
in the industrial and service sectors and urban areas;
b) the problems of the outermost regions and islands (Declaration No
30 of the Amsterdam Treaty);
c) the impact of other Community policies on economic and social
cohesion;
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
154
d) the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and
the other instruments of Community regional policy;
e) co-ordination of Community structural instruments;
f) the use and results in the Member States of Community regional
intervention measures and the co-ordination and impact of
national regional aid schemes;
g) trans-frontier and inter-regional co-operation;
h) relations with the Committee of the Regions;
i) relations with local and regional authorities and their involvement
in the framing of regional policy;
2. a common transport policy (Articles 70 to 80 of the EC Treaty), incor-
porating rail, road and inland waterway transport and maritime and air
transport, in particular:
a) the creation of a European transport network and in particular the
establishment and development of trans-European networks in the
transport infrastructure sector (Articles 154 to 156 of the EC Treaty);
b) the drafting of common rules applicable to international transport;
c) discrimination, harmonisation and co-ordination in the transport
sphere;
d) the European Union’s policy on ports and airports;
3. tourism;
4. the development of a European regional planning policy, including an
urban policy;
5. postal services;
6. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expenditure
for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports provided
by the Commission.
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155
13. Committee on Culture, Youth, Education, the Media and Sport
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the cultural aspects of the European Union, and in particular improving
the knowledge and dissemination of culture, the conservation and
safeguarding of cultural heritage, cultural exchanges and artistic creation
(Article 151 of the EC Treaty);
2. the European Union’s education policy (Article 149 of the EC Treaty),
in particular:
a) the teaching and dissemination of the languages of the Member
States;
b) student and teacher mobility;
c) fostering co-operation among educational establishments;
d) the development of distance education and life-long learning;
e) the development of the European University and promotion of the
system of European schools;
3. youth policy: exchanges of young people, with the exception of young
workers, the European voluntary service and other measures designed
to involve young people in the European integration process, such as
the European Youth Forum;
4. the audio-visual industry and the cultural and educational aspects of
the information society;
5. information and media policy and informing public opinion about the
activities of the European Union;
6. the development of a sports (Declaration No 29 of the Amsterdam Treaty)
and leisure policy;
7. co-operation in the areas of culture and education with third countries
and the competent international organisations, in particular the Council
of Europe;
8. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
156
14. Committee on Development and Co-operation
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the promotion, application and monitoring of the development and co-
operation policy of the European Union (Articles 177 to 181 of the EC
Treaty), including:
a) political dialogue with developing countries;
b) economic, trade and investment policy as regards developing
countries, including the Generalised System of Preferences;
c) humanitarian aid, emergency aid and food aid in developing
countries;
d) technical and financial co-operation with developing countries;
e) other sectoral issues, such as health, education, industrial and rural
development;
f) support for the process of democratisation, good governance and
human rights in developing countries;
2. negotiation, conclusion and implementation of the ACP-EC Convention;
3. relations with relevant international, multilateral and non-governmental
organisations;
4. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
A N N E X 7 : T H E E U R O P E A N P A R L I A M E N T
157
15. Committee on Constitutional Affairs
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. the development of European integration, in particular in the framework
of the preparation and proceedings of the intergovernmental conferences;
2. the institutional consequences of enlargement negotiations of the
European Union;
3. the implementation of the EU Treaty and the assessment of its operation;
4. general relations with the other institutions or bodies of the European
Union;
5. the drawing-up of a draft uniform electoral procedure (Article 190(4)
of the EC Treaty);
6. the development of European political parties (Article 191 of the EC
Treaty);
7. the establishment of instances of a serious and persistent breach by a
Member State of the principles common to the Member States (Article
7 of the EU Treaty and Article 309 of the EC Treaty);
8. the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament, i.e.:
a) the wording of the Rules of Procedure, including the annexes;
b) consideration of amendments to the Rules of Procedure tabled
pursuant to Rule 181 and the drafting of reports on that subject;
c) the interpretation of the Rules of Procedure pursuant to Rules 142
and 180;
9. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
158
16. Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1 . the definition, the evolution and the implementation of women’s rights
in the Union and fostering women’s rights in third countries;
2. the implementation and further development of mainstreaming in all
sectors;
3. the establishment and evaluation of all policies and programmes for
women;
4. the follow-up and implementation of international agreements and
conventions involving the rights of women (United Nations, Interna-
tional Labour Office, etc.);
5. information policy and studies on women;
6. the policy on equal opportunities (Article 141 of the EC Treaty), including
equality between men and women with regard to labour market oppor-
tunities and treatment at work (Article 137(l), fifth indent, of the EC
Treaty);
7. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
17. Committee on Petitions
This committee is responsible for matters relating to:
1. petitions (Article 21 of the EC Treaty), consideration thereof and action
to be taken in connection therewith and relations with the Ombudsman;
2. the monitoring accompanying the implementation of current expen-
diture for which it has responsibility, on the basis of periodic reports
provided by the Commission.
A N N E X 7 : T H E E U R O P E A N P A R L I A M E N T
159
vi) Committee co-ordinators of the principle political groups
Comm
itteeCode
European Peoples Party &European Dem
ocrats (EPP/ED)Party of European Socialists (PES)
European Liberal Democratic &
Reform (ELDR)
European United Left/Nordic Green(GUE/NGL)
1.Foreign Affairs etc
(AFET)Arie OOSTLANDER (NL)José SALAFRANCA
Jannis SAKELLARIOU (GR)Bertel HAARDER (DK)
Pedro MARSET CAM
POS (ES)
2.Budgets
(BUDG)Reim
er BÖGE (D)Ralf W
ALTER (D)Kyösti VIRRANKOSKI (SF)
Francis WURTZ (FR)
3.Budgetary Control
(CONT)José POM
ES RUIZ (ES)Eluned M
ORGAN (UK)Jan M
ULDER (NL)M
arianne ERIKSSON (SW)
4.Citizens’ Freedom
s etc(LIBE)
Hubert PIRKER (A)M
artin SCHULZ (D)Sarah LUDFORD (UK)
Giuseppe DI LELLO (I)
5.Econom
ic etc(ECON)
Karl von WOGAU (D)
Robert GOEBBELS (L)Carlos GASOLIBA I BÖHM
(ES)M
ikhail PAPAYANNAKIS (GR)
6.Legal Affairs etc
(JURI)Klaus-Heiner LEHNE (D)
Manuel M
EDINA ORTEGA (ES)Diana W
ALLIS (UK)???
7.Industry etc
(INDU)Giles CHICHESTER (UK)
Eryl McNALLY (UK)
Elly PLOOIJ-VAN GORSEL (NL)???
8.Em
ployment etc
(EMPL)
Bartho PRONK (NL)Stephen HUGHES (UK)
Liz LYNNE (UK)Herm
an SCHMID (SW
)
9.Environm
ent etc(ENVI)
Karl-Heinz FLORENZ (D)Dagm
ar ROTH-BERENDT (D)Karl Erik OLSSON (SW
)Jonas SJÖSTEDT (SW
)
10.Agriculture etc
(AGRI)Lutz GOEPEL (D)
Georges GAROT (FR)Giovanni PROCACCI (I)
Salvador JOVÉ PERES (ES)
11.Fisheries
(PECH)Brigitte LANGENHAGEN (D)
Rosa MIGUELEZ RAM
OS (ES)Niels BUSK (DK)
Salvador JOVÉ PERES (ES)
12.Regional etc
(REGI)Georg JARZEM
BOWSKI (D)
Brian SIMPSON (UK)
Paolo COSTA (I)???
13.Culture etc
(CULT)Doris PACK (D)
Barbara O’TOOLE (UK)Ole ANDREASEN (DK)
Geneviève FRAISSE (FR)
14.Developm
ent etc(DEVE)
John CORRIE (UK)Francisca SAUQILLO PÉREZ DELARCO (ES)
Bob VAN DEN BOS (NL)Jasm
ine BOUDJENAH (FR)
15.Constitutional
(AFCO)Inigo M
ENDEZ DE VIGO (ES)Richard CORBETT (UK)
Andrew DUFF (UK)
Sylvia-Yvonne KAUFMANN (D)
16.W
omen etc
(FEMM
)M
aría Antonia AVILES PEREA (ES)Lissy GRÖNER (D)
Lone DYBKJAER (DK)M
arianne ERIKSSON (SW)
17.Petitions
(PETI)Roy PERRY (UK)
Margot KESSLER (D)
Astrid THORS (SF)Laura GONZÁLEZ ÁLVAREZ (ES)
Key to nationalities:A: Austria • B: Belgium
• D: Germany • DK: Denm
ark • EIR: Ireland • ES: Spain • FR: France • GR: Greece • I: Italy • L: Luxembourg • NL: Netherlands • SF: Finland • SW
: Sweden • UK: United Kingdom
Green/European Free Alliance (V/ALE)
Daniel COHN-Bendit (FR) and Joost LAGENDIJK (NL)
Kathalijne BUITENWEG (NL)
Bart STAES (B)
Ozan CEYHUN (D)
Pierre JONOKHEER (B)
Neil McCORM
ICK (UK)
Caroline LUCAS (UK)
Hélene FLAUTRE (FR)
Alexander de ROO (FR)
Danielle AUROI (FR)
Théo BOUWM
AN (NL)
Luckas VANDER TAELEN (B)
Didier ROD (FR)
Monica FRASSONI (B)
Patricia McKENNA (EIR)
Patsy SORENSEN (B)
Eurig WYN (UK)
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
160
8annex
European Parliament, Council, Commission
J O I N T D E C L A R AT I O N O N P R A C T I C A L A R R A N G E M E N T S F O R T H EN E W C O - D E C I S I O N P R O C E D U R E
Annex 8:European Parliament Council Commission
Joint declaration on practical arrangements for the new co-decision procedure (Article 251 of the treaty establishingthe European Community) (1999/c 148/01)
Preamble
The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, hereinafter referred
to as the ‘institutions’, note that the present practice of contacts between the
Council Presidency, the Commission and the chairmen of the relevant commit-
tees and/or the rapporteurs of Parliament and between the co-chairmen of the
Conciliation Committee has proved its worth. The institutions confirm that this
practice should be extended to cover all stages of the co-decision procedure. The
institutions undertake to examine their working methods with a view to making
effective use of all the possibilities afforded by the new co-decision procedure.
The institutions shall do what is necessary, in accordance with their rules of proce-
dure, to promote reciprocal information about co-decision proceedings.
1. First reading
1. The institutions shall co-operate in good faith with a view to reconciling
their positions as far as possible so that wherever possible acts can be
adopted at first reading.
2. The institutions shall ensure that their respective calendars of work are
co-ordinated as far as possible in order to facilitate the conduct of proceed-
ings at first reading in a coherent and convergent manner in the European
Parliament and the Council. They shall establish appropriate contacts to
monitor the progress of the work and analyse the degree of convergence.
3. The Commission shall ensure that such contacts are facilitated and shall
exercise its right of initiative in a constructive manner with a view to
making it easier to reconcile the positions of the European Parliament
and the Council with due regard for the balance between the institu-
tions and the role conferred on that institution by the Treaty.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
162
2. Second reading
1. In its statements of reasons the Council shall explain as clearly as possible
the reasons that have led it to adopt its common position. During its
second reading the European Parliament shall take the greatest possible
account of those reasons and of the Commission’s opinion.
2. Appropriate contacts may be established with a view to achieving a better
understanding of the respective positions and thus to bringing the legisla-
tive procedure to a conclusion as quickly as possible.
3. The Commission shall ensure that such contacts are facilitated and shall
give its opinion with a view to reconciling the positions of the Council
and the European Parliament, with due regard for the balance between
the institutions and the role conferred on that institution by the Treaty.
3. Conciliation
1. The Conciliation Committee shall be convened by the President of the
Council, with the agreement of the President of the European Parlia-
ment and with due regard to the provisions of the Treaty.
2. The Commission shall take part in the conciliation proceedings and shall
take all the necessary initiatives with a view to reconciling the positions
of the European Parliament and the Council. Such initiatives may include,
inter alia, draft compromise texts reflecting the positions of the Council
and the European Parliament, with due regard to the role conferred upon
the Commission by the Treaty.
3. The Committee shall be chaired jointly by the President of the European
Parliament and the President of the Council.
Committee meetings shall be chaired alternately by each co-chairman.
The dates and the agenda for the Committee’s meetings shall be set jointly
by the co-chairmen. The Commission shall be consulted on the dates
envisaged. The European Parliament and the Council shall set aside, for
guidance, appropriate dates for conciliation proceedings and shall notify
the Commission thereof
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163
While respecting the Treaty provisions regarding time limits, the
European Parliament and the Council shall, as far as possible, take account
of scheduling requirements, in particular those resulting from breaks
in the institutions’ activities and from European Parliament elections.
In any case, the interruption of activities shall be as short as possible.
The Committee shall meet alternately at the premises of the European
Parliament and those of the Council.
4. The Committee shall have available to it the Commission proposal, the
Council’s common position, the amendments proposed by the European
Parliament, the Commission’s opinion thereon and a joint working
document by the European Parliament and Council delegations. The
Commission shall, as a general rule, submit its opinion within two weeks
of official receipt of the outcome of Parliament’s vote and at the latest
by the commencement of conciliation proceedings.
5. The co-chairman may submit texts for the Committee’s approval.
6. The detailed outcome of votes and, where appropriate, explanations
of vote, taken within each delegation to the Conciliation Committee,
shall be forwarded to the Committee.
7. Agreement on a joint text shall be established at a meeting of the Concil-
iation Committee or, subsequently, by an exchange of letters between
the co-chairmen. All copies of such letters shall be forwarded to the
Commission.
8. If the Committee reaches agreement on a joint text, it shall, after legal/
linguistic finalisation, be submitted to the co-chairmen for approval.
9. The co-chairmen shall forward the approved joint text to the Presidents
of the European Parliament and of the Council by means of a jointly
signed letter. Where the Conciliation Committee is unable to agree on
a joint text, the co-chairmen shall notify the Presidents of the European
Parliament and of the Council thereof in a jointly signed letter. Such
letters shall serve as minutes.
Copies of such letters shall be forwarded to the Commission for their
information.
10. The General Secretariats of the Council and of the European Parliament
shall act jointly as the Committee’s secretariat, in association with the
General Secretariat of the Commission.
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
164
4. General provisions
1. Should the European Parliament or the Council deem it essential to
extend the time limits referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty establishing
the European Community, they shall notify the President of the other
institution and the Commission thereof.
2. Texts shall be finalised by the legal/linguistic experts of the Parliament
and of the Council acting in close co-operation and by mutual agreement.
3. Following the adoption of a legislative act under the co-decision proce-
dure by the European Parliament and the Council, the text shall be
submitted, for signature, to the President of the European Parliament
and the President of the Council and to the Secretaries-General of the
two institutions.
The jointly signed text shall be forwarded to the Official Journal for publi-
cation if possible within at most one month, and in any case as soon
as possible.
4. If one of the institutions finds a clerical error in a text (or in any of the
language versions), it shall immediately notify the other institutions. If
the error is found in an act that has not yet been adopted, the legal/
linguistic services of the European Parliament and of the Council shall
prepare the necessary corrigendum in close co-operation. Where the
error is found in an act that has already been adopted or published, the
European Parliament and the Council shall adopt, by mutual agreement,
a corrigendum drawn up under their respective procedures.
Done at Strasbourg, 4 May 1999.
For the European Parliament
The President
For the Council of the European Union
The President
For the Commission of the European Communities
The President
A N N E X 8 : E U R O P E A N P A R L I A M E N T , C O U N C I L , C O M M I S S I O N
165
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9annex
Current British Members of ECOSOC
Annex 9:Current British Members of ECOSOC
Campbell CHRISTIE Group 2
Ann DAVISON Group 3
Rose D’SA Group 3
David EVANS Group 1
Josie IRWIN Group 2
Ken JACKSON Group 2
Tom JENKINS Group 2
Malcolm LEVITT Group 1
John LITTLE Group 1
Helen McGRATH Group 2
Peter MORGAN Group 1
Tim PAPÉ Group 3
James PETRIE Group 3
Sukhdev SHARMA Group 3
Alison SHEPHERD Group 2
John SIMPSON Group 3
Sandra THOMAS Group 3
Yvonne THOMPSON Group 1
Bill TOSH Group 1
Kenneth WALKER Group 1
Eddy WARRILLOW Group 2
Clive WILKINSON Group 1
Alma WILLIAMS Group 3
George WRIGHT Group 2
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
168
Members of ECOSOC can be contacted at:
Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities
Rue Ravenstein 2
B-1000 Brussels
Belgium
A N N E X 9 : C U R R E N T B R I T I S H M E M B E R S O F E C O S O C
169
Blank page
10annex
Committee of the Regions (COR)
U N I T E D K I N G D O M O F G R E AT B R I TA I N A N D N O R T H E R N I R E L A N D
Annex 10:Committee of the Regions (COR)
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Members
John BATTYE
Member of Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Tel: 0161 911 30 00
Fax: 0161 911 40 26
PES
Kenneth BODFISH OBE
Member of Brighton and Hove Unitary Authority
Tel: 01273 29 10 05
Fax: 01273 29 10 03
PES
Albert BORE
Member of Birmingham County Council
Tel: 0121 303 20 30
Fax: 0121 303 32 42
PES
Ruth COLEMAN
Member of North Wiltshire District Council
Tel: 01249 44 33 22
Fax: 01249 44 31 52
ELDR
Sir Simon DAY
Member of Devon County Council
Tel: 01392 38 20 00
Fax: 01392 38 22 86
EPP
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172
Sir Reg EMPEY
Member of Belfast City Council
Tel: 01232 32 02 02
Fax: 01232 794 530
EPP
George GILL CBE
Member of Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
Tel: 0191 477 10 11
Fax: 0191 477 609
PES
Lady HANHAM CBE
Member of the Council of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Tel: 0207 937 86 92
Fax: 0207 361 31 05
EPP
Lord HANNINGFIELD of CHELMSFORD
Member of Essex County Council
Tel: 01245 492211
Fax: 01245 491028
EPP
Denis HAUGHEY
Member of Cookstown District Council
Tel: 01648 763 349
Fax: 01648 769 187
PES
Hugh HENRY
Member of Renfrewshire Council
Tel: 0141 812 5494
Fax: 0141 812 5494
PES
Jane HORE
Member of Suffolk County Council
Tel: 01473 58 30 00
Fax: 01473 21 45 49
PES
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173
Linda MATTHEWS
Merthyr County Borough Council
Tel: 01685 37 10 53
Fax: 01685 38 55 98
PES
Christine MAY
Member of Fife Council
Tel: 01592 41 61 81
Fax: 01592 41 32 19
PES
Sir Dennis PETTITT
Member of Nottinghamshire County Council
Tel: 0115 982 38 23
Fax: 0115 982 24 32
PES
Sally POWELL
Member of Hammersmith and Fulham London Borough Council
Tel: 0207 447 62 17
Fax: 0207 222 49 79
PES
Brian SMITH
Member of Torfaen Borough Council
Tel: 01633 48 27 57
Fax: 01495 75 55 13
PES
Canon Lewis SMITH
Shetland Islands Council
Tel: 01595 744 515
Fax: 01595 744 521
Lord TOPE CBE
Member of Sutton London Borough Council
Tel: 0208 770 7269
Fax: 0208 770 7269
ELDR
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
174
Dr. James WALSH
Member West Sussex County Council and Arun District Council
Tel: 01243 77 77 52
Fax: 01243 77 76 97
ELDR
Pam WARHURST
Member of Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
Tel: 01422 35 72 57
Fax: 01422 39 31 02
PES
Sir Ron WATSON
Member of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
Tel: 0151 934 20 61
Fax: 0151 934 20 60
EPP
Milner WHITEMAN
Member of Bridgnorth District Council
Tel: 01952 72 73 40
Fax: 01952 72 73 40
EA
Alternate members
Keith BILLINGTON
Member of Rotherham Borough Council
PES
Diane BUNYAN
Member of Bristol Unitary Authority
PES
Sue DAVIS
Member of Wrekin Unitary Authority
PES
Margaret EATON
Member of Bradford City Council
EPP
A N N E X 1 0 : C O M M I T T E E O F T H E R E G I O N S ( C O R )
175
John EVANS
Member of Caerphilly County Borough Council
PES
John FEE
Member of Newry and Mourne District Council
PES
Toby HARRIS
Member of Harringey London Borough Council
PES
Ruth HENIG
Member of Lancashire County Council
PES
Marcus HUMPHREY
Member of Aberdeenshire Council
EPP
Susie KEMP
Member of Newbury Unitary Authority
EPP
Gordon KEYMER
Member of Tandridge District Council
EPP
David MARTIN
Member of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
PES
Sarah McCARTHY-FRY
Member of Portsmouth Unitary Authority
PES
Cormick Keenan McCHORD
Member of Stirling Council
PES
Joan MITCHELL
Member of Dumfries and Galloway Council
ELDR
E U R O P E A N L O B B Y I N G G U I D E
176
Peter MOORE
Member of Sheffield City Council
ELDR
Irene OLDFATHER, MSP
Member of North Ayrshire Council
PES
George SAVAGE
Member of Craigavon Borough Council
EPP
Ros SCOTT
Member of Suffolk County Council
ELDR
Sir Peter SOULSBY
Member of Leicester Unitary Authority
PES
Ian SWITHENBANK
Member of Northumberland County Council
PES
Liz TUCKER
Member of Hereford and Worcester County Council
ELDR
Keith WHITMORE
Member of Manchester City Council
ELDR
Contact address for members and alternates of the COR:
Committee of the Regions
Rue Belliard 79
1040 Brussels
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11annex
Provisions governing the application of Rule9(2) – Lobbying in Parliament
A R T I C L E 1 : PA S S E S
A R T I C L E 2 : A S S I S TA N T S
A R T I C L E 3 : C O D E O F C O N D U C T
Annex 11:Provisions governing the application of Rule9(2) – Lobbying in Parliament
Article 1: Passes
1. The pass shall consist of a plastic card, bearing a photograph of the holder,
indicating the holder’s surname and forenames and the name of the firm,
organisation or person for whom the holder works.
Pass-holders shall at all times wear their pass visibly on all Parliament
premises. Failure to do so may lead to its withdrawal.
Passes shall be distinguished by their shape and colour from the passes
issued to occasional visitors.
2. Passes shall only be renewed if the holders have fulfilled the obligations
referred to in Rule 9(2).
Any dispute by a Member as to the activity of a representative or lobby
shall be referred to the Quaestors, who shall look into the matter and
may decide whether to maintain or withdraw the pass concerned.
3. Passes shall not, under any circumstances, entitle holders to attend
meetings of Parliament or its bodies other than those declared open to
the public and shall not, in this case, entitle the holder to derogations
from access rules applicable to all other Union citizens.
Article 2: Assistants
1. At the beginning of each parliamentary term the Quaestors shall deter-
mine the maximum number of assistants who may be registered by each
Member.
Upon taking up their duties, registered assistants shall make a written
declaration of their professional activities and any other remunerated
functions or activities.
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2. They shall have access to Parliament under the same conditions as staff
of the Secretariat or the political groups.
3. All other persons, including those working directly with Members, shall
only have access to Parliament under the conditions laid down in Rule
9(2).
Article 3: Code of conduct
1. In the context of their relations with Parliament, the persons whose
names appear in the register provided for in Rule 9(2) shall:
a) comply with the provisions of Rule 9 and this Annex;
b) state the interest or interests they represent in contacts with Members
of Parliament, their staff or officials of Parliament;
c) refrain from any action designed to obtain information dishonestly;
d) not claim any formal relationship with Parliament in any dealings
with third parties;
e) not circulate for a profit to third parties copies of documents obtained
from Parliament;
f) comply strictly with the provisions of Annex 1, Article 2, second
paragraph;
g) satisfy themselves that any assistance provided in accordance with
the provisions of Annex 1, Article 2 is declared in the appropriate
register;
h) comply, when recruiting former officials of the institutions, with
the provisions of the Staff Regulations;
i) observe any rules laid down by Parliament on the rights and respon-
sibilities of former Members;
in order to avoid possible conflicts of interest, obtain the prior consent
of the Member or Members concerned as regards any contractual relation-
ship with or employment of a Member’s assistant, and subsequently satisfy
themselves that this is declared in the register provided for in Rule 9(2).
2. Any breach of this Code of Conduct may lead to the withdrawal of the
pass issued to the persons concerned and, if appropriate, their firms.
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