In February 2020 the EU Affairs Committee (SUE) held 6 meetings: no. 13-18. During these meetings the Committee:

• adopted an opinion concerning the Conference on the Future of Europe, that has been sent to the Presidents of the European Commission, European Parliament and the Croatian Presidency of the EU Council [opinion no. 3, mtg no. 13],
• pursuant to Art. 3(2) of the Cooperation Act, considered the information for the Sejm and the Senate on the Republic of Poland's participation in the activities of the European Union in July-December 2019 (Finnish Presidency of the Council of European Union) (paper no. 186) [mtg no. 14],
• pursuant to Art. 151(1) of the Sejm Standing Orders and Art. 3(2) of the Cooperation Act, considered:
  • the Council of Ministers' information about the meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council planned for 17 February 2020 [mtg no. 15],
  • report from the Commission to the EP and the Council: 2019 Annual Report on the implementation of the European Union's instruments for financing external actions in 2018 (COM(2019) 604) together with the Government position [mtg no. 15],
• pursuant to Art. 11(1) of the Cooperation Act, considered the information about the position the Council of Ministers intended to take with regard to draft EU legal acts during the meetings of the EU Council:
  • Economic and Financial Affairs, 18 February 2020 – COM(2018) 353, COM(2018) 337 [mtg no. 13],
  • Education, Youth, Culture and Sport, 20 February 2020 - COM(2017) 277, COM(2017) 278, COM(2017) 281 [mtg no. 13],
  • General Affairs, 25 February 2020 - COM(2018) 322 [mtg no. 14],
  • Competitiveness, 27-28 February 2020 - COM(2019) 330 [mtg no. 15],
  • Environment, 5 March 2020 - COM(2017) 753, COM(2020) 22 [mtg no. 17],
• according to the proposal of the Committee Bureau, didn't raise any comment to the following EU documents:
  • pursuant to Art. 8(2) of the Cooperation Act – to 7 draft legal acts, including to the proposal for a Council decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on the conservation of migratory species of wild animals (CMS) with regard to [...] (COM(2020) 8) and others: COM(2020) 1, 2, 3, 5, [mtg no. 13]; COM(2020) 17, 28 [mtg no. 15],
  • pursuant to Art. 151(1) of the Sejm Standing Orders and Art. 3(2) of the Cooperation Act – to 4 documents, including to the report from the Commission to the EP and the Council: Annual report on the European Union's humanitarian aid operations financed in 2018 (COM(2020) 6) and to others: COM(2020) 21 [mtg no. 15]; COM(2020) 4, 7 [mtg no. 13],
• considered a request of the Committee Bureau to establish a permanent subcommittee for the EU funds absorption,
• pursuant to Art. 7(4) of the Cooperation Act, considered:
  • proposal for a regulation of the EP and of the Council establishing the Just Transition Fund (COM(2020) 22) together with the draft position of the Republic of Poland [mtg no. 17],
  • amended proposal for a regulation of the EP and of the Council laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum and Migration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Border Management and Visa Instrument (COM(2020) 23) together with the draft position of the Republic of Poland [mtg no. 17],
• held the following meetings:
  • with Jonathan Knott, Ambassador of the United Kingdom, on the current situation regarding the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union, and on the future relations UK – EU [mtg no. 16],
  • with Michel Barnier, Chair of the Task Force on Relations with the UK on the future relationship between UK and the EU [mtg no. 18].

***

In February 2020 information on and documents of SUE meetings no. 13-18, provided by the EU Affairs Committee secretariat, were published in the EDL-S (European Legislative Documents in the Sejm) and IPEX databases.

 Agriculture and Rural Development Committee

• 11.02.2020, considered the information presented by the Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Jan Białkowski on the application of the Council Directive 91/676/EEC of 12 December 1991 concerning the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from agricultural sources (mtg no. 9).

According to the information from IPEX database as of 3 March 2020, 3 draft legislative acts were subject to subsidiarity scrutiny in February 2020. The national parliaments submitted no reasoned opinion on the non-compliance of the scrutinised draft acts with the subsidiarity principle.

18-19 February 2020, Brussels, European Parliamentary Week 2020 (European Semester Conference and Interparliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the European Union)

• • Widening and deepening of EMU Governance: What next?
  • Interparliamentary Committee Meetings (in parallel):
    Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs
    - Session 1: Towards a new international tax system?
    - Session 2: From transparency to sustainability: Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) objectives in financial services
    Committee on Employment and Social Affairs
    - Session 1: A European Child Guarantee as a tool to fight poverty
    - Fair minimum wages
    Committee on Budgets
    - Session: How to make the EU budget under the next MFF fit to address global challenges
  • Becoming a global leader in combating climate change: What role for EU economic, budgetary and social policies?
  • Skills and jobs for inclusive growth: What can we learn from each other’s experiences?