25 July 2013 - the Sejm heard current information and held a debate on the allocation of funds to Cohesion Policy in the period 2014-2020 (verbatim record /PL).

29 August 2013 - the Sejm heard current information and held a debate on the Republic of Poland's participation in the activities of the European Union in January-June 2013, during the Irish presidency (verbatim record /PL, point 23). The draft resolution was referred to the European Union Affairs Committee.

In July and August 2013 the EU Affairs Committee (SUE) held 15 meetings: no. 169-183. During these meetings:

SUE

• scrutinized 172 EU documents,
• adopted 4 opinions concerning EU documents (no. 39, 40, 41 and 43), including on subsidiarity (no. 40)
• considered the information about the reasons for discrepancy between the position of the Republic of Poland and the SUE opinion relating to incompatibility of COM (2012) 614 with the subsidiarity principle (mtg no. 170),
• heard the information on the proceedings of amending the proposal for a Directive of the EP and of the Council on the enforcement of Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services (COM(2012) 131), presented by Danuta Jazłowiecka, MEP (mtg no. 172),
• heard the information on the interparliamentary cooperation in the framework of Poland's membership of the European Union, presented by Deputy Andrzej Gałażewski and Danuta Jazłowiecka, MEP (mtg no. 177),
• adopted a positive opinion on the candidate for Advocate General of the EU Court of Justice, Maciej Szpunar (opinion no. 42, mtg no. 179),
• considered information on the Republic of Poland involvement  in activities of the European Union in the period January-June 2013, during Irish Presidency of the EU Council (paper no. 1624), and adopted draft resolution on this matter (mtg no. 182),
• considered and adopted a positive opinion for the Public Finance Committee on Government bill amending the budget act for 2013, within the Committee's remit (opinion no. 44, mtg no. 183),

SUE together with Public Finance Committee (mtg no. 178)

•  heard the information on the progress of work on the Banking Union, presented by Jacek Dominik, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Finance,

SUE together with Foreign Affairs Committee (mtg no. 180)

• met with the Ambassador of the Ireland Eugene Hutchinson and held discussion on the outcome of Irish Presidency of the EU Council,
• met with the Ambassador of the Lithuanian Republic Loreta Zakarevičienė and held discussion on the programme of the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU Council.
  
  

SUBSIDIARITY SCRUTINY

COM(2013) 296 – deadline for scrutiny 30.07.2013

Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a framework on market access to port services and financial transparency of ports

SUE:

• 5.07.2013, mtg. 169 - opinion no. 40 on the non-compliance with the subsidiarity principle,
• 11.07.2013, mtg. 173 - the Committee draft resolution containing reasoned opinion (paper no. 1567),
• 23.07.2013, mtg. 174 - the first reading of the Committee draft resolution containing reasoned opinion,

Sejm:

• 26.07.2013, 46th sitting - adoption of the resolution on declaring the proposal COM(2013) 296 to be incompatible with the subsidiarity principle (reasoned opinion),
• 29.07.2013 - transmission of the resolution to the presidents of the EP, Council and European Commission.

ALL REASONED OPINIONS OF THE POLISH SEJM (TABLE)

***

In July and August 2013 information and documents on SUE meetings no. 169-171, 173-176, 179 and 181-183, provided by the EU Affairs Committee secretariat, were published in databases European Legislative Documents in the Sejm (EDL-S) and IPEX.

 Agriculture and Rural Development Committee:

• 10.07.2013 heard the information of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) on: agreement on the reform of the CAP for 2014-2020, outcome of work on COM(2013) 226 and involvement in activities of the Council in June 2013 (mtg no. 121);
• 11.07.2013, took note of the information of the ARD Minister on social and economic farming conditions in mountain areas (legislative proposals on the EU level) (mtg no. 124);
• 24.07.2013, heard the information of the ARD Minister on: the European Commission's legislative package of 6.05.13 on food safety, and development of a new plant seed evaluation system in the EU (mtg no. 126);
• 25.07.2013, heard the information of the Minister of Health and the ARD Minister on the directive 2001/37/EC of the EP and of the Council of 5.06.01 on tobacco products and its influence on tobacco sector in Poland (mtg no. 128);
• 28.08.2013, considered the information of the ARD Minister concerning the report on the adoption of the Rural Development Programme for 2007-2013 (mtg no. 131);
• 28.08.2013, considered the information of the ARD Minister on Poland's involvement in activities of the Council in July 2013 (mtg no. 132);
• 28.08.2013, heard and took note of the information of the ARD Minister on functioning of the milk market after 2013 in the light of the regulation (EU) no. 261/2012 of the EP and of the Council of 14.03.12 amending Council Regulation (EC) no. 1234/2007 (mtg no. 133).

• the following bills implementing EU law have been referred to the first reading [papers no.]:
  • Government bill amending the act on excise duty [1627],
  • Government bill amending the act on organisation of the market in milk and milk products [1589],
  • Government bill amending the act - Pharmaceutical Law and some other acts [1588],
  • Government bill on aliens [1526],
  • Government bill amending the act on passport documents [1510].
• the following acts implementing EU law have been adopted [paper no.]:
  • Act of 30 August 2013 amending the act - Geological and Mining Law and some other acts [1493],
  • Act of 30 August 2013 amending the act on rail transport [1407],
  • Act of 30 August 2013 amending the act - Tax Ordinance and the act on tax inspection [1405],
  • Act of 26 July 2013 amending the act on passport documents [1510],
  • Act of 26 July 2013 amending the act - Labour Code [909],
  • Act of 12 July 2013 amending the act on rail transport and the act amending the act on rail transport [1046],
  • Act of 12 July 2013 amending the act on payment services and some other acts [1290].
• the following acts implementing EU law have been published [paper no.]:
  • Act of 13 June 2013 amending the act - Code of Civil Procedure [1272],
  • Act of 13 June 2013 on management of packaging and packaging waste [815].

21-22 July 2013, Vilnius,  Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, meeting of the chairpersons of the committees on rural affairs
- Common Agricultural Policy after 2013,
- Small farming: current situation and future prospects.

10 July 2013, Brussels, The proposal for a Common European Sales Law: the way forward, meeting organised by the Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament
- The proposal for a Common European Sales and the courts,
- Enhancing legal certainty and attractiveness of the proposed instrument.

 LATEST DEBATES - COMMENTS

Articles on the current political and economic issues in the EU from the specialist periodicals available on-line (accessed 02.09.2013)

• Bertoncini Y., Andoura S.: "Europe" and its "enlargements": enough... or do we want more?, "Tribune", Notre Europe, 27.06.2013.
• Bertoncini Y., Kreilinger V.: Beyond the Troika: which divides and faces for the EU?, Notre Europe, "Tribune", 29.07.2013.
• Downing E.: CAP Reform 2014-2020: Reaching Agreement, House of Commons, "Commons Library Standard Note", 14.08.2013.
• Dudzińska K., Gostyńska A.: Prezydencja Litwy w Radzie UE: wzrost znaczenia współpracy regionalnej, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 69 (1045), 01.07.2013.
• Formuszewicz R., Stormowska M.: Wybory do Parlamentu Europejskiego w 2014 r.: czy obywatele Unii Europejskiej się od niej odwrócą?, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 77 (1053), 25.07.2013.
• Gostyńska A., Stormowska M.: Komisja Europejska w zarządzaniu gospodarczym UE: w poszukiwaniu kapitału politycznego, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 76 (1052), 23.07.2013.
• Gros D.: Has austerity failed in Europe?, "CEPS Commentary", 16.08.2013.
• Kaca E., Zubel K.: Francja i Polska: perspektywy współpracy w polityce sąsiedztwa UE, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 72 (1048), 04.07.2013.
• Lazarowicz A., Pascouau Y.: The Stockholm programme: what's next?, European Policy Centre, "Information Paper", 22.07.2013.
• Linnenkamp H., Mölling C.: A Doable Agenda for the European Defence Council 2013, Three Proposals, "SWP Comments" 2013/C 28, August 2013.
• Mayer T.: A Copernican turn in Banking Union urgently needed, "CEPS Policy Brief", 16.07.2013.
• Mortensen J.: The EU's Economic Policy Architecture after Ratification of the Fiscal Stability Treaty, "CEPS Commentary", 30.08.2013.
• Piedrafita S.: Elections to the European Parliament and the trouble with vox populi, "EPIN Commentary" no. 12/22, August 2013.
• Piedrafita S.: Ireland gets the new Trio Presidency off to a propitious start, "CEPS Commentary", 28.08. 2013.
• Poptcheva E.: Electoral thresholds in European elections. Developments in Germany, Library of the European Parliament, "Library Briefing", 25.07.2013.
• Rosselli C.: EU External Action: Time for a Strategic Rebound, Notre Europe, "Synthesis" , 01.07.2013.
• Rosselli C.: Looking for an ambitious European Migration strategy, Notre Europe, "Synthesis", 29.08.2013.
• Rostowska M.: Ripping into TTIP? Debates Surrounding the Upcoming EU–U.S. Negotiations, "PISM Policy Paper" no. 19 (67), 09.07.2013.
• Šešelgyte M: The First Leadership Test: What to Expect from the Lithuanian Presidency of the EU, Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, "European Policy Analysis" iss. 2013:13.
• Sobják A.: Is Moldova Tired of Being the Success Story of the Eastern Partnership?, "PISM Policy Paper" no. 20 (68), 15.07.2013.
• Sobják A.: Wnioski z polskiej prezydencji w Grupie Wyszehradzkiej, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 70 (1046), 02.07.2013.
• Szpala M.: Chorwacja – nowy członek UE, "INFOS Zagadnienia społeczno-gospodarcze" nr 13(150), 11.07.2013.