In April 2015 the EU Affairs Committee (SUE) held 3 meetings: no. 330-332. During these meetings the Committee: 

• scrutinised 58 EU documents:
  • pursuant to Art. 7(4) of the Cooperation Act – 4 EU draft legislative acts concerning: repeal of the Directive 2003/48/EC; a scheme of control and enforcement applicable in the area covered by the Convention on future multilateral cooperation in the North-East Atlantic fisheries; fixing the adjustment rate provided for in Regulation (EU) No 1306/2013 for direct payments in respect of calendar year 2015 and mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation,
  • pursuant to Art. 151(1) of the Sejm Standing Orders and Art. 3(2) of the Cooperation Act – 23 European Commission documents (18 reports, 4 communications and 1 annual review of reports) concerning i.a. the marketing and use of explosives precursors, the 2015 EU Justice Scoreboard or Member States' Annual Activity Reports on Export Credits (annual review),
  • pursuant to Art. 11(1) of the Cooperation Act – EU documents, which were to be discussed by Agriculture and Fisheries Council,
  • pursuant to Art. 8(2) of the Cooperation Act – 31 EU draft legal acts concerning i.a. bringing an end to the excessive government deficit in France, the conclusion of the agreements on the short-stay visa waiver or guidelines for the employment policies of the Member States,
• heard information on the results of the European Council summit held on 19-20 March 2015, presented by Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affaires Artur Nowak-Far (mtg no. 330),
• appointed Subcommittee ad hoc on EU free trade agreements with third countries – TIPP, CETA, TISA (mtg no. 331),
• together with Public Finance Committee and Economic Committee heard information on the Convergence Programme and National Reform Programme prepared by Poland in relation to implementation of the European Semester in 2015; information was presented by Jerzy Witold Pietrewicz, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Economy and Artur Radziwiłł, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Finance (mtg no. 332).

In April 2015 information on and documents of SUE meetings no. 330 and 331, provided by the EU Affairs Committee secretariat, were published in the EDL-S (European Legislative Documents in the Sejm) and IPEX databases.

MEETINGS OF THE EU AFFAIRS COMMITTEE WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

21.04.2014 - the representatives of SUE, Public Finance Committee and Economic Committee met with Jyrki Katainen, EC Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness. The meeting concerned European Fund for Strategic Investments.

 Agriculture and Rural Development Committee

• 09.04.2015, considered the information of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on the effects of implementation of the government program "Enhancing domestic sources of vegetable protein, their production, trading and use in feed" in the context of direct payments; took note of the written information of the ARD Minister on the participation in the activities of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in March 2015 (mtg no. 251);
• 22.04.2015, held the first reading and considered the Deputies' bill amending the act on payments under the direct support schemes, paper no. 3331(mtg no. 253).

• the following bills implementing EU law have been referred to the first reading [paper no.]:
  • Government bill on financing of the common agricultural policy [3365],
  • Government bill amending the act on accounting and some other acts [3352],
  • Government bill amending the act on obligation to provide information on energy consumption by energy-using products and some other acts [3323],
  • Government bill amending the act - Labour Code and some other acts [3321],
  • Government bill amending the act on copyright and related rights [3293].
• the following acts implementing EU law have been adopted [paper no.]:
  
  • Act of 24 April 2015 amending the act on recycling of end-of-life vehicles and some other acts [3033],
  • Act of 9 April 2015 amending the act - Road traffic law [3110].
• the following act implementing EU law has been published [paper no.]:
  • Act of 9 April 2015 amending the act - Road traffic law [3110].

20-21 April 2015, Rome, Conference of Speakers of the European Union Parliaments (EUSC)
- Europe beyond the crisis: new paths for growth
- The Continent of fundamental rights: a Europe of freedom, solidarity and security
- The role of the European Union Parliaments in negotiations on international Treaties
- Discussion and possible adoption of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference under Article 13 of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the EMU and discussion and possible adoption of the revision of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference for the CFSP and the CSDP
- Strengthening political dialogue
- Adoption of the conclusions of the Presidency

19-20 April 2015, Riga, Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Committees on Economic and Digital Affairs
- Big Data and Cloud Computing – resources for a digital economy
- Security and privacy in digital space
- Education and employment in a digital economy

13-14 April 2015, Prague, Meeting of the Committees on European Affairs of the Visegrád Group countries
- Energy Security - a key component of the proposed Energy Union
- Eastern Partnership before the Riga Summit
- Debate and adoption of Conclusions

ON THE OIDE WEBSITE

Following sections have been updated

OIDE Notes: European Semester - course of coordination cycle at the level of the Union and Poland (2011-2015), First review of transparency register.

Bibliographies: The national parliaments' position in the EU under the Lisbon Treaty, National parliaments in the EU - new publications

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LATEST DEBATES - COMMENTS

 Selected articles on the current political and economic issues in the EU from the specialist periodicals available on-line (accessed 06.05.2015)

• Bąkowski P., Voronova S.: The proposed EU passenger name records (PNR) directive: Revived in the new security context, „Briefing", European Parliament - European Parliamentary Research Service, 30.04.2015.
• Bertoncini Y.: More European solidarity before migrant crises, „Tribune", Jacques Delors Institute, 30.04.2015.
• Bond I.: Security in the age of austerity: You get what you pay for, „CER Bulletin" iss. 101 April/May 2015, Centre for European Reform, s. 2-3.
• Borońska-Hryniewiecka K., Brudzińska, Sasnal P.: Migrants 'R' Us: Recommendations for a Sound European Migration Policy, „PISM Strategic File" no. 9 (72), Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych, 30.04.2015.
• Borońska-Hryniewiecka K.: „Zielona kartka": czas na rewizję zaangażowania parlamentów narodowych w politykę Unii Europejskiej, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 39 (1276), Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych, 23.04.2015.
• Carrera S., Gross D., Guild E.: What priorities for the new European agenda on migration?, „Commentary", Centre for European Policy Studies, 22.04.2015.
• Carrera S., Guild E., Eisele K.: No Move without Free Movement: The EU-Swiss controversy over quotas for free movement of persons, „Policy Brief", Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), 23.04.2015.
• De Schoutheete Ph.: The European Council after Van Rompuy, „Tribune", Jacques Delors Institute, 22.04.2015.
• Dragneva-Lewers R., Wolczuk K.: Trade and geopolitics: should the EU engage with the Eurasian Economic Union?, „Policy Brief", European Policy Centre, 02.04.2015.
• Giuli M.: Gazprom's evolving strategy in a new commercial and political context: how should the EU react?, „Policy Brief", European Policy Centre, 27.04.2015.
• Hamid Sh., Byman D.: European Action in Middle East Conflicts, „Policy Brief", Clingendael Institute, April 2015.
• Kaca E., Galewicz H.: Krucha jedność Unii: perspektywy utrzymania polityki sankcji wobec Rosji, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 44 (1281), Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych, 30.04.2015.
• Koch F.: Turkish Stream and its implications for the EU, „European Policy Brief", EGMONT – The Royal Institute for International Relations, 08.04.2015.
• Landman L.: The EU maritime security strategy. Promoting or Absorbing European Defence Cooperation?, „Policy Brief", Clingendael Institute, April 2015.
• Lannoo K.: EU Supervisory Cooperation Scaled Back at the Expense of Capital Markets Union, „Commentary", Centre for European Policy Studies, 20.04.2015.
• Levänen J.: A Turning Point in the EU's Climate Policy? Carbon capture and the third period of the emissions trading scheme, „Briefing Paper" no. 176 (2015), The Finnish Institute of International Affairs, 15.04.2015.
• Orav A.: Smart Borders package, „At a glance", European Parliament - European Parliamentary Research Service, 24.04.2015.
• Parkes R.: Britain and the EU: a negotiator's handbook, „European Policy Analysis" iss. 2015:7, Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, April 2015.
• Poptcheva E.: Press freedom in the EU: Legal framework and challenges, „Briefing", European Parliament - European Parliamentary Research Service, 30.04.2015.
• Poptcheva E.: The European Commission's right to withdraw a legislative proposal, „At a glance", European Parliament - European Parliamentary Research Service, April 2015.
• Stuchlíková Z.: EU vs. Orbán – fighting for democracy within the EU, „Policy Brief", EUROPEUM - Institute for European Policy, April 2015.
• Tarschys D.: Entering a World of Footloose Tax Bases: Can the EU Generate Its Own Income?, „European Policy Analysis" iss. 2015:8, Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, April 2015.
• Toporowski P.: Unia rynków kapitałowych – duże szanse, wiele niewiadomych, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 32 (1269), Polski Instytut Spraw Międzynarodowych, 07.04.2015.
• Véron N., Wolff G.B.: Capital Markets Union: a vision for the long term, „Bruegel Policy Contribution" iss. 2015/05, Bruegel, 24.04.2015.