In December 2015 the EU Affairs Committee (SUE) held 7 meetings: no. 5-11. During these meetings the Committee:

• scrutinised 57 EU documents:
  • pursuant to Art. 7(4) of the Cooperation Act – 1 EU draft legislative act concerning European statistics on natural gas and electricity prices and the repeal of directive 2008/92/EC concerning a Community procedure to improve the transparency of gas and electricity prices charged to industrial end-users,
  • pursuant to Art. 151(1) of the Sejm Standing Orders and Art. 3(2) of the Cooperation Act – 18 European Commission documents (11 reports, 6 communications and 1 decision) concerning i.a. draft budgetary plans for 2016, application of the Postal Services Directive or establishing of an independent advisory European Fiscal Board,
  • pursuant to Art. 11(1) of the Cooperation Act – EU documents, which were to be discussed by Telecommunications and Energy Council, Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council, Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Environment Council, Foreign Affairs Council and Economic and Financial Affairs Council,
  • pursuant to Art. 8(2) of the Cooperation Act – 15 EU draft legal acts and 3 recommendations concerning i.a. economic policy of the euro area, management of autonomous tariff quotas of the Union for certain agricultural and industrial products or progressive establishment of unified representation of the euro area in the International Monetary Fund,
• adopted one opinion on EU document COM(2015) 601 (opinion no. 2, mtg no. 9),
• heard information on the progress of implementation of European funds in Poland, presented by Secretary of State in Ministry of Development Jerzy Kwieciński (mtg no. 7),
• gave a positive opinion on the candidature of Janusz Wojciechowski for the position of the European Court of Auditors member (opinion no. 1, mtg no. 8),
• heard information on the results of the European Council meeting held on 17-18 December 2015, presented by Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Konrad Szymański (mtg no. 10),
• considered and adopted action plan of the EU Affairs Committee for 1 January – 31 July 2015 (mtg no. 10),
• heard information on the results of the 21. Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), held in Paris on 30.11-11.12.2015. Information was presented by Minister of Environment Jan Szyszko and Minister of Energy Krzysztof Tchórzewski (mtg no. 11).

In December 2015 information on and documents of SUE meetings no. 5, 6, 9 and 10, 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
04.12.2015 – the representatives of SUE met with Valdis Dombrovskis, EC Vice-President for Euro and Social Dialogue. The meeting was one of a series of visits to Member States in the context of the European Semester.

• 02.12.2015, heard the information of the Minister of the Interior and Administration on the functioning of Polish Border Guard in 2012-2015 and on current situation regarding illegal migration in Europe and the results of Border Guard actions in January-October 2015 (mtg no. 2);

Education, Science and Youth Committee

• 21.12.2015, held the first reading and considered the Government bill on the principles of recognition of professional qualifications acquired in EU member states, paper no. 108 (mtg no. 6);

Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry Committee

• 29.12.2015, heard information on the results of the 21. Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), held in Paris on 30.11-11.12.2015, presented by Secretary of State in the Ministry of Environment Paweł Sałka (mtg no. 7).

In December 2015

• the following bills implementing EU law have been referred to the first reading [paper no.]:
  • Government bill on the re-use of public sector information [141],
  • Government bill on principles of recognition of professional qualifications acquired in the Member States of the European Union [108],
  • Government bill amending the act on vehicle drivers [84],
  • Government bill amending the act on public offering and conditions governing the introduction of financial instruments to organised trading and on public companies and some other acts [70],
  • Government bill amending the act on investment funds and some other acts [69].
• the following acts implementing EU law have been adopted [paper no.]:
  
  • Act of 22 December 2015 on principles of recognition of professional qualifications acquired in the Member States of the European Union [108],
  • Act of 22 December 2015 amending the act on vehicle drivers [84].

In December 2015, 11 draft legislative acts were subject to subsidiarity scrutiny. As of 5 January 2016, the national parliaments submitted no reasoned opinions on the non-compliance of the scrutinised draft acts with the subsidiarity principle.

11 December 2015, Luxembourg, Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Committees on Development
- Follow-up and parliamentary control of development and humanitarian aid policy
- Coordination of the «after 2015» period between the European Union and the member states concerning development
- Lessons to be drawn from the humanitarian crisis management
- Conclusions

3 December 2015, Brussels, Interparliamentary Committee Meeting "Education and Youth"
- Youth policies in Europe
- Social inclusion and intercultural dialogue through education
- Lifelong learning: from school to active life
- Conclusions

NEW ON THE OIDE WEBSITE

Following sections have been updated

OIDE Notes: EU programme on migration and refugees, Banking union

Interparliamentary cooperation: Calendar of parliamentary meetings 2016

Programmes and calendars: Programme of the Netherlands Presidency

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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 05.01.2016)

• Apap J.: European Neighbourhood Policy: Southern Neighbourhood migration issues, „Briefing", European Parliamentary Research Service, European Parliament, 15.12.2015.
• Bacian I.: The European Council and EU Official Development Assistance: European Council in Action, „At a glance", European Parliamentary Research Service, European Parliament, 11.12.2015.
• Blockmans S.: The 2015 ENP Review: A policy in suspended animation, Centre for European Policy Studies, „CEPS Commentary", 01.12. 2015.
• Boytha D.: Priority dossiers under the Dutch EU Council Presidency, „Briefing", European Parliamentary Research Service, European Parliament, 16.12.2015.
• Carrera S., Blockmans S., Gros D., Guild E.: The EU's Response to the Refugee Crisis: Taking Stock and Setting Policy Priorities, Centre for European Policy Studies, „CEPS Commentary", 16.12.2015.
• Colvile R.: Britain: in or out? Leave.EU: the anti-political campaign, "Politico", 23.12.2015.
• Colvile R.: Britain: in or out? Vote Leave: Brexit debate must go beyond immigration, "Politico", 21.12.2015.
• Drachenberg R.: Outlook for the European Council of 17-18 December 2015: Pre-European Council Briefing, „Briefing", European Parliamentary Research Service, European Parliament, 11.12.2015.
• Goodwin M., Milazzo C.: Britain, the European Union and the Referendum: What drives Euroscepticism?, Chatham House, "Briefing", 09.12.2015.
• Gostyńska- Jakubowska A.: Cameron's EU reforms: Will Europe buy them?, Centre for European Reform, "Policy Brief", 14.12.2015.
• Grajewski M.: Completing Economic and Monetary Union, „At a glance", European Parliamentary Research Service, European Parliament, 18.12.2015.
• Grajewski M.: Migration, „At a glance", European Parliamentary Research Service, European Parliament, 11.12.2015.
• Guild E., Brouwer E., Groenendijk K., Carrera S.: What is happening to the Schengen borders? , Centre for European Policy Studies, „CEPS Commentary", 16.12.2015.
• Kaca E.: Przegląd polityki sąsiedztwa: niewystarczające zmiany, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 106, 02.12.2015.
• Kaca E.: Unijna służba graniczna: potencjał i ryzyko, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 111, 18.12.2015.
• Mortera-Martinez C.: Big data, Big Brother? How to secure Europeans' safety and privacy, Centre for European Reform, "Policy Brief", 04.12.2015.
• Odendahl C.: We don't need no federation: What a devolved eurozone should look like, Centre for European Reform, "Policy Brief", 14.12.2015.
• Raik K., Helwig N., Iso-Markku T.: Crafting the EU global strategy: Building blocks for a stronger Europe, Finnish Institute of International Affairs, "Briefing Paper" 2015, No. 188.
• Sørensen C.: To be in, or to be out: Reflections on the Danish referendum, European Policy Institutions Network, "Commentary" No. 29, 10.12.2015.
• Toporowski P.: Powrót widma Grexitu. Słabnący mandat Ciprasa do prowadzenia reform, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 112, 21.12.2015.
• Wąsiński M.: Historyczne porozumienie w Paryżu: znaczenie dla Polski i Unii Europejskiej, „Biuletyn PISM" nr 110, 15.12.2015.
• Wohlfeld S.: Headed for Brussels without a compass? Serbia's position between rapprochement with the EU and Russian influence, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, "DGAPkompakt" 2015, No. 18.
• Zerka P.: TTIP i europejski „trójnóg", demos Europa, „Komentarz", 09.12.2015.