PRINT
31 May 2017
EUROPEAN DEBATES IN THE SEJM
On 11 May 2017 the Sejm adopted the resolution on declaring the proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the electricity market (recast) (COM(2016) 861) to be incompatible with the subsidiarity principle (with reasoned opinion).
EU DOCUMENTS IN THE SEJM
In May 2017 the EU Affairs Committee (SUE) held 6 meetings: no. 128-133. During these meetings the Committee:
  • scrutinised 82 EU documents:
    • pursuant to Art. 7(4) of the Cooperation Act – 7 EU draft legislative acts concerning i.a.: empowering competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers; use of the Schengen Information System (SIS) for the return of illegally staying third country nationals and management, conservation; control measures applicable in the Convention Area of SPRFMO,
    • pursuant to Art. 151(1) of the Sejm Standing Orders and Art. 3(2) of the Cooperation Act – 28 EC documents (8 communications, 18 reports, 2 joint reports) concerning i.a.: implementation of the third Programme of Community action in the field of health in 2014; 2017 EU Justice Scoreboard; implementation of the ecological focus area obligation under the green direct payment scheme,
    • pursuant to Art. 11(1) of the Cooperation Act – EU documents, which were to be discussed by: General Affairs Council, Foreign affairs Council, Agriculture and Fisheries Council, Economic and Financial Affairs Council, Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, Competitiveness Council, Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council,
    • pursuant to Art. 8(2) of the Cooperation Act – 19 EU draft legal acts concerning i.a.: EU/US bilateral agreement on prudential measures regarding insurance and reinsurance; mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund following an application from Finland; Council implementing decision authorising the Italian Republic to apply a special measure derogating from Articles 206 and 226 of Directive 2006/112/EC on the common system of value added tax,
  • scrutinized information on the Foreign Affairs Council meeting planned for 15 May 2017 (presented by Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Renara Szczęch) (mtg no. 129),
  • scrutinized information on the European Court of Auditors' 2016 activity report (presented by the member of the European Court of Auditors Janusz Wojciechowski) (mtg no. 133).

SUBSIDIARITY SCRUTINY

COM(2016) 861 – deadline for scrutiny 17.05.2017
Proposal for a regulation European Parliament and of the Council on the internal market for electricity (recast)

EU Affairs Committee:

  • 05.04.2017, mtg. 122 - opinion no. 19 on the non-compliance with the subsidiarity principle,
  • 21.04.2017, mtg. 126 - the Committee draft resolution containing reasoned opinion,
  • 10.05.2017, mtg. 128 - the first reading of the Committee draft resolution containing reasoned opinion,

Sejm:

  • 11.05.2017, 41st sitting - adoption of the resolution on declaring the proposal to be incompatible with the subsidiarity principle (resolution with reasoned opinion),
  • 11.05.2017 - transmission of the resolution to the Presidents of the EP, Council and European Commission.

***

In May 2017 information on and documents of SUE meetings no. 128-132, provided by the EU Affairs Committee secretariat, were published in the EDL-S (European Legislative Documents in the Sejm) and IPEX databases.

WORK IN COMMITTEES
Agriculture and Rural Development Committee, Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry Committee
  • 25.05.2017, heard the information presented by Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Maritime Economy and Inland Navigation, Anna Moskwa and Deputy Director of the Department of Nature Protection at the Ministry of the Environment, Agnieszka Dalbiak on EU water and environmental subsidies for owners of fish farms, taking into account the issue of the withdrawal of EU support for carp farmers (mtg no. 146);
Agriculture and Rural Development Committee
  • 11.05.2017, heard the information presented by Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ryszard Zarudzki on the deadline for the closure of direct payments for 2016 and preparing the IT system to distribute payments for 2017 (mtg no. 142);
IMPLEMENTATION OF EU LAW - UST DATABASE
 

In May 2017

  • the following bill implementing EU law has been referred to the first reading [paper no.]:
    • Government bill on water law [1529],
  • the following act implementing EU law has been published [paper no.]:
    • Act of 7 April 2017 on working time on inland waterway vessels [1321].
SUBSIDIARITY CHECK IN NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS

Subsidiarity scrutiny in May
(Information from IPEX database as of 06.06.2017)

Draft legislative act Deadline for subsidiarity
scrutiny
Adoption / transmission of reasoned opinion Chamber / parliament (country)
COM(2016) 767 17.05.2017  -  -
COM(2016)798 09.05.2017  -  -
COM(2016) 799 03.05.2017  - -
COM(2016) 819 09.05.2017   - -
COM(2016) 861* 17.05.2017 09.05.2017 / - Federal Council (Austria)
27.04.2017 /
04.05.2017
Senat (Poland)

16.05.2017 / -

Senate (France)
 03.05.2017 / - National Assembly (Hungary)
 11.05.2017 /
11.05.2017
Sejm (Polska)
10.05.2017 / -

 Senate (Romania)

09.05.2017 / -  Chamber of Deputies (Romania)
COM(2016) 864 09.05.2017   27.04.2017 /
04.05.2017
Senat (Poland)
 09.05.2017 / -  Federal Council (Austria)
 03.05.2017 / - National Assembly (Hungary)
COM(2016) 881 30.05.2017  -  -
COM(2016) 882 30.05.2017  -  -
COM(2016) 883 30.05.2017  -  -
COM(2017) 8 18.05.2017  -  -
COM(2017) 114 10.05.2017   - -
COM(2017) 136 18.05.2017  -  -
COM(2017) 142 19.06.2017  - -
COM(2017) 150 26.05.2017   - -
COM(2017) 208 19.07.2017 - -
 COM(2017) 253 28.06.2017 -  -
 COM(2017) 257  18.07.2017  -  -
ALL REASONED OPINIONS OF NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS IN IPEX

In May 2017, 17 draft legislative acts were subject to subsidiarity scrutiny. As of 6 June 2017, the national parliaments submitted 10 reasoned opinions on the non-compliance of the scrutinised draft acts with the subsidiarity principle.

* In April 2017 reasoned opinions to the document COM(2016) 861 were submitted - see the previous Bulletin OIDE – April 2017.

INTERPARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION

28-30 May 2017, Valletta, LVII COSAC

  • Meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC
  • Meetings of political groups
  • Opening of the meeting, presentation of the 27th Bi-annual Report of COSAC
  • Session I - Reflections on the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the EU, debate
  • Session II - The role of national Parliaments in the future EU, debate
  • Session III - Outcome of the UK Referendum – state of play, debate
  • Session IV - Expanding the blue economy – towards a more sustainable EU integrated maritime policy, debate
  • Meeting of COSAC Chairpersons - debate on the draft Contribution and draft Conclusions of the LVII COSAC
  • Session V - Migration – Combating human smuggling and trafficking and establishing a humane and effective return and readmission policy, debate
  • Adoption of the Contribution and Conclusions of the LVII COSAC

21-23 May 2017, Bratislava, Meeting of the European Affairs Committees of the Visegrad Group countries

  • Session I - Dual standards of food quality in EU member states
  • Session II - Future of the European Union
  • Session III - The topics of the upcoming plenary meeting of the LVII COSAC, 28-30 May 2017, Valletta
  • Adoption of Conclusions

13 May 2017, Rome, Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly – Union for the Mediterranean (PA-UfM)

  • Opening of proceedings and adoption of the agenda
  • Approval of the minutes of the 12th Plenary Session
  • Speeches and debate
  • Presentation of UfM activities
  • Consideration and adoption of draft recommendations and proposals of Committees and Working Groups
  • End of proceedings, handing over of the Assembly Presidency, speeches

12 May 2017, Rome, Summit of Presidents of the Union for the Mediterranean Parliaments

  • Opening remarks, speeches
  • Employment, Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development in the Euromediterranean Region
    • Contributions from the Speakers of Parliaments of the Parliamentary Assembly - Union for the Mediterranean
    • Adoption of the Declaration of the 4th Summit of Speakers
    • Closing remarks
  • Working Group on Financing of the Assembly and Revision of the Rules of Procedure
  • Meeting of the committees
  • Meeting of the Bureau and the Bureau with chairpersons of the committees and working groups

11 May 2017, Brussels, Exchange of views European Parliament - National Parliaments - Civil Society on Comprehensive Assessment of EU Security Policy

  • Welcome and presentation of preliminary findings
  • Contributions: from national parliaments, from civil socjety
  • General Q&A session with participation of members of national Parliaments and the European Parliament
  • Intervention by Julian KING, Commissioner for Security Union
  • Conclusions

7-8 May 2017, Żelazowa Wola, Sochaczew, Meeting of the Committees on European Affairs of the National Parliaments of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland

  • Commission Energy Winter Package – exchange of views
  • Reform of the European Asylum System – exchange of views
  • The planned reform of the EU and the role of the national parliaments

2 May 2017, Brussels, Interparliamentary Committee Meeting: The implementation of the Treaty provisions concerning national Parliaments

  • Opening remarks
  • Presentation of a document "The implementation of the Treaty provisions concerning national Parliaments"
  • Implementation of the Treaty provisions concerning national Parliaments
    • Debate
    • Presentations from experts: interparliamentary cooperation at EU level, subsidiarity and national parliaments, political structured dialogue and national parliaments
  • Closing remarks
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
New books in the Sejm Library Przegląd Sejmowy Kronika Sejmowa (EN)

NEW ON THE OIDE WEBSITE

In the section OIDE Notes:

Brexit - procedural issues, European Citizens' Initiative - revision of regulation, Transparency of the legislative process in the Council - European Ombudsman inquiry, CSDP - calendarium

Following sections have been updated:
OIDE Notes: Brexit - documents
Bibliographies: BREXIT – selected publications (since 2016)

Debates of the Sejm on EU Affairs: Debates of the Sejm - 8th term

Resolutions of the Sejm on EU Affairs: Resolutions of the Sejm - 8th term

 

LATEST DEBATES - COMMENTS

Selected articles on the current political and economic issues in the EU from the specialist periodicals available on-line (accessed 05.06.2017)

EU CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

Selected articles and papers
(available in the Sejm Library or on-line, accessed 05.06.2017)