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31 March 2017
EUROPEAN DEBATES IN THE SEJM
On 23 March 2017, the Sejm of the Republic of Poland:
  • held a debate on current information concerning the state of play of Polish foreign policy towards EU, a strategy concerning integration of the Republic of Poland with the euro area and fulfilment of the obligations resulting from the accession treaty, with participation of the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Konrad Szymański and Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Finance, Leszek Skiba (verbatim record/PL, point 15);
  • held a debate on Deputies' draft resolution (report of the European Union Affairs Committee, papers  no. 1391 i 1394, verbatim record/PL, point 19) and adopted resolution marking the 60th anniversary of the initiation of the European integration process.
EU DOCUMENTS IN THE SEJM

In March 2017 the EU Affairs Committee (SUE) held 6 meetings: no. 115-120. During these meetings the Committee:

  • scrutinised 74 EU documents:
    • pursuant to Art. 7(4) of the Cooperation Act – 12 EU draft legislative acts concerning i.a.: mutual recognition of freezing and confiscation orders, countering money laundering by criminal law and electronic publication of the Official Journal of the EU,
    • pursuant to Art. 151(1) of the Sejm Standing Orders and Art. 3(2) of the Cooperation Act – 27 EC documents (4 communications, 19 reports, 1 working document, 1 proposal for a regulation, 1 proposal for a directive and 1 annual review) concerning i.a.: the Civil Justice Programme, the European carbon market and exchanging and protecting personal data in a globalised world,
    • pursuant to Art. 11(1) of the Cooperation Act – EU documents, which were to be discussed by Justice and Home Affairs Council, Agriculture and Fisheries Council and Economic and Financial Affairs Council,
    • pursuant to Art. 8(2) of the Cooperation Act – 16 EU draft legal acts concerning i.a.: mobilisation of the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking and position to be adopted, on behalf of the EU, in the 16th session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
  • scrutinized: information on the Foreign Affairs Council meeting planned for 3 April 2017 and on the results of the European Council meeting held on 9-10 March 2017 (presented by Secretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Konrad Szymański; mtg no. 118), information on the position the Council of Ministers intends to take in the EU Council pursuant to Art. 3.2 of Protocol No. 36 on transitional provisions, annexed to the TEU and TfEU (presented by: Secretary of State in the Ministry of Environment Paweł Sałek, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Interior and Administration Jakub Skiba, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy Marcin Zieleniecki, Undersecretaries of State in the Ministry of Finance Piotr Nowak and Michał Kurtyka) (mtg no.:118 and 120),
  • considered the  information on legislative proceedings relating to the implementation of EU directives for which the transposition deadline has expired or will expire within the next three months (as of 24.02.2017), presented by the representatives of appropriate ministries (mtg no. 119),
  • held the first reading of Deputies' draft resolution marking the 60th anniversary of the Rome Treaties (paper no. 1399, mtg no. 119),
  • held the first reading of Deputies' draft resolution marking the 60th anniversary of the initiation of the European integration process (paper no. 1391, mtg no. 119),
  • together with the Public Finances Committee and Economy and Development Committee heard information on Country Report 2017 under European Semester and annual growth analysis, and also on Commission's work programme, taking into account financial and economic issues, presented by Valdis Dombrovskis, EC Vice-President, the Commissioner for the Euro and Social Dialogue, also in charge of Financial Stability, Financial Services and Capital Markets Union (mtg no. 117).

***

In March 2017 information on and documents of SUE meetings no. 115-116 and 118-120, 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
Foreign Affairs Committee
  • 08.03.2017, heard the information of Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marek  Ziółkowski on the Eastern Partnership (mtg no. 59);
Agriculture and Rural Development Committee
  • 23.03.2017, heard the information presented by Undersecretary of State in Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ryszard Zarudzki on the Polish position, the proposed changes and the state of negotiations with the EC in the framework of the 2014-2020 CAP review in the context of the EC communication of 14.09.2016 (COM (2016) 603) (mtg no. 155);
Economy and Development Committee
  • 22.03.2017, considered information of the Minister of Development and Finance on the impact of EU funds on the development of Polish economy (mtg no. 67);

Energy and State Treasury Committee

  • 09.03.2017, considered information on legislative proposals submitted in the document "Clean Energy for All Europeans" COM (2016) 860 in terms of its effects on Poland, with participation of Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Energy, Michał Kurtyka; Committee adopted a position on this issue (mtg no. 56, complete record of of the Committee's meeting, p. 16-22);
Petitions Committee
  • 08.03.2017, considered and did not take into account the request for appointment of special Parliamentary Committee on Brexit - aimed at monitoring the negotiations with the UK on the conditions of its exit from the EU, in the context of the long-term national interest of Poland (mtg no. 64).
IMPLEMENTATION OF EU LAW - UST DATABASE

 In March 2017

  • the following bills implementing EU law have been referred to the first reading [paper no.]:
    • Government bill on the amendment of the act on micro-organisms and genetically modified organisms and some other acts [1424],
    • Government bill on restitution of cultural property [1371],
    • Government bill on claims for damages due to violation of the competition rules [1370],
    • Government bill amending the act on the collection, storage and transplantation of cells [1332],
  • the following acts implementing EU law have been published [paper no.]:
    • Act of 9 March 2017 amending the act on Patent Attorneys [1138],
    • Act of 9 March 2017 on exchange of tax information with other states [1091].
SUBSIDIARITY CHECK IN NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS

Subsidiarity scrutiny in March
(Information from IPEX database as of 05.04.2017)

Draft legislative act Deadline for subsidiarity
scrutiny
Adoption / transmission of reasoned opinion Chamber / parliament (country)
COM(2016) 723 08.03.2017  06.03.2017 / -  Oireachtas (Ireland)
COM(2016) 731 14.03.2017   - -
COM(2016) 750 10.03.2017    -  -
COM(2016) 759 08.03.2017  - -
COM(2016) 767 17.05.2017  -  -
COM(2016) 789 27.03.2017  - -
COM(2016) 798 09.05.2017  -  -
COM(2016) 799 03.05.2017  - -
COM(2016) 811 09.03.2017
COM(2016) 815 09.03.2017 
COM(2016) 818 02.03.2017  -  -
COM(2016) 819 09.05.2017   - -
COM(2016) 821*


14.03.2017



09.03.2017 /
10.03.2017
 Bundestag (Germany)
 10.03.2017 / -  Bundesrat
(Germany)
 13.03.2017** / -  Senate (France)
 10.03.2017 / -  National Assembly (France)
COM(2016) 822* 20.03.2017 

 09.03.2017 /
10.03.2017
Bundestag (Germany)
 10.03.2017 / - Bundesrat
(Germany)
 15.03.2017 /
16.03.2017
Federal Council
(Austria)
 17.03.2017** / - Senate (France)
 10.03.2017 / - National Assembly (France)
COM(2016) 823 20.03.2017  15.03.2017 /
16.03.2017
Federal Council
(Austria)
 09.03.2017 /
10.03.2017
Bundestag (Germany)
COM(2016) 824 20.03.2017   15.03.2017 /
16.03.2017
Federal Council
(Austria)
09.03.2017 /
10.03.2017
Bundestag (Germany)
COM(2016) 825 09.03.2017  -  -
COM(2016) 826 31.03.2017   - -
COM(2016) 850 24.03.2017  01.03.2017 /
03.03.2017
 Riksdag (Sweden)
COM(2016) 851 21.03.2017   - -
COM(2016) 852 21.03.2017  -  -
COM(2016) 853 08.03.2017   - -
COM(2016) 854 15.03.2017 01.03.2017 /
03.03.2017
 Riksdag (Sweden)
COM(2016) 856 30.03.2017   - -
COM(2016) 861 17.05.2017 30.03.2017 / 31.03.2017  Bundestag (Germany)
COM(2016) 862 08.03.2017   - -
COM(2016) 863 06.04.2017  30.03.2017 / 31.03.2017 Bundestag (Germany)
22.03.2017 /
27.03.2017
 Senate (France)
COM(2016) 864 09.05.2017   - -
COM(2017) 8 18.05.2017  -  -
COM(2017) 10 12.04.2017   - -
COM(2017) 11 15.03.2017  -  -
COM(2017) 14 12.03.2017   - -
COM(2017) 38 29.03.2017  -  -
COM(2017) 47 17.04.2017   - -
COM(2017) 54 03.04.2017  -  -
COM(2017) 114 10.05.2017   - -
COM(2017) 136 18.05.2017  -  -
COM(2017) 150 26.05.2017   - -
ALL REASONED OPINIONS OF NATIONAL PARLIAMENTS IN IPEX

In march 2017, 38 draft legislative acts were subject to subsidiarity scrutiny. As of 5 April 2017, the national parliaments submitted 19 reasoned opinions on the non-compliance of the scrutinised draft acts with the subsidiarity principle.

* Biuletyn OIDE of 28 February 2017 contained information - based on the data from IPEX as of 02.03.2017 - on 2 reasoned opinions adopted by French National Assembly to the documents COM(2016) 821 and COM(2016) 822. According to new data on IPEX, as of 05.04.2017, these opinions were adopted in March, not in February 2017.

** Information on the date of the adoption was given on the basis of the data on the website of the French Senate.

INTERPARLIAMENTARY COOPERATION

6-7 March 2017, Warsaw, Meeting of the presidents of parliaments of the Visegrád Group countries

  • The future of the European Union. Europe of solidary states
  • The Visegrad dimension of the parliamentary cooperation

8-9 March 2017, Brussels, Interparliamentary Committee Meeting on "Women's economic empowerment: let's act together"

  • Welcome by Antonio Tajani, President of the European Parliament
  • Workshops
    • Women in STEM: progress stalled or being eroded?
    • Global perspective: freedom from violence and empowerment
    • Gender-sensitive policy making at the core of inclusive growth
    • Shall we wait a century to achieve work life balance for women and men?
    • Global Perspective: Women's Economic Empowerment and the UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • Rapporteurs' reporting from workshops
  • Debate
  • European Commission, DG GROW: Presentation of the European gateway for women's entrepreneurship – Wegate, The Youth Ambassadors of the ONE Campaign
  • Closing: Mairead McGuinness, Vice-President of the European Parliament

17 March 2017, Rome, Extraordinary meeting of Speakers of EU Parliaments

  • Welcome address: Laura Boldrini, the President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies
  • Speeches:
    • Romano Prodi, former  President  of  the  European  Commission, former President of the Council of Ministers
    • Maria Romana De Gasperi, Honorary President of Fondazione De Gasperi
  • Contributions:
    • Siegfried Bracke, President of the Belgian Chambre des Représentants
    • Claude Bartolone, President of the French Assemblée nationale
    • Norbert Lammert, President of the Bundestag
    • Mars Di Bartolomeo, President of the Luxemburgian Chambre des Députés
    • Khadija Arib, President of the Tweede Kamer
  • Debate

23-24 March 2017, Malta, Meeting of the Chairpersons of the Social Affairs Committees

  • Opening of the meeting
  • Session 1: Poverty and Social Exclusion: Working towards a more inclusive Europe, debate
  • Session 2: What makes an individual socially excluded? Different perspectives and exchange of best practices, debate
  • Session 3: stock of the policies of Europe 2020 and the way forward, debate
  • Concluding remarks
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
New books in the Sejm Library Przegląd Sejmowy Kronika Sejmowa (EN)

NEW ON THE OIDE WEBSITE

In the section OIDE Notes:

60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome – debate on the future of the EU

Brexit - procedural issues

Following sections have been updated:

OIDE Notes: European Defence Union; European Pillar of Social Rights; European Public Prosecutor's Office; European Semester - course of coordination cycle at the level of the Union and Poland (2011-2017); Green and White Papers; Reform of the Common European Asylum System (CEAS)

Bibliographies: BREXIT – selected publications (since 2016), The national parliaments' position in the EU under the Lisbon Treaty

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 03.04.2017)

 

BREXIT

EU CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

Selected articles and papers
(available in the Sejm Library or on-line, accessed 03.04.2017)