2 Annual Policy Strategy for 2004
| (24330)
7229/03
COM(03) 83
| Commission Communication on the Annual Policy Strategy for 2004.
|
| Legal base | — |
| Document originated | 5 March 2003
|
| Deposited in Parliament | 6 March 2003
|
| Department | Foreign and Commonwealth Office
|
| Basis of consideration | EM of 28 March 2003
|
| Previous Committee Report | None
|
| To be discussed in Council | No date set
|
| Committee's assessment | Politically important
|
| Committee's decision | For debate in European Standing Committee B
|
Background
2.1 The Commission's Annual Policy Strategy (APS) is the first
step in the Strategic Planning and Programming cycle introduced
in 2001. It sets out what the Commission sees as the policy priorities
and is presented to the Council and the European Parliament soon
after adoption in February. The inter-institutional dialogue
that follows seeks to ensure that there is the right match between
the priorities, when these have been agreed in bilateral contacts
with the Council and European Parliament committees, and the human
and financial resources available. The cycle concludes with the
adoption of the budget and the presentation in the autumn of the
Commission's Legislative and Work Programme, which translates
the political priorities into action plans. The Directorates-General
and services then translate the political priorities into their
Annual Management Plans.
The Annual Policy Strategy
2.2 2004 will be an important year, with the accession of ten
new Member States on 1 May, the election of 732 members of the
European Parliament in June and the possibility of "a new
founding Treaty". The new Commission will take office on
1 November 2004.
2.3 The paper identifies three priorities:
i) the accession of the new Member States. This is
the major priority.
ii) security and stability. It is essential that responses
to the concerns of EU citizens to issues such as illegal immigration
are balanced with the need to protect individual freedoms and
to ensure justice for all; and
iii) sustainable growth. This priority aims at ensuring
prosperity, economic convergence, social cohesion, environmental
protection and a better quality of life for present and future
generations.
2.4 For the first time, the Commission includes a section covering
the period 2004-2006. Its aim is to extend the inter-institutional
dialogue to cover the outlook for 2004-2006, so that it can contribute
to the three-year multi-annual strategic programme agreed by the
Seville European Council in June 2002.[16]
In December 2003, the European Council will adopt this programme,
based on a joint proposal drawn up by the EU Presidencies concerned,[17]
in consultation with the Commission. Also for the first time,
the Commission has identified an initial list of proposals on
which it will conduct extended impact assessments.
Accession
2.5 The initiatives under this heading are designed to ensure
that the EU and accession states will be able to fulfil their
Treaty obligations from the first day of accession. The key initiatives
include:
— adapting all the existing Community programmes, notably
the structural funds and the Common Agricultural Policy;
— strengthening enforcement activities, particularly
on food safety, the environment, the internal market, employment
and social policy;
— updating, codifying and simplifying the acquis;
— ensuring that all the administrative preparations
are completed, such as recruiting staff from the new Member States,
meeting the minimum linguistic requirements for at least nine
new official and working languages and opening new Representations
in the new Member States; and
— supporting the preparations for accession of Bulgaria
and Romania and analysing, by December 2004, Turkey's compliance
with the political and economic criteria for accession.
Security and stability
2.6 The objective here is to manage the EU's borders more effectively,
with greater emphasis on crime prevention and increased security.
The key initiatives are:
— to work with the Council to create a European area
of freedom, security and justice by 1 May 2004, as provided for
by the Tampere European Council, and to initiate discussion on
a "Tampere II" programme;
— to develop a balanced approach to immigration, including
through measures to promote the integration of legally resident
migrants; and
— to develop a "ring of friends" policy to
enhance the EU's relations with its new neighbours after enlargement,
from Moscow to Marrakesh. This would include developing a policy
dialogue and macro-economic cooperation. The paper envisages
extending the internal market and common regulatory structures,
preferential trading relations and greater EU political involvement
in conflict prevention, as well as greater integration of transport,
energy and telecommunications networks.
Sustainable growth
2.7 The Commission's intention for sustainable growth is to reinforce
the economic pillar of sustainable development whilst continuing
to integrate environmental concerns into other policy areas.
The twenty initiatives include improving economic and budgetary
cooperation, reviewing the sustainable development strategy,
developing a corporate social responsibility strategy, developing
a space policy and improving the international management of the
internet. A further initiative would be to develop the EU's capacity
to respond to oil pollution disasters.
Multi-annual programming
2.8 This section looks at the work and commitments of the EU in
the coming three years. Under the headings Peace, Freedom
and Solidarity, it notes the need to conclude negotiations
with Bulgaria and Romania in time for them to join in 2007. The
paper suggests that:
— if the European Council decides that Turkey fulfils
the Copenhagen criteria, accession negotiations should open without
delay;
— the Stabilisation and Association process for the
Western Balkans will need to be consolidated;
— the Union needs to develop further its "ring
of friends" initiative for Wider Europe and to drive forward
the Barcelona Process with countries in the Mediterranean region,
as well as contributing actively to peace in the Middle East;
— the Union has to play a more active role in maintaining
global security by gradually developing the external relations
and defence dimensions of its policies;
— it should assume a leadership role in tackling global
problems, by projecting its economic and social model and sharing
prosperity more equitably;
— it should play a leading role in sustainable development,
better economic governance and development cooperation; the European
Development Fund should be incorporated into the Community budget;
— justice and home affairs initiatives should be consolidated;
and
— existing policies and activities for strengthening
economic and social cohesion should be evaluated.
Impact assessments
2.9 In June 2002, the Commission introduced a new procedure for
carrying out impact assessments of all major initiatives.[18]
Each assessment will focus on the economic, social, environmental
and regulatory impacts of the proposal selected. Within a two-phase
system, a number of initiatives will be selected for an extended
assessment.
2.10 The Commission has identified an initial list of 31 proposals
for extended assessment in 2004 but expects to add more, relating
to the expected substantive reforms of the Common Fisheries and
Agricultural Policies, as well as proposals on information technology.
The full list will be annexed to the Legislative and Work Programme.
Human and financial resources
2.11 To meet its main priority objective of the EU and the Accession
States fulfilling their Treaty obligations from the first day
of accession, the Commission intends to ask the budgetary authority
for 1280 extra staff (excluding research staff), including the
500 temporary posts filled in 2003 by auxiliaries.[19]
These will be converted to established posts from 1 May 2004.
No new posts will be requested for priority 2, security and stability,
or priority 3, sustainable growth. These will be covered by internal
redeployments. Priority will be given to staffing the new accession
tasks defined at the Copenhagen summit, with justice and home
affairs, transport, energy and regional policy at the top of the
list. Consideration will also have to be given to staffing for
the updating and simplification of the acquis.
2.12 The Commission says that some major areas of work on the
reform of the Commission have clearly been understaffed. Of a
maximum of 600 posts saved through early retirements over the
years 2002, 2003 and 2004, 258 of the posts saved will have to
be transferred to work on that reform.
2.13 The expenditure associated with enlargement was endorsed
by the 2002 Copenhagen European Council. A budgetary financial
framework shows provisional figures taking account of enlargement.
The increased figures and their effect, if relevant, on the margins
are shown under Financial Perspective (FP) headings 1 to 7, relating
to Agriculture, Structural Operations, Internal Policies, External
Actions, Administration, Reserves and Pre-Accession Aid.
22.14 Heading 4, which covers "External Actions" —
that is, assistance to beneficiaries outside the EU — is
not directly affected by enlargement. The Commission foresees
€134 million earmarked for Turkey being transferred from
Heading 4 to Heading 7, which covers Pre-accession Aid. As a
result of Cyprus and Malta becoming Member States, a further €25
million will be available under Heading 4. Together these two
sums will allow for major increases in funds for allocation to
the new neighbours.
2.15 In addition, the Commission proposes an increase under the
External Actions heading of €65 million for the Balkans and
€59 million for MEDA,[20]
as well as more funds for democracy and human rights and health
actions in developing countries, such as those on AIDs, reproductive
health and major communicable diseases (€17 million). The
Commission suggests that funds for the protection of tropical
forests should be increased by €6 million.
2.16 Under Heading 7, aid to Bulgaria and Romania will be increased
by 20% in 2004 and to Turkey by €250 million. The ceiling
will not be breached.
2.17 Other proposals with financial implications include:
— a major increase of €255 million for the Sixth
Research and Development Framework Programme, plus €480 million
in 2004 to cover the extension of research activities to the new
Member States; and
— €20 million to strengthen the EU's capacity to
respond to oil pollution disasters.
The Government's view
2.18 The Minister for Europe (Mr Denis MacShane) comments on the
political implications:
"The Government welcomes the Commission's commitment to inter-institutional
dialogue on this document, and the entire planning and programming
cycle. The process has been improved with each successive year,
and has been crucial in strengthening co-operation between the
EU's institutions and developing an EU-wide commitment to the
Union's objectives.
"We welcome the Commission's initiative to extend the APS
to cover a three year period, which reflects reforms agreed at
the Seville European Council to enhance the European Council's
ability to establish the EU's strategic agenda with the adoption
of a three year multi-annual programme. We further welcome the
continued commitment to ensure impact assessments for significant
proposals, with extended impact assessments for selected major
proposals. It is important that this selection process should
be carried out in a transparent manner, based on clear criteria
and drawing on preliminary assessments. It would be helpful if
the list of selected proposals could be attached to the APS in
future years.
"The Government is pleased at the Commission's continued
commitment to Better Regulation and internal reform. This fits
well with our own objectives of improving the EU's effectiveness,
transparency, and ability to deliver.
"We have always been strong advocates of enlargement and
look forward to officially welcoming ten new members in May 2004.
We are committed to further extending that membership to countries
that fulfil the criteria.
"However, we are disappointed by the lack of strategic and
policy coherence running through the APS. We would also wish
to see a greater emphasis given to the broad range of initiatives
and policies that fall within the Lisbon Agenda.
"In addition, we are concerned that the financial proposals
do not take full account of evolving priorities or make the most
effective use of Community resources, particularly in respect
of heading 4. We also have concerns about some of the figures
used in the resource implications section. We would query whether
adequate resources are allocated to integrating migration issues
into the EU's external relations with third countries. We will
raise all of these concerns during the ensuing period of inter-institutional
dialogue".
2.19 On the financial implications, the Minister says:
"This document contains no formal proposals, but is a basis
for further discussion with the European Parliament and the Council.
As such, it has no financial implications in itself. That said,
the priorities set out in the strategy would require human and
financial resources for them to be achieved. The exact resource
implications will become clearer as the cycle of debate progresses.
However, the Commission has endeavoured to identify the resources
that would be needed to realise the priorities as currently set
out.
"The Commission's figures for spending which it has identified
as relating to the existing fifteen Member States, are in all
cases below the ceilings of the Financial Perspective, leaving
total margins of €3051.[21]
Its figures for spending in the ten acceding countries are generally
based on the enlargement-related amounts agreed at the Copenhagen
European Council for the relevant categories. This will itself
need to be agreed by the Council and the European Parliament,
to adjust the Financial Perspective.[22]
However, the Commission's figures indicate a further margin of
€23 million relating to enlargement-related spending on internal
policies and €20 million relating to administrative expenditure,
resulting in total margins of €3094[23]
below the expected Financial Perspective ceilings for 2004 for
an enlarged EU of 25".
2.20 Referring to the human resource implications of the APS,
the Minister comments:
"While we welcome the Commission's proposed re-deployment
of existing human resources to fulfil enlargement-related activities
in 2004, we would reserve judgement on the Commission's requirement
for 780 new posts, pending more detailed scrutiny by Council through
the 2004 budgetary procedure. We would also be unwilling to endorse
the Commission's assumption that all staff savings created through
the early retirement scheme can be automatically re-used to implement
the Staff reform package".
2.21 The Minister expects the Council's first discussion on the
preliminary draft budget to take place on 16 July.
Conclusion
2.22 We have pressed in the past for the tasks placed on the
Commission and the resources made available to be better matched,
and we welcome this contribution to the Strategic Planning and
Programming cycle. It is clearly in the Commission's interests
to set out its requirements, backed up by justifications, rather
than, as in the past, to find itself bidden to undertake tasks,
with little or no account taken by the other institutions of the
resources required.
2.23 We also welcome this early sight of the Commission's thinking
on the priorities for the years ahead. If the House is to influence
the Government's input to the Council's positions in the inter-institutional
dialogue, it needs to do so before 16 July, when the Council's
first discussion on the preliminary draft budget (PDB) is due
to take place. The proposals made here will inform that discussion.
2.24 We recommend that the current document be debated in European
Standing Committee B, before 16 July 2003. We expect also to
recommend the PDB for debate in European Standing Committee B,
as we do every year, and the two documents should be debated together.
When we report on the PDB, we shall outline any issues which
we consider arise, taking both documents into account.
16 Presidency Conclusions - Seville 21/22 June 2002
- Annex II, Measures concerning the structure and functioning
of the Council, paragraph 4. Back
17
Ireland, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Austria
and Finland. Back
18
COM(02) 276 of 5 June 2002. Back
19
Mostly trainee EU experts from the Accession States. Back
20
The EC assistance programme to the Mediterranean countries of
Algeria, Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco,
Syria, Tunisia and Turkey and the Palestinian Authority.
Back
21
i.e. €3,051 million. Back
22
Agreed on 9 April 2003. Back
2 23 0
i.e. €3.094 million. Back
| 
