21st Century Comitology: The Theory and Practice of Implementing Committees in the European Union, in collaboration with Kings College (UK), Londen - Hoofdinhoud

Description

This advanced seminar will provide in-depth training on the role and the workings of committees in the process of EU policymaking. While the main focus of the seminar is on the committees assisting the European Commission in the implementation of EU legislation - the so-called ‘comitology committees’ - the seminar will also introduce the role of Expert Advisory Groups working with the Commission and working groups and committees within the structure of the Council of Ministers. The focus on comitology committees involves detailed analysis of the formal procedures under which these committees work, the role of the European Parliament in scrutinising comitology, and the case law of the European Court of Justice. Special attention is devoted to two aspects of comitology which are currently undergoing important reform processes: the changing architecture of EU regulatory committees in the area of financial services regulation, and the changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty which has just come into force, and which will also provide the basis for a new legal instrument to implement EU legislation, the ‘delegated acts’.

Objectives

At the end of the seminar, participants should have a sound understanding of the workings of the comitology system, and should be well-prepared for effective participation in, or providing input for, comitology committee meetings in Brussels.

This seminar is directed at civil servants from the Member States, from the candidate countries and from the EU Institutions as well as to those working for NGOs or the private sector who require a better understanding of the processes of policy-implementation in the EU. While the seminar will seek to provide guidance in particular for British officials, it is open to participants from other countries.

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