Management Plan 2018 Secretariat-General

Transcription

1 Ref. Ares(2018) /01/2018 Management Plan 2018 Secretariat-General

2 Contents INTRODUCTION... 3 PART 1. MAIN OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR... 6 General objective A: A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment... 6 General objective B: An Area of Justice and Fundamental Rights Based on Mutual Trust... 8 General objective C: A Union of Democratic Change... 9 General objective D: To help achieve its overall political objectives, the Commission will effectively and efficiently manage and safeguard its assets and resources, and attract and develop the best talents PART 2. MAIN ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR.. 33 A. Human resource management B. Financial Management: Internal control and risk management C. Information management aspects D. External communication activities E. Examples of initiatives to improve economy and efficiency of financial and non-financial activities of the DG ANNEX 1 REGULATORY SCRUTINY BOARD ANNEX 2 EUROPEAN FISCAL BOARD... 46

3 INTRODUCTION 2018 will be a defining year for the Union and for the European Commission. It will be a year of delivery, as the final proposals are made to complete the work on the ten political priorities of the Juncker Commission. And it will be a year to look to the future as the Union of 27 prepares to move forward with unity and purpose. The Commission has already delivered 80% of the proposals promised at the beginning of the mandate. As stated in the Commission Work Programme for 2018, the Commission intends to table the remaining proposals necessary to deliver on the political priorities by May This will allow time for political agreement to be reached by the European Parliament and Council within the current parliamentary term. Looking further ahead, the 18 months leading up to the European Parliament elections in June 2019 will be a critical period for the Union. As set out in the Roadmap to Sibiu for a More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union, and reflected in the Leaders' Agenda agreed by the European Council, now is the time to prepare the decisions that will shape the Union for years to come. The Commission Work Programme for 2018 sets out exactly how the Commission will contribute to building the Europe of 2025 and beyond, drawing on the reflection process launched by the Commission White Paper on the Future of Europe in These and other initiatives will pave the way to the Special Summit in Sibiu in 2019, at which concrete decisions will be taken for a more united, stronger and democratic Europe. In all these areas, the Secretariat-General will continue to play its unique role at the heart of the European Commission. As described in the Strategic Plan for the period, the Secretariat-General contributes to all the political priorities by coordinating the services on behalf of the President and Vice-Presidents and leading on key strategic initiatives. The ultimate goal is to support the political agenda by ensuring that highquality and timely proposals are presented to the College for adoption. A key output for 2018 with a longer-term perspective will be a comprehensive proposal for the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework. This will be the culmination of the process launched by the Reflection Paper on the Future of EU finances launched in The Secretariat-General and the Directorate-General for the Budget will lead interservice work on the proposal and on the individual programmes through which the budget is implemented. The goal will be to equip the Union with a budget commensurate with its ambitions and to ensure that the programmes are fully aligned with the political priorities and designed to maximise their impact on the ground. The Secretariat-General will also lead on other parts of the Roadmap to Sibiu, for example through a reflection paper on a sustainable European future, which will set out options for the follow-up to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Secretariat-General will also support the functioning of the new taskforce on 'subsidiarity and proportionality and doing less more efficiently' and will prepare the Communication on further enhancing subsidiarity, proportionality and better regulation. And the Secretariat-General will be closely involved with the preparation of several important institutional proposals, for example on ways to make single-market law-making more efficient. As in previous years, the Secretariat-General will also play a leading role in the annual European Semester of economic policy coordination and will continue to coordinate work on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism for Bulgaria and Romania, taking into account the political goal of being able to conclude the process during this Commission mandate. Other policy outputs for the year will include, for example, further work on the response to the refugee crisis and the implementation of the European Agenda for 3

4 Migration; the implementation of the European Defence Action Plan and the 2017 Defence Package; a proposal to create a European Labour Authority; and coordination of the Commission's continuing efforts to complete the Energy Union and Digital Single Market. The Secretariat-General will in 2018 continue to spearhead the Commission's Better Regulation agenda, by providing day-to-day support to services and developing tools and policies at corporate level. In 2018, the Secretariat-General will launch a stocktaking exercise on the Better Regulation agenda and support the work of the Task Force mentioned above. In addition, engagement with stakeholders will be strengthened through the further enhancement of the Better Regulation portal. The Secretariat-General is also fully engaged in work to improve the transparency and democratic underpinning of the Union's activities. As part of the 'Democracy Package' announced in President Juncker's 2017 State of the Union address, the Secretariat-General will seek to secure agreement between the European Parliament and Council on the reform of the European Citizens' Initiative to make it easier for citizens to set up and support initiatives. Reaching agreement on the revision of the Regulation on European Political Parties and Foundations to improve its functioning and increase political accountability will also be a high priority in the year before the European Parliament elections. This Commission is leading by example in improving the transparency of its relations with stakeholders. The priority for 2018 will be to roll out similarly high standards across the institutions by securing agreement with the European Parliament and Council on a mandatory inter-institutional transparency register. Another important part of the Secretariat-General's role within the Commission is to develop and drive a wide range of corporate policies. The Juncker Commission's commitment to the highest standards of performance and governance is reflected in the Secretariat-General's ongoing work on the reformed Strategic Planning and Programming cycle and in support of the Commission's corporate governance bodies. And the implementation of the strategy on data, information and knowledge management will help improve the way services work together in pursuit of shared objectives. The Secretariat-General also works to maintain high ethical standards in the Commission. A priority for 2018 will be the full and coherent implementation of the new Code of Conduct for Commissioners will also be an important year for data protection: the Data Protection Officer will oversee the implementation of the revised data protection regulation in the Commission. An efficient decision-making system is key to enabling the Commission to act efficiently and collegially. The Secretariat-General is responsible for the decisionmaking machinery in the Commission and is leading work to streamline procedures and upgrade and integrate the IT tools supporting this process will see important new releases of the Commission's decision-making IT tool, Decide, which will introduce new functionality and improve the user experience. Another important area of activity for 2018 will be preparing for the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. To this end, a dedicated Brexit Preparedness Group has been set up within the Secretariat-General to ensure coordination of internal preparations for withdrawal, to oversee administrative and legislative changes as necessary, and to provide guidance both within the Commission and for citizens and stakeholders. Finally, as a central service of the Commission, the Secretariat-General's goal is to set an example in terms of gender equality, well-being and staff engagement. All staff participated in 2017 in an exercise to identify areas where the Secretariat-General could improve. As a direct result of this, actions will be launched in 2018 through the 'SG we 4

5 want to be' initiative to improve working methods and the working environment, covering areas such as mobility, personal development, collaboration and communication with senior management. The Secretariat-General will also continue to strive to meet its targets for female representation in middle and senior management. 5

6 PART 1. MAIN OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR General objective A: A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment European Semester The Secretariat-General is responsible for coordinating the work of the Commission services on the European Semester of economic policy coordination. The main milestones of the European Semester cycle include the Annual Growth Survey, which launches the cycle by setting out general economic priorities for the EU and provides Member States with policy guidance for the following year. After the European-level guidance, the Commission services produce country-specific analysis in the country reports. These reports analyse Member States' economic and social situations and, for the Member States concerned, the state of play and developments with regard to macroeconomic imbalances. The European Semester is the vehicle through which the Commission monitors progress towards the Europe 2020 targets. The chapeau Communication accompanying the Commission's proposed country-specific recommendations will report on progress towards these objectives, in particular by providing a summary account of progress of the nine indicators linked to the Europe 2020 headline targets. The country reports will also contain reporting on Member States' performance in relation to their national Europe 2020 targets. The 2018 exercise will also integrate elements related to the European Pillar of Social Rights. Based on the analysis and the subsequent dialogue with Member States, the Commission proposes country-specific recommendations on a number of issues of macroeconomic and social relevance for each Member State. These recommendations are adopted by the Council. The Commission then monitors follow-up on the implementation of this guidance by the Member States. In related activities, the Secretariat-General will coordinate the follow-up to the December 2017 package on deepening the Economic and Monetary Union, working closely with other Commission services, notably the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs. It will also continue to coordinate the Commission's work on the implementation of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals, including the management of the multi-stakeholder platform and the preparation of a reflection paper 'Towards a sustainable Europe by 2030'. Relevant general objective: A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment Specific objective A1: To ensure sound public finances, prevent excessive macroeconomic imbalances, pursue structural reforms for jobs and growth and boost investment by providing integrated fiscal, economic, employment and social policy guidance to the Member States. All new initiatives and REFIT initiatives from the Commission Work Programme Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Reflection paper "Towards a sustainable Europe by 2030" Adoption by the Commission Autumn 2018 SG.D1 Other important outputs Output Indicator Target Lead 6

7 Unit(s) Country reports 1 Publication by Commission services February 2018 SG.D1 2 Country-specific Adoption by the Commission May 2018 SG.D1 recommendations 3 Annual Growth Survey 4 Adoption by the Commission November 2018 SG.D1 Multiannual Financial Framework As announced in President Juncker's State of the Union address and featured in the Roadmap for a more United, Stronger and More Democratic Union (October 2017), the Commission will present a comprehensive proposal for the post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework, including on own resources, in May This will be an opportunity to design an ambitious EU budget that will help the Union to fulfil its ambitions and deliver EU added value to Europe's citizens across a range of policy areas. There will also be a strong focus on further simplifying the Union's financial programmes so as to deliver results quickly on the ground. The preparation of the next Multiannual Financial Framework was launched in March 2017 with the publication of the White Paper on the Future of Europe. The subsequent Reflection Paper on the Future of EU Finances, published in June 2017, set out a series of options and scenarios regarding the future direction of the EU budget and how it could be used. The results of this political process will shape the Commission's proposals for the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Within the Commission, the Secretariat-General and the Directorate-General for the Budget will coordinate the work of the services to develop coherent and ambitious proposals fully aligned with the political priorities. Relevant general objective: A New Boost for Jobs, Growth and Investment Specific objective A3: The current MFF is reviewed and a new MFF put in place for the post-2020 period. All new initiatives and REFIT initiatives from the Commission Work Programme Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Post-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework proposal Adoption of by the Commission May 2018 SG.B1 1 Assessment of economic and social developments and challenges, of the reform agenda, of the implementation of country-specific recommendations and of progress in the implementation of the Europe 2020 strategy for each Member State. 2 Also responsible: DG ECFIN and DG EMPL (for the employment and social-related aspects) 3 Operational guidance to Member States on how to increase growth and jobs, including by removing bottlenecks preventing growth and job creation, and to promote sustainable public finances. The number and scope of the country-specific recommendations reflect the intensity and severity of the challenges faced by the Member States and the adequacy of their response to previous country-specific recommendations. 4 It sets out the European Union's economic priorities for the coming year and launches the annual European Semester cycle 7

8 General objective B: An Area of Justice and Fundamental Rights Based on Mutual Trust Cooperation and Verification Mechanism The Commission produces regular reports under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism, with particular regard to judicial reform and the fight against corruption in Romania, and organised crime in addition with respect to Bulgaria. Through the 2018 reporting, the Secretariat-General will bring together the Commission's work on its ongoing cooperation and analysis with national authorities and other key stakeholders, taking into account the political goal of being able to conclude the process during this Commission mandate. These reports are a specific contribution by the Secretariat- General in respect of two Member States to progress towards achieving the delivery of the Commission's broader general objective of creating an area of Justice and Fundamental Rights based on mutual trust. Relevant general objective: An Area of Justice and Fundamental Rights Based on Mutual Trust Specific objective B1: The rule of law is consolidated in Bulgaria and Romania through achieving the goals of the Cooperation and Verification Mechanisms. Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Cooperation and Verification Mechanism reports Adoption by the Commission (if required) Autumn 2018 SG.E1 5 Country-specific Adoption by the Commission May 2018 SG.D1 recommendations 6 Annual Growth Survey 7 Adoption by the Commission November 2018 SG.D1 5 Also responsible: DG ECFIN and DG EMPL (for the employment and social-related aspects) 6 Operational guidance to Member States on how to increase growth and jobs, including by removing bottlenecks preventing growth and job creation, and to promote sustainable public finances. The number and scope of the country-specific recommendations reflect the intensity and severity of the challenges faced by the Member States and the adequacy of their response to previous country-specific recommendations. 7 It sets out the European Union's economic priorities for the coming year and launches the annual European Semester cycle 8

9 General objective C: A Union of Democratic Change The work of the Secretariat-General in 2018 will contribute to the democratic change objective in a number of ways, including through better regulation policy and initiatives to improve stakeholder engagement, transparency, and engagement with citizens, national Parliaments and the other European institutions. Better regulation policy In 2018, the Secretariat-General will continue to provide guidance, coordination and quality control on regulatory policy and procedures with a view to ensuring the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of EU legislation and policies. It will: monitor the implementation of the 2018 Commission Work Programme, coordinate the preparation of the 2019 Commission Work Programme, and continue to manage the planning and validation process for new initiatives; provide guidance on planning and on the application of better regulation tools (impact assessment, stakeholder consultation, evaluation) through training, chairing inter-service networks, participating in inter-service groups, advising services, speaking at conferences in the EU, international organisations and abroad; promote quantification practice of regulatory costs, benefits and savings, in cooperation with the Joint Research Centre; manage the Commission infringement cycles (drawing on infringement data for evaluation and policy programming work); coordinate and implement the REFIT Programme including managing the REFIT Platform and related financing (supported by the EU programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs (COSME)); ensure policy coordination on evaluations and fitness checks and provide upstream and downstream advice and support for policy coordination of REFIT items; continue international regulatory cooperation exchanges, notably with the OECD; provide the secretariat to the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (see annex 1); continue to implement the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-Making, by pursuing relevant internal actions and follow-up with the European Parliament/Council; launch the preparatory work (in the first half of 2018) on a stock-taking of the Better Regulation Agenda, which will be finalised in the first half of As announced in the 2017 State of the Union address, the Commission established on 14 November 2017 the 'Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and "Doing Less More Efficiently"'. The Task Force will report to the President by 15 July 2018, making recommendations on how to better apply the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, identifying policy areas where work could be re-delegated or returned to Member States, as well as ways to better involve regional and local authorities in EU policy making and delivery. The Secretariat-General will provide the secretariat to this task force which will be chaired by First Vice-President Timmermans. The Task Force will present a report to the President of the Commission on its work and the Commission intends to adopt a Communication on further enhancing subsidiarity, proportionality and better regulation in the daily operation of the European Union (as set out in the Roadmap for a more United, Stronger and More Democratic Union) 9

10 Relevant general objective: A Union of Democratic Change Specific objective C1: Regulatory policy and related tools are fully developed and applied throughout the legislative cycle (planning to impact assessment to evaluation) in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of EU regulation. The acquis is 'fit for purpose' delivering its benefits by least cost. All new initiatives and REFIT initiatives from the Commission Work Programme Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Communication on options for enhancing efficiency at the helm of the European Union Communication on further enhancing subsidiarity, proportionality and better regulation in the daily operation of the European Union (Subsidiarity and Proportionality Task Force) Other important outputs Adoption by the Commission September 2018 SG.B2 SG.F2 Adoption by the Commission September 2018 SG.C2 SG.B2 SG.F1 SG.F3 Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Commission Work Programme Support the interinstitutional negotiations on the '"Reform of Comitology" - Commission proposal 2017/35 for an EP and Council Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission s exercise of implementing powers Support the interinstitutional negotiations on the "RPS/PRAC alignment" Commission proposals 2016/798&799 for two EP and Council Regulations adapting a number of legal acts providing for the use of the regulatory procedure with scrutiny to Art. 290 and 291 TFEU Opinions on impact assessments issued in 2018 support to the RSB Opinions on fitness checks and major evaluations issued in 2018 support to the RSB Adoption by the Commission October 2018 SG.C4 Adoption by co-legislators End 2018 SG.B2 Adoption by co-legislators End 2018 SG.B2 Timely delivery of opinions issued on all cases submitted by the Commission services Ongoing RSB SG.C1 SG.C2 Timely delivery of opinions Ongoing RSB SG.C2 10

11 Analysis of sensitive infringement cases Consolidate the information on the full life cycle of monitoring of the implementation and application of Union law, notably on the infringements management Support the inter-institutional negotiations allowing to supplement the Common Understanding on delegated acts with a catalogue of legally non-binding criteria for the delineation between delegated and implementing acts Quality, timelines and accuracy of information Themis/Infringements module fully operational Ongoing SG.C3 3 rd quarter of 2018 SG.R3 SG.C3 Adoption by co-legislators 3 rd quarter of 2018 SG.B2 LS Stakeholder engagement In order to strengthen the engagement of citizens, stakeholders and national Parliaments with EU policy making, and in line with its better regulation ambitions, the Commission is gradually building up a web portal where citizens and stakeholders can contribute to and track the law-making process: the Better Regulation Portal. This portal, which is developed under the steer of the Secretariat-General and in close collaboration with DG COMM, offers external stakeholders and the general public an easy to use, one-stop access point to Commission initiatives as well as the possibility to give feedback at relevant stages of the decision-making process. The Portal enables external stakeholders to better understand and participate in the Commission policy-making process. Its functionalities were extended in 2017 and will be improved further in Enhancing the dialogue with citizens, stakeholders and national Parliaments At the beginning of its mandate, the Commission made the commitment to forge a new partnership with national Parliaments as a way of bringing the European Union closer to its citizens. Next to increasing the number of direct contacts of Members of the Commission with national Parliaments, the Commission intensified its efforts to give timely, detailed and political replies to national Parliament opinions and will continue to do so. Further improvements will also be sought in relation to replies to opinions of the Consultative Committees, in particular with regard to their timeliness. The Secretariat- General will continue to coordinate the Commission's relations with the European Ombudsman and will focus in particular on making the collaboration more efficient and expeditious in Additionally, as part of the Democracy Package announced in the 2017 State of the Union address, the Commission has proposed to reform the Regulation on the European Citizen's Initiative to make it easier for citizens to set up and support initiatives. The Secretariat-General will support the negotiations in the European Parliament and the Council on this Regulation. In parallel, it will launch work to deliver on a pilot in 2018 for the foreseen online collaborative platform that will provide a discussion forum and information and advice to citizens and organisers of initiatives. Revision of European political parties and foundations Regulation In his State of the Union address on 13 September 2017, President Juncker announced the adoption of the Regulation on European Political Parties and Foundations. This legislative proposal aims to rectify identified shortcomings in particular in relation to the affiliations between national and European parties, increase political accountability, as 11

12 well as to mitigate problems in the application of the current rules. The Secretariat- General will now lead on the inter-institutional negotiations with a view to securing an early agreement so that the funding of parties in the year of the European Parliament elections (2019) is conducted in accordance with the new rules. Relevant general objective: A Union of Democratic Change Specific objective C2: A more democratic and accountable European Union opening up policy-making and enhancing its dialogue with citizens, stakeholders and national Parliaments. Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Follow-up to the European Ombudsman's requests Annual report on subsidiarity and proportionality and Annual report on relations with national Parliaments Follow-up to national Parliaments' (NPs) opinions Follow-up to the opinions of the consultative committees (CoR and EESC) Support the negotiations on the revision of the European political parties and foundations Regulation Support the negotiations on the revision of the European citizens' initiative Regulation Further development of the Better Regulation Portal Quality and timeliness of Ongoing SG.F3 follow-up Adoption by the Commission July 2018 SG.F3 Quality and timeliness of follow-up to reasoned opinions and opinions received within the political dialogue with NPs Quality and timeliness of follow-up to the opinions received from the Committee of the regions and the Economic and Social Committee. Ongoing Ongoing SG.F3 SG.D SG.E SG.F3 SG.D SG.E Adoption by co-legislators April 2018 SG.F1 Adoption by co-legislators End 2018 SG.C4 Roll-out of major release(s) further streamlining the possibilities for external stakeholders to provide feedback at relevant stages of the decision-making process and enabling them to track the progress of initiatives. End 2018 SG.A.1 Transparency policy The Juncker Commission has committed to "lead by example" when it comes to transparency. At the very beginning of its mandate, the College committed to high transparency standards. This lies at the heart of the Democratic Change priority in the Political Guidelines for this Commission. Being transparent about the way EU institutions work, including how they interact with interest representatives, is essential to ensuring public trust. One of the first actions of this Commission was to adopt new rules on transparency, publishing information on which stakeholders meet its decision-makers and top officials to discuss policy issues. This openness is coupled with a pledge to only meet 12

13 interest representatives featuring on the Transparency Register. To make the Transparency Register even more rigorous and credible, the Commission has invited the European Parliament and Council to adopt the same rules on only meeting registered organisations. The aim is to secure the same commitment from all the institutions to transparency when pursuing negotiations with them on the Proposal for an Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory Transparency Register. Joint legislative database As set out in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-making, the Commission is cooperating with the European Parliament and the Council to establish a Joint Legislative Portal, aiming to present the state of play on ongoing legislative files in a user-friendly manner, so that non-specialists can easily access information and underlying documents from all the Institutions. Following the drafting of a joint concept paper, work should now advance to the technical specifications and then development. Parliamentary questions The importance of Parliamentary questions was reiterated by President Juncker in a letter to President Tajani in March In this letter, the President assured that the Commission makes every effort to reply in good time and to provide high quality and politically pertinent replies. Revised guidelines on the management of parliamentary questions, developed by the Secretariat-General, are part of this effort. Relevant general objective: A Union of Democratic Change Specific objective C3: The public has easy access to information on the EU's work and contacts with stakeholders from the preparation stage to the final documents Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Support the negotiations on a new Interinstitutional Agreement for a mandatory register Joint database of legislative files Support negotiations for the IIA Better Lawmaking: follow-up on informing EP about international negotiations and on trilogue transparency, and horizontal follow-up Handling of Commission replies to European Parliament questions, supported by a wellperforming IT tool Adoption by co-legislators End July 2018 SG.B4 Continuation of preparatory work Joint database established SG.A1 SG.F1 Adoption by co-legislators Early 2018 SG.F1 SG.E SG.B Quality and timeliness of replies Ongoing SG.F1 SG.D, SG.E Revision of guidelines January 2018 SG.F1 Preparation of integration of BASIL in Decide SG.F1 SG.A1 13

14 General objective D: To help achieve its overall political objectives, the Commission will effectively and efficiently manage and safeguard its assets and resources, and attract and develop the best talents I. Policy coordination and political intelligence I(a). Coordination of policies The Secretariat-General s role is to ensure effective policy coordination for the delivery of all items in the Commission Work Programme. Work starts at the very early stages of policy development and planning, continues through the adoption of decisions and initiatives by the College, and culminates with the negotiation, adoption and implementation of Commission initiatives. The Secretariat-General coordinates in a variety of ways: by organising and chairing inter-service groups; preparing meetings of the project teams led by Vice-Presidents; and co-drafting documents and preparing detailed replies to inter-service consultations. The Secretariat-General also maintains an informed view of the legislative "acquis", policy debates and impact of existing policies on the ground. Furthermore, it coordinates relations with other institutions and bodies to help ensure the successful adoption of the President's priority initiatives. In 2018, this coordination activity will cover both the remaining proposals to complete the work on the political priorities of the Juncker Commission, and the longer-term initiatives announced in the Commission Work Programme and the Roadmap to Sibiu for a More United, Stronger and More Democratic Union (in grey in the tables). Examples of the Secretariat-General's policy coordination role The non-exhaustive examples below illustrate the central role that the Secretariat- General plays in a wide range of policy areas, as chef de file on certain initiatives or in close collaboration with the lead service(s) on others: Refugee crisis and migration The refugee crisis and the implementation of the European Agenda on Migration will remain key priorities in The Commission is pursuing a comprehensive approach to tackle these issues, with immediate crisis response measures to bring humanitarian support, to reduce the incentives for irregular migration and put stronger border management in place, and to put a more robust long-term framework in place. The Secretariat-General's role in 2018 will continue to include intensive coordination, steering and reporting, working together with key services (especially DG Migration and Home Affairs, DG Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, DG Humanitarian aid and Civil Protection, and the European External Action Service, as well as the Structural Reform Support Service) to deliver on the main policy deliverables for the year. This requires responsiveness to short-term needs, a consistent approach to working with third countries of origin and transit and monitoring efforts to provide a robust system of EU borders and migration management. As part of this work, the Secretariat-General will in 2018 continue being the lead service for the progress reports on the migration agenda. European Solidarity Corps Further to President Juncker's announcement in the 2016 State of the Union Address, the first phase of the European Solidarity Corps was launched following a Commission Communication in December Its key objective is to strengthen cohesion and solidarity in Europe by allowing more young people to participate in a wide range of 14

15 solidarity activities, either by volunteering or by gaining occupational experience in helping to address societal challenges. The legislative proposal in May 2017 puts the European Solidarity Corps on a firm footing by proposing a budget for the next three years and a dedicated legal base. The Secretariat-General in cooperation with all relevant services is working closely to ensure a swift adoption of the legislative proposal by colegislators in early 2018 and a continued broad roll-out of the European Solidarity Corps involving all relevant players. European Labour Authority The proposal to establish a European Labour Authority, announced in President Juncker's State of the Union Address 2017, will strengthen cooperation between labour market authorities at all levels and help better manage cross-border situations. It will be accompanied by further initiatives in support of fair mobility, such as a European Social Security Number. The Authority will serve a double function of better enforcement through enhanced coordination between national authorities and facilitating administrative processes for mobile people and authorities in the digital era. The Secretariat-General, taking part in a dedicated task-force, will help to ensure swift adoption by the Commission of the legislative proposal setting up the Authority in the first quarter of Defence The Secretariat-General plays a strong coordination role with respect to the implementation of the European Defence Action Plan (EDAP) and the Defence Package of June Through the High-Level Group on EDAP and defence-related matters which brings together the key Cabinets and services, the Secretariat-General will continue to ensure consistency between the different streams of work. In 2018, the focus will be on the implementation of the European Defence Fund, including with view of the next Multi-Annual Financial Framework. The Secretariat- General will help ensure consistency between Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) projects and all other Union policies. The Secretariat-General also coordinates in the context of EU-NATO cooperation to ensure proper involvement of relevant Commission services. It also supports Commission services in the implementation of concrete actions: in 2018, that will include the planning and execution of the parallel and coordinated exercise with NATO (PACE18), for which the EU will be in the lead. Energy Union One of the ten priorities of the present Commission is to establish an Energy Union. A European energy union will ensure that Europe has secure, affordable and climatefriendly energy. It will deliver jobs, growth and investments needed to modernise Europe's economy. The Commission has tabled the vast majority of the legislative proposals necessary to provide a predictable regulatory framework in this area. Enabling actions are being put in place to accelerate public and private investment and support a socially fair clean energy transition. The annual State of the Energy Union report of 2018, to be produced by the Secretariat-General, will be a key opportunity to take stock of achievements in this area both at EU and national level. Single Market Since the adoption of the Single Market Strategy in October 2015, the Commission has delivered on a number of important initiatives such as the Services Package, the proposal for a Single Market Information Tool, the proposal for a Single Digital Gateway as well as more recently the Public Procurement Package. In doing so, the Commission broadly followed the timetable set out in the Single Market Strategy while keeping in mind the European Council s request to have all Single Market initiatives adopted and put in place by the end of The last initiatives foreseen in the Single Market Strategy will be 15

16 adopted in the upcoming months but at the latest by mid Thus, the first priority of the Secretariat-General in this area will be to ensure a timely adoption of the remaining initiatives. At the same time, the focus will be gradually shifting to the inter-institutional discussions. The objective in those discussions will be to facilitate a swift agreement by the co-legislators while making sure that the key elements of the Commission proposals remain, to the extent possible, intact. The Secretariat-General will have an important role to follow the process, ensure collegiality and provide guidance and steer as necessary. Capital Markets Union Since the adoption of the Action Plan on building a Capital Markets Union in September 2015, the Commission has delivered on the majority of 33 foreseen actions in view of building an integrated Capital Markets Union by In June 2017, the Commission took stock of the progress and proposed new actions in response to evolving priorities and challenges. This included for example proposals to support SME listing on public markets, an initiative on FinTech, a package of measures addressing the problem of nonperforming loans and an initiative in support of sustainable finance. Thus, the priority for the Secretariat-General in 2018 will be to ensure timely delivery of the remaining initiatives, both those set out in the original Action Plan as well as those outlined in the recent mid-term review, in view of meeting the Commission s commitments in this key area. This will go hand in hand with efforts to ensure swift agreement on Commission proposals by co-legislators. A Connected Digital Single Market The Commission announced a number of initiatives in the Mid-Term Review of the Digital Single Market Strategy as well as in the Letter of Intent presented by the President on 13 September 2017 and in the 2018 Commission Work Programme. With the European Council having reaffirmed the need to complete work on this major programme in 2018, the Secretariat-General's work will centre on supporting the adoption of pending proposals and on continuing to address emerging issues. Trade policy As underlined in the State of the Union address 2017, trade policy will be a particular focus of the Commission's work in The conclusion of trade agreements with key partners adds to the development of a framework for screening of foreign direct investments into the European Union to make trade a key theme for The Secretariat-General has a particular role in ensuring consistency of approach and in drafting horizontal communications on key issues. Relevant general objective: To help achieve its overall political objectives, the Commission will effectively and efficiently manage and safeguard its assets and resources, and attract and develop the best talents Specific objective D1: The policy-making process is efficiently steered and coordinated in order to ensure that the ten political priorities of the Commission are delivered on time and in a collegial way. All new initiatives and REFIT initiatives from the Commission Work Programme Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Communication on the future of EU energy and climate policy, including the future of the Euratom Treaty and on the possible use of Article 192(2), second subparagraph Adoption by the Commission 2nd quarter of 2018 SG.D3 16

17 TFEU. Communication on the possibility of further enhancing the use of qualified majority voting and of the ordinary legislative procedure in internal market matters, including social and taxation matters on the basis of Article 48(7) TEU Initiative to strengthen the enforcement of the Rule of Law in the European Union Strategy for the successful EU accession of Serbia and Montenegro as frontrunner candidates in the Western Balkans Communication on the enhancement of the use of qualified majority voting in Common Foreign Policy Implementation of the European Agenda on Migration Implementation of the Digital Single Market Strategy Adoption by the Commission September 2018 SG.D2 SG.D4 SG.B2 Adoption by the Commission October 2018 SG.E1 SG.B2 Adoption by the Commission February 2018 SG.E3 Adoption by the Commission September 2018 SG.E3 Follow up of approach in September 2017 mid-term review and the CWP 2018 Adoption by the Commission of initiatives announced in the mid-term review of the Digital Single Market Strategy and the CWP st half of 2018 SG.E1 1st half of 2018 SG.E2 Clean Mobility Package III Adoption by the Commission 1 st half of 2018 SG.E2 Proposal setting up the European Labour Authority Other important outputs Adoption by the Commission 1 st quarter of 2018 SG.D4 Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Chairing of Steering Groups on all CWP items Leading the Coordination Team meetings on the Refugee Crisis Leading the Taskforce for the implementation of the Partnership Framework approach Reports on the implementation of the European Agenda on Migration Support the negotiations on the legislative proposal on The European Solidarity Corps Support the negotiations on the proposal on investment screening Successful completion of inter-service process Ongoing SG.D and SG.E Achievement of policy and Ongoing SG.DSG2 operational objectives of the SG.E1 EU's response to the refugee crisis Achievement of policy and Ongoing SG.E operational objectives of the new Partnership Framework approach Adoption by the Commission Quarterly 2018 SG.E1 Adoption by the colegislators Adoption by the colegislators Early 2018 SG.D SG.E3 17

18 State of the Energy Union 2018 progress report Adoption by the Commission Q SG.D3 I(b). Political intelligence and inter-institutional relations The Secretariat-General serves as a bridge between the President's and Vice-Presidents' Cabinets and services to connect technical information with political needs, and support the political actions carried out in decision-making, in influencing and engaging in EU policies with the other institutions and bodies. This is done through a mix of actions, i.e. direct ad-hoc requests to services, use of ready-made information material, briefings, flash reports and other reports about developments in the other institutions and bodies. Through the Secretariat-General, which coordinates the activities of all its services in this respect, the Commission maintains a permanent dialogue and interacts with the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council, the Member States, national Parliaments, the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee, as well as with the European Ombudsman. Furthermore, briefings are policy enablers and a key instrument of political representation. By providing the President and the Vice-Presidents with relevant policy and political intelligence aspects, from internal and external sources, they contribute to nurturing debates and building strategic approaches towards delivering the Commission priorities. Similarly, monitoring and analysis of social media activities improves the Commission positioning in inter-institutional relations and informs briefings. A particular focus of this work in 2018 will be shaping and preparing the regular meetings at Head of State or Government level foreseen in the Leaders' Agenda endorsed by the European Council in October The Secretariat-General will be responsible for coordinating the preparation of the Commission contributions to each of these discussions, and for close cooperation with the other Institutions in the preparation of these meetings. Joint Declaration The annual Joint Declaration on legislative priorities, created by the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-making and signed for the first time in December 2016 by the Presidents of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, has proved its worth as a means of maintaining political attention on key legislative files as they advance through the decision making process. The next Declaration will cover the whole period up to the European elections in 2019 and will help ensure as many as possible of the key priorities for the current mandate of the European Parliament and the Commission are adopted. Developments in the legislative process for these priority proposals will be monitored by the Secretariat-General on behalf of the Commission President to provide a basis for a weekly discussion between the Cabinets of Commissioners and the maintenance of political attention on these priorities. The Secretariat-General will also liaise with the services of the European Parliament and the Council to facilitate the interinstitutional monitoring of progress on the priority files, notably via the monthly meeting of the Interinstitutional Coordination Group and in preparing the follow-up meetings of the three Presidents provided for in the Interinstitutional Agreement on Better Law-making. 18

19 Relevant general objective: To help achieve its overall political objectives, the Commission will effectively and efficiently manage and safeguard its assets and resources, and attract and develop the best talents Specific objective D2: The Commission's prerogatives and positions in interinstitutional negotiations are defended. Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Modern and efficient framework for Commission inter-institutional positiontaking (GRI-procedures) Joint Declaration on legislative priorities: progress tracker Overview of ongoing trilogue negotiations Attendance and reporting of ongoing trilogue negotiations Inter-institutional calendar Modern and efficient framework for Commission inter-institutional positiontaking (GRI-procedures) Joint Declaration on legislative priorities: progress tracker Quality of service Ongoing SG.F1, input from all concerned SG units Accuracy and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1 with contribution from SG.D, SG.E and SG.B1 Accuracy and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1 Accuracy and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1, SG.D, SG.E and SG.B1 Regularly updated Quality of information Ongoing SG.F1 SG.F5 SG.R3 Quality of service Ongoing SG.F1, input from all concerned SG units Accuracy and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1 with contribution from SG.D, SG.E and SG.B1 Relevant general objective: To help achieve its overall political objectives, the Commission will effectively and efficiently manage and safeguard its assets and resources, and attract and develop the best talents Specific objective D3: The President and the Vice-Presidents are provided on time with high quality, fit-for-purpose briefings as well as flash reports on major institutional and international issues. Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s) Briefings for Commission representatives at institutional and external events Coaching and training sessions on delivering effective briefing contributions Reporting and analysis on EP activities Early warning messages on sensitive issues for the other Quality and timeliness Ongoing SG.F4 SG.F1 SG.F2 SG.F3 SG.E3 Number of people trained Ongoing SG.F4 activity Quality and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1 SG.D SG.E SG.B Timeliness of information Ongoing SG.F2 19

20 institutions and better anticipation of major issues of relevance for the European Council Reporting COREPER I & II and the relevant Council formations: Same day flash reports Preparation and circulation of SI notes Establish and maintain close working relationship with the Presidency, the GSC, the PEC Cabinet and expand the network of contacts with all MS Representation of the Commission in all Coreper meetings (including in all Mertens/Antici group meeting preparing Coreper I and II) Social media monitoring and analysis, providing political intelligence Accuracy and timeliness of information Quality and availability of information Timely and accurate organisation of appropriate representation in meetings, provision of political intelligence to Commission representatives. Quality of analysis Social media intelligence incorporated in briefings Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing (weekly) SG.F2 SG.D SG.E SG.B SG.F2 SG.F2 preparation based on input from SG.D / SG.E and SG.B SG.F5 20