Lobbying in practice – Setting the Commission’s Agenda

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The European Commission’s policy and legislative agenda do not emerge from the ether.

 

There is a well-structured process for deciding on the political priorities and setting the policy and legislative agenda.

 

They derive from:

  • European Council Strategic Agenda 
  • President-elect’s Political Guidelines
  • Mission Letters
  • Work Programme
  • Department 5-year Strategic Plan 
  • Department annual Management Plans 

The broad agenda for the five years ahead is set by the Heads of State and Government. On 20 June 2018 the  European Council adopted ‘Strategic Agenda 2019-2024’. This is the five year road political road map for the EU. It’s drafted in broad brush strokes.

This is taken by the President-designate, developed and incorporated into the Political Guidelines for the Commission (link).

 

The Political Guidelines provide the political rulebook for the next five years. New policies and proposals emerge from this text.

Greater specificity is laid out in the Mission-Letters for each individual Commissioner.  The key action items are spelt out in the annual Work Programme. This details the legislative and policy agenda and schedule for each Commission department, Directorate-General (DG).

Each year the Commission re-calibrates and adjusts.  The agenda is not static, and it evolves. Whilst every Commission works in different ways, the adoption of the 2019 Commission Work Programme gives a good illustration.

 

Box – Setting the Work Programme for 2019 in 2018

  • 10 July : Initial discussion in College on ‘Preparation of the Commission Work Programme for 2019 and organisation of interinstitutional work’
  • End of July: Firm initial list of proposals
  • Mid-August: State of Union drafted
  • End of August: College Discussion at Commission retreat
  • 13th September:  President Juncker State of Union (link)
  • 24th October: adoption of the Commission work programme (link)
  • 14th December: Joint Declaration on the Legislative Priorities (link) between the European Parliament, the Council and Commission

The package of submitted proposals is decided at the highest level (Director-Generals, Commissioners, Cabinets) and agreed to by 1stVice President Timmermans and President Juncker. The proposals are fine-tuned into a coherent package by an inner circle of staff reporting to the Secretary-General.

You may find officials forget the Political Guidelines and the Working Guidelines. Highlighting breaches, in letter or spirit, are a good way to seeing a proposal being re-considered.