management plan 2018 - european commission€¦ · heart of the european commission. as described...

Management Plan 2018

Secretariat-General

Ref. Ares(2018)317214 - 18/01/2018

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 .......................................................... 14

PART 2. MAIN ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR .. 33

A. Human resource management .................................................... 33

B. Financial Management: Internal control and risk management ........ 35 C. Information management aspects ............................................... 37 D. External communication activities ............................................... 39 E. Examples of initiatives to improve economy and efficiency of

financial and non-financial activities of the DG ........................... 41

ANNEX 1 REGULATORY SCRUTINY BOARD .............................................. 44

ANNEX 2 EUROPEAN FISCAL BOARD ...................................................... 46

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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 2018. 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 2017. 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 2016-2020

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 high-

quality 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

2017. The Secretariat-General and the Directorate-General for the Budget will lead inter-

service 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

https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/strategic-plan-2016-2020-dg-sg_april2016_en.pdf

https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/strategic-plan-2016-2020-dg-sg_april2016_en.pdf

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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 stock-

taking 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. 2018 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 decision-

making machinery in the Commission and is leading work to streamline procedures and

upgrade and integrate the IT tools supporting this process. 2018 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

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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.

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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.

Main outputs in 2018:

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


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Unit(s)

Country reports1 Publication by Commission services February 2018 SG.D12

Country-specific

recommendations3

Adoption by the Commission May 2018 SG.D1

Annual Growth

Survey4

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 2018. 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.


Specific objective A3: The current MFF is reviewed and a new MFF put in place for

the post-2020 period.




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

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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.



Unit(s)

Cooperation and

Verification

Mechanism reports

Adoption by the Commission (if required)

Autumn 2018

SG.E15

Country-specific

recommendations6

Adoption by the Commission May 2018 SG.D1

Annual Growth

Survey7

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

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 2019.

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)

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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.




Unit(s)

Communication on options

for enhancing efficiency at

the helm of the European

Union

Adoption by the Commission September 2018 SG.B2

SG.F2

Communication on further

enhancing subsidiarity,

proportionality and better

regulation in the daily

operation of the European

Union (Subsidiarity and

Proportionality Task Force)

Adoption by the Commission September 2018 SG.C2

SG.B2

SG.F1

SG.F3



Unit(s)

Commission Work

Programme

Adoption by the Commission October 2018 SG.C4

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

Adoption by co-legislators End 2018 SG.B2

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

Adoption by co-legislators End 2018 SG.B2

Opinions on impact

assessments issued in 2018

– support to the RSB

Timely delivery of opinions

issued on all cases

submitted by the

Commission services

Ongoing RSB

SG.C1

SG.C2

Opinions on fitness checks

and major evaluations issued

in 2018 – support to the RSB

Timely delivery of opinions Ongoing RSB

SG.C2

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Analysis of sensitive

infringement cases

Quality, timelines and

accuracy of information

Ongoing SG.C3

Consolidate the information

on the full life cycle of

monitoring of the

implementation and

application of Union law,

notably on the infringements

management

Themis/Infringements

module fully operational

3rd quarter of 2018 SG.R3

SG.C3

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

Adoption by co-legislators 3rd 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 2018.

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 2018.

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

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.


Specific objective C2: A more democratic and accountable European Union opening

up policy-making and enhancing its dialogue with citizens, stakeholders and

national Parliaments.



Unit(s)

Follow-up to the European

Ombudsman's requests

Quality and timeliness of

follow-up

Ongoing SG.F3

Annual report on subsidiarity

and proportionality and

Annual report on relations

with national Parliaments

Adoption by the Commission July 2018 SG.F3

Follow-up to national

Parliaments' (NPs) opinions


follow-up to reasoned

opinions and opinions

received within the political

dialogue with NPs

Ongoing SG.F3

SG.D

SG.E

Follow-up to the opinions of

the consultative committees

(CoR and EESC)


follow-up to the opinions

received from the

Committee of the regions

and the Economic and Social

Committee.

Ongoing SG.F3

SG.D

SG.E

Support the negotiations on

the revision of the European

political parties and

foundations Regulation

Adoption by co-legislators April 2018 SG.F1


the revision of the European

citizens' initiative Regulation

Adoption by co-legislators End 2018 SG.C4

Further development of the

Better Regulation Portal

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

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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 2017. 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.


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



Unit(s)

Support the negotiations on a

new Interinstitutional

Agreement for a mandatory

register

Adoption by co-legislators End July 2018 SG.B4

Joint database of legislative

files

Continuation of preparatory

work

Joint database established

2018

2020

SG.A1

SG.F1

Support negotiations for the

IIA Better Lawmaking:

follow-up on informing EP

about international

negotiations and on trilogue

transparency, and horizontal

follow-up

Adoption by co-legislators Early 2018 SG.F1

SG.E

SG.B

Handling of Commission

replies to European

Parliament questions,

supported by a well-

performing IT tool


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

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 2018. 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 2016. Its key objective is to strengthen cohesion and

solidarity in Europe by allowing more young people to participate in a wide range of

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 co-

legislators 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 2018.

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 2017. 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 climate-

friendly 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 2018. The last initiatives foreseen in the Single Market Strategy will be

16

adopted in the upcoming months but at the latest by mid-2018. 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 2019. 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 non-

performing 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 2018. 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 2018. 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.




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

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

Adoption by the Commission September 2018 SG.D2

SG.D4

SG.B2

Initiative to strengthen the

enforcement of the Rule of

Law in the European Union

Adoption by the Commission October 2018 SG.E1

SG.B2

Strategy for the successful

EU accession of Serbia and

Montenegro as frontrunner

candidates in the Western

Balkans

Adoption by the Commission February 2018 SG.E3

Communication on the

enhancement of the use of

qualified majority voting in

Common Foreign Policy

Adoption by the Commission September 2018 SG.E3

Implementation of the

European Agenda on

Migration

Follow up of approach in

September 2017 mid-term

review and the CWP 2018

1st half of 2018 SG.E1

Implementation of the Digital

Single Market Strategy

Adoption by the Commission

of initiatives announced in

the mid-term review of the

Digital Single Market

Strategy and the CWP 2018

1st half of 2018 SG.E2

Clean Mobility Package III Adoption by the Commission 1st half of 2018 SG.E2

Proposal setting up the

European Labour Authority

Adoption by the Commission 1st quarter of

2018

SG.D4



Unit(s)

Chairing of Steering Groups

on all CWP items

Successful completion of

inter-service process

Ongoing SG.D and

SG.E

Leading the Coordination

Team meetings on the

Refugee Crisis

Achievement of policy and

operational objectives of the

EU's response to the refugee

crisis

Ongoing SG.DSG2

SG.E1

Leading the Taskforce for the

implementation of the

Partnership Framework

approach

Achievement of policy and

operational objectives of the

new Partnership Framework

approach

Ongoing SG.E

Reports on the

implementation of the

European Agenda on

Migration

Adoption by the Commission Quarterly 2018 SG.E1


the legislative proposal on

The European Solidarity

Corps

Adoption by the co-

legislators

Early 2018 SG.D4


the proposal on investment

screening

Adoption by the co-

legislators

2018 SG.E3

18

State of the Energy Union

2018 progress report

Adoption by the Commission Q4 2018 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 2017. 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.

19




Specific objective D2: The Commission's prerogatives and positions in inter-

institutional negotiations are defended.


Output Indicator Target Lead Unit(s)

Modern and efficient

framework for Commission

inter-institutional position-

taking (GRI-procedures)

Quality of service Ongoing SG.F1, input

from all

concerned

SG units

Joint Declaration on

legislative priorities: progress

tracker

Accuracy and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1 with

contribution

from SG.D,

SG.E and

SG.B1

Overview of ongoing trilogue

negotiations

Accuracy and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1

Attendance and reporting of

ongoing trilogue negotiations

Accuracy and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1,

SG.D, SG.E

and SG.B1

Inter-institutional calendar Regularly updated

Quality of information

Ongoing SG.F1

SG.F5

SG.R3

Modern and efficient

framework for Commission

inter-institutional position-

taking (GRI-procedures)

Quality of service Ongoing SG.F1, input

from all

concerned

SG units

Joint Declaration on

legislative priorities: progress

tracker

Accuracy and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1 with

contribution

from SG.D,

SG.E and

SG.B1




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

Quality and timeliness Ongoing SG.F4

SG.F1

SG.F2

SG.F3

SG.E3

Coaching and training

sessions on delivering

effective briefing

contributions

Number of people trained Ongoing

activity

SG.F4

Reporting and analysis on EP

activities

Quality and timeliness Ongoing SG.F1 SG.D

SG.E

SG.B

Early warning messages on

sensitive issues for the other

Timeliness of information Ongoing SG.F2

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

Accuracy and timeliness of

information

Ongoing SG.F2 SG.D

SG.E

SG.B

Establish and maintain close

working relationship with the

Presidency, the GSC, the PEC

Cabinet and expand the

network of contacts with all

MS

Quality and availability of

information

Ongoing SG.F2

Representation of the

Commission in all Coreper

meetings (including in all

Mertens/Antici group meeting

preparing Coreper I and II)

Timely and accurate

organisation of appropriate

representation in meetings,

provision of political

intelligence to Commission

representatives.

Ongoing SG.F2

preparation

based on

input from

SG.D / SG.E

and SG.B

Social media monitoring and

analysis, providing political

intelligence

Quality of analysis

Social media intelligence

incorporated in briefings

Ongoing

(weekly)

SG.F5

21

II. Corporate policies and administrative coordination

The work of the Secretariat-General helps to ensure that the Commission functions in the

most effective and efficient manner and is administratively equipped to deliver on its

political ambitions. In this area, it coordinates a wide range of aspects such as strategic

planning and programming, ethics, information security and IT governance, document

and information management etc.

In addition to these ongoing responsibilities, a dedicated Brexit Preparedness Group

has been set up in the Secretariat-General on 1 December 2017 to ensure coordination

of preparations for the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union. The

preparations will in particular involve important internal coordination with the services of

the Commission and will materialise in information notices to the citizens and

stakeholders, legislative adaptation measures as well as administrative steps.

Furthermore, contingency plans and measures will be put in place to address the risk of

possible negative consequences and protect EU 27 interests in the absence of a

withdrawal agreement or transitional arrangements.

II(a). Strategic planning and programming

In 2018, the Secretariat-General will continue to promote the smooth functioning of the

Commission's corporate governance system, inter alia by preparing and following up on

meetings of key corporate governance bodies such as the Corporate Management Board

and groups such as the Group of Resource Directors.

The Secretariat-General will also coordinate the further implementation of the

Commission's reformed Strategic Planning and Programming framework. This framework

helps to ensure that the activities of the Commission services are fully aligned to the

political priorities of President Juncker; and strengthens the performance culture within

the Commission by requiring services to set clear objectives and subsequently to monitor

and report on performance. The Secretariat-General, working in close cooperation with

the other central services, supports this process by providing clear instructions and

templates for Management Plans and Annual Activity Reports, as well as ongoing advice

and support throughout the preparatory process.

The Secretariat-General also leads on the preparation of the Annual Management and

Performance Report for the EU budget, a key component of the Commission's corporate

reporting framework. It combines information on the performance of the EU budget and

on budgetary management. The report is the Commission's main contribution to the

annual budgetary discharge process and reflects the Commission's strong commitment to

transparency on budgetary performance and management.




Specific objective D4: A strong performance management framework is

implemented and resources are adequately allocated in all Commission services in

order to deliver efficiently on the political priorities of the Commission.



Unit(s)

Instructions for the

preparation of the 2019

Management Plans

implementing the Strategic

Plans 2016-2020

Instructions issued October 2018 SG.B1

Instructions for the Instructions issued 4th quarter of 2018 SG.B1

22

preparation of the 2018

Annual Activity Reports

Adoption of the 2017 Annual

Management and

Performance Report for the

EU budget (AMPR)

Adoption of the Report by

the Commission

By 15 June 2018 SG.B1

SG.C1

23

II(b). Information security and IT governance

The Secretariat-General is at the heart of the Commission's IT governance framework,

supporting the activities of the main governance bodies (the Corporate Management

Board, the IT Board and the Group of Resource Directors) involved in the oversight of the

Commission's IT investments and activities, working in close cooperation with the

Directorate-General for Informatics. In 2018, the Secretariat-General will continue to

work with other central services to proactively monitor IT investments and identify key

priority investment areas and projects to optimise synergies and efficiencies in the

organisation. In that overall context, the IT Board is also expected to steer the discussion

that would lead to the endorsement of a corporate ICT strategy.




Specific objective D5: Corporate IT investments and strategy are aligned with the

business priorities of the Commission..



Unit(s)

Assistance to the IT

Governance bodies in the

priority setting for budget

allocation for 2017 and 2018

for the common IT Budget on

Heading 5

Adoption of the budget

proposal by the Group of

Resources Directors

31 March 2018 SG.B1

The Information Security Steering Board (ISSB), chaired by the Deputy Secretary-

General and supported by the Secretariat-General, will continue to exercise its

operational responsibility for the governance of IT security as a whole within the

Commission. This includes the monitoring of the implementation of the Commission

decision on IT security and of the implementation of the IT Security Strategy covering IT

security awareness raising, the Digital Workplace security enhancements and the

implementation of key security processes as vulnerability management and risk

management.




Specific objective D6: The corporate information security is implemented by an

appropriate governance structure, strategy and framework in cooperation with DG

DIGIT and DG HR



Unit(s)

Information to the Corporate

Management Board on IT

Security Risks and

implementation of the IT

Security Strategy

Reports to the Corporate

Management Board

June and December

2018

SG.B1

24

II(c). Ethics

The Secretariat-General contributes at corporate level to the promotion and application of

the highest ethical standards in the EU civil service. This includes ethical conduct,

accountability and an anti-fraud environment at all levels of the organisation, including

prevention, guidance and sanctioning. It will provide support to Members of the

Commission in order to achieve full and coherent implementation of the new Code of

Conduct for Commissioners.

The 2019 elections to the European Parliament will be a key event in the democratic life

of the Union as well as an occasion for citizens to compare competing visions for the

future of Europe. The Secretariat-General is engaged in negotiating with the European

Parliament changes to the Framework Agreement rules with regard to the participation of

Commissioners in the campaign for European elections, as announced by President

Juncker in his 2016 State of the Union address and proposed to the European Parliament.




Specific objective D7: The highest ethical standards of service are promoted in

order to encourage ethical conduct, accountability and an anti-fraud culture at all

levels in the Commission.



Unit(s)

New Code of Conduct for

Commissioners and

subsequent

implementation/application

Adoption

Publication of mission costs

and Declarations of

Interests;

Updated websites


secretarial support to the

Independent Ethical

Committee

Adoption of Annual Report

on the application of the

Code

1 February 2018

(entry into force)

Ongoing

SG.B3

SG.B4

Swift and adequate replies to

consultations from the

Cabinets on the application of

the (new) Code of Conduct

for Commissioners


responses to consultations

Ongoing SG.B3

Follow-up to the evaluation

report of OLAF regulation

883/2013 with a possible

proposal to amend the

regulation

Decision on the follow-up to

the evaluation in view of a

possible Commission

proposal in 2018

2018 SG.B3

Application and review and

application of the 1979

Commission rules for

Patronage

Timely and accurate

application; review and

possible up-date of the rules

2018 SG.B3

Follow-up in the complaint

procedure as foreseen by the

Commission's Code of Good

Administrative Behaviour


replies

Ongoing SG.B3

Follow-up of the Quality and timeliness of Ongoing SG.B3

25

consultations by DG HR

concerning external activities

of former staff members (Art.

16 of the Staff Regulations)

replies

Renegotiation of the

Framework Agreement with

regard to electoral leave of

Commissioners

Agreement on new text January 2018 SG.F1

II(d). Business continuity

The objectives set for 2018 aim at ensuring the resilience of the institution in case of

disruption, therefore guaranteeing that it can continue to operate to the extent required,

including the management of classified information. Concretely, it is intended to finalise

the integration of the Cabinets into Business Continuity Management, reinforce the

Business Continuity practices already applicable to the Directorates-General by

appropriate exercises and to further streamline the IT tools currently in place for the

management of disruptions and crises.




Specific objective D8: The Commission is sufficiently resilient to face unexpected

events in an effective and coordinated manner and, in case of a major business

interruption, continues operating its critical and essential functions and returns to

normal activities within business relevant deadlines.



Unit(s)

Specific business continuity

exercising

Participation from all

relevant services

End 2018 SG.R4

Business continuity IT tool

(NOAH) improvement in

terms of user experience

(ease of access,

intuitiveness)

Launch of new, simplified

user interface

End 2018

SG.R4

Integration of Commissioners

and their Cabinets in

Business Continuity

Management

Finalisation of the analysis of

Cabinets’ needs

Approval and

implementation of agreed

measures

End 2018 SG.R4




Specific objective D9: Correct and timely transmission/consultation of classified

information by its intended recipients, in full compliance with Commission's

Security is ensured.



Unit(s)

Correct and timely delivery of The absence of disruptions Ongoing SG.R4

26

EU classified information

(EUCI) to the

Commissioners, their

Cabinets and within the SG

in the delivery of EUCI

27

II(e). Document and information management

The Secretariat-General coordinates and leads the policies on information management,

document management and archives management of the Commission.

In 2018, the implementation of the Commission's ambitious Data, Information and

Knowledge Management strategy will continue through a two year work programme for

2018 and 2019. The work programme will be continuously monitored by the Information

Management Team (IMT), which consists of experts from across the Commission and

reports to the Information Management Steering Board, chaired by the Deputy

Secretary-General. The Secretariat-General leads this work, coordinating the monitoring

and reporting process and providing the secretariat to both the Board and the

Information Management Team.

The Secretariat-General will continue to improve the Commission's corporate document

management suite, Hermes-Ares-NomCom, so that Commission documents are captured,

filed, shared, preserved and kept accessible for as long as is needed. Via a new

integration model, the Secretariat-General will allow key corporate systems to benefit

from the long term preservation of information and content they manage in the same

way as for information and content in Hermes-Ares-NomCom. In addition, the

Secretariat-General will upgrade the tools for managing and capturing relevant content in

Hermes which is stored in collaborative spaces which will then also benefit from the listed

functionalities. Furthermore, the full deployment of the interinstitutional digital archives

repository and the further development of the related archives management system will

ensure enduring access (30+ years) to our institutional memory and allow the

Commission to fully comply with the Archives Regulation.

In the area of archives management, the 2017 audit of the EU Historical Archives at the

European University Institute (EUI) in Florence issued recommendations to improve the

budgeting and activity reporting by the EUI. The Secretariat-General is responsible for

the framework partnership agreement and annual grant agreements with the EUI, also

on behalf of the other EU institutions that contribute to the budget of the EU Historical

Archives. The Secretariat-General will seek to implement the audit recommendations in

close cooperation with the other Institutions.




Specific objective D10: The Commission's policy on information management,

including document management and archiving, is developed and implemented to

ensure appropriate access to information for Commission officials in the framework

of their duties and the institution's memory.



Unit(s)

Major upgrade of HAN

(Hermes-Ares-NomCom)

Roll-out of the new HAN

versions

End 2018 SG.B1

Hermes Repository Services New features for Ares Bridge

(interface allowing the

capture and preservation of

content and information

managed in collaborative

spaces)

End 2018 SG.B1

External audit report on the


budget and work programme


recommendations of the

audit report

1st semester 2018 SG.B1

28

for the EU Historical Archives

Full deployment of the

archival repository (Hermes

Preservation Services, HPS

II) and development of the

future archive management

module (HPS III), with a view

to deployment in 2019

Decision on way forward on

HPS III (buy or build).

Solution design defined

(target architecture, tailored

use cases and required

infrastructure)

End 2018 SG.B1

Work programme for 2018-

2019 on data, information

and knowledge management

Implementation of the work

programme

ongoing SG.B1

II(f). Data protection

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is directly applicable to EU

Member States, entered into force on 24 May 2016, and shall apply from 25 May 2018.

The EU institutions and bodies internal data protection regime, the Data Protection

Regulation (EC) N°45/2001, needed to be aligned with the new rules of the GDPR for a

simultaneous entry into force in May 2018. The revision of Regulation (EC) N°45/2001

was launched at the end of 2016, and the Commission presented a proposal for a new

regulation on 10 January 2017 which then entered the legislative procedure with the EP

and the Council. The adoption is likely to happen in February 2018. The Data Protection

Officer (DPO) has a crucial role primarily at the beginning of 2018 in advising DG JUST

and other involved stakeholders on any issues which might arise during the last rounds

of negotiations on the Commission's proposal, as well as cooperating with the EDPS and

the DPO network in order to contribute to the joint reflection and the preparation of the

Commission services for the forthcoming changes of the internal data protection rules

and procedures.

Once the text of the new regulation is finalised, the DPO will undertake an important

assignment during 2018 to realise a successful implementation of the new data

protection regime in the Commission.

This involves for example the adoption of new implementing rules for the DPO which

responds to the new requirements in the Regulation, contribution to implementation

action plans, as well as assisting and advising the Commission's services on the

measures required to ensure compliance with the new rules which will have an impact on

their operations and procedures.

In relation to the above and with the intention to maintain the high degree of compliance

of the Commission also in the new legal framework, the DPO will continue and reinforce

its effort to reach out and raise staff awareness. The main information and training

activities in 2018 will focus on the implications of the new legal package and will require

revision and development of more in-depth data protection training.




Specific objective D11: Commission services respect the right to protection of

personal data.



Unit(s)

Finalise and ensure adoption

of new implementing rules

for the DPO.

Adoption of the new

implementing rules by the

Commission.

Q1 2018 DPO

29

Assisting and advising the

Commission's services on the

measures required to ensure

compliance with the new data

protection regulation.

Completion End 2018 DPO

Data Protection Awareness

and training campaign on the

new data protection

regulation.

Completion End 2018 DPO

Conceiving and designing

new operational procedures

and a new IT system in order

to comply with the new

regulation.

Successful implementation

of the new operational

procedures and a new

smoothly running IT system

in place

Q3 2018 DPO,

SG.R3

30

III. Commission decision - making process

III(a). Managing the decision-making procedures

The Commission adopts almost 10,000 decisions per year. For each type of decision,

appropriate procedures are in place to manage the files effectively and efficiently

according to political, legal and institutional requirements, while ensuring continuity in a

changing internal context.

In addition, the sound upstream planning and coordination with client services across the

institution as well as the timely transmission, notification and/or publication of the

decisions complement the effectiveness of the decision-making process. Its efficiency

also relies on the pace of streamlining the underlying processes as well as their digital

transformation towards an e-Commission.

In this context, particular attention is paid to improving working arrangements and

understanding between services for the handling of files which (i) are cyclical, (ii) consist

of packages of documents and (iii) are considered as politically sensitive due to the

subject of the initiative, financial implications or significant interest for the public or

media.




Specific objective D12: The Commission's decision-making process runs smoothly,

works continuously and is effectively managed and monitored.



Unit(s)

Timely and regular adoption

and post-adoption process

Quality of adoption and

post-adoption handling

Respect of legal and political

requirements

Ongoing SG.A2

SG.A3

Reinforced monitoring, early

warning, information and

evaluation system in place

Identification of sensitive

files

Innovative solutions

proposed

Ex-post assessments on the

handling of complex cases

Ongoing SG.A2

SG.A3

Chairing of Fast-Track inter-

service meetings

Successful completion of

inter-service consultation

Ongoing SG.D

SG.E

SG.B

31

III(b). Procedural rationalisation, information and advice and

development of the related IT systems

In 2018, the main objectives for the Commission decision-making process will continue

to be the rationalisation of the processes and procedures, the streamlining of IT systems

and the information quality assistance to users.

These main objectives will be pursued inter alia in the context of: (i) the next deliveries

of Decide, the integrated IT system aiming at rationalising the handling of the

Commission's decision-making process, (ii) the continuous development of procedural

guidance given by the Registry's centre of expertise for SG corporate procedures

(essentially through GoPro, the procedural helpdesk and ad hoc trainings), (iii) the

scrutiny of existing empowerments and the preparation of repealing or revision of some

of them, and (iv) the introduction of a new Common Drafting Tool for legal texts,

replacing LegisWrite.




Specific objective D13: Commission corporate procedures handled by the SG are

rationalised and streamlined. Relevant and up-to-date information and guidance to

users of procedures is provided.



Unit(s)

Cleaning of empowerments

Adoption of repealing or

revisions of existing

empowerments.

Ongoing SG.A1

Guidance and information on

procedures

Delivery of quality advice

given by the helpdesk and

through specific trainings

(e.g. induction programme).

Ongoing SG.A1

Further drafting and regular

updates of GoPro to increase

knowledge and respect of

procedures

Delivery of clear and

updated information on

procedures.

Ongoing SG.A1




Specific objective D14: The IT tools related to the decision-making process are

streamlined and rationalised.



Unit(s)

Further development of

Decide

Roll-out of major release(s)

covering:

Follow-up of on-going

priorities (rewriting of e-

Greffe into Decide Decision,

sending information to the

Better Regulation Portal and

the Register of Delegated

acts, further developing web

End 2018 SG.A1

32

services to link with DG

tools, etc.).

Adaptations of the system to

users' feedback and

procedural evolutions.

Further coverage of steps

and/or documents of the

decision-making process.

Decide interinstitutional

Introduction of a new

Common Drafting Tool legal

texts

First Pilot of XML editor

replacing LegisWrite and

integration of the Common

Drafting Tool in Decide.

Close co-operation with the

Council for the development

and use of a Common

Drafting Tool.

End 2018 SG.A1

33

PART 2. MAIN ORGANISATIONAL MANAGEMENT OUTPUTS FOR THE YEAR

A. Human resource management

For years, the Secretariat-General has promoted modern human resource management

based on highly qualified and motivated women and men performing in a healthy and

friendly environment.

As a key and central service of the Commission, the Secretariat-General's goal is to be an

example in gender equality, well-being and staff engagement. Amongst others,

recruitment, training, assessment, as well as quality of management, contribute to

achieving this objective.

Even though the Secretariat-General has not yet reached the target set of 40% of female

representation in middle and senior management roles for 2019, the Secretariat-General

will continue working towards the target, promoting the participation of female

colleagues in dedicated initiatives at local and corporate level. In mid-October 2017,

female representation was at 27.3% for Senior Management and 29% for Middle

Management.

According to the Staff Survey results, well-being has considerably improved since 2014,

with excellent results concerning workload and the working atmosphere. However, some

concerns were brought up in the 2016 Staff Survey and in order to address them, the

Secretariat-General developed in a highly participatory approach, involving staff at all

levels, the design of the follow-up actions (so called "SG we want to be" initiative). The

follow-up actions are based on improvements needed in the fields of mobility, personal

development, collaboration and communication with senior management and others. In

addition, various channels of internal communication will be used to support the

implementation of the follow-up actions to the Staff Survey, while more interactive

communication tools will be promoted, such as interviews and talks from senior

management.

The revamped exercise of the Unit Management Plans will be held annually with the goal

to measure the workload indicators and improve the units' needs and performance.

Additionally, a dedicated mobility exercise will be launched at the end of 2017/early

2018, to address the need expressed by colleagues of working on various topics after a

certain amount of time and enhance their professional development and the Secretariat-

General's performance. The participation in the exercise will be voluntary and will be

supported by the Business Correspondent team in the Secretariat-General.

The HR Modernisation project as laid down in the Communication on Synergies and

Efficiencies in the Commission continues to be rolled out in the Commission. HR services

for DGs are now delivered by the Account Management Centres (AMCs). Within each DG,

the HR Business Correspondent coordinates strategic HR matters and prepares the

related decisions of the DG's management. The Secretariat-General has moved to the

new HR delivery model in 2017 and is supported by AMC 5 which serves the following

group of DGs: College, COMM, EPSC, HOME, IAS, JUST, OLAF, SG, SJ. As part of the

Modernisation project, the Secretariat-General has now an HR Business Correspondent,

responsible for defining HR strategy and taking HR decisions, in consultation with the

management of the DG. With the intention of working towards a higher staff

engagement, the Business Correspondence team will work in 2018 on a number of

activities, always in coordination with DG HR.

Definition of HR strategy and priority actions to make progress towards the Strategic Plan

targets are the responsibility of the HR Business Correspondent and will continue to be

addressed in the Secretariat-General's Management Plan and Annual Activity Report.

http://www.cc.cec/sg/vista/home?documentDetails&DocRef=SEC/2016/170&ComCat=SPINE

http://www.cc.cec/sg/vista/home?documentDetails&DocRef=SEC/2016/170&ComCat=SPINE

34

Objective: The SG deploys effectively its resources in support of the delivery of

the Commission priorities and core business, has a competent and engaged

workforce, which is driven by an effective and gender-balanced management

and which can deploy its full potential within supportive and healthy working

conditions.


Output Indicator Target Lead Unit

(s)

HR Scorecard: monthly

figures on available

resources, vacant

posts and working

patterns

Delivery Quarterly SG.R1

(AMC5)

Unit Management

Plans 2018 exercise

Delivery once a year End of 2018 SG.R1

SG Voluntary Mobility

Exercise 2018

Completion of the exercise End of 2018 SG.R1

SG HR Report Delivery once a year End of 2018 SG.R1

Activities related to

enhancing staff

engagement and

promoting

participation in the

Staff Survey 2018

including

communication on the

“SG we want to be”

Participation rate (p.r)

Staff engagement index

(s.e.i) ,

p.r.≥55%

s.e.i ≥66%

SG.R1

SG.F5

Local fit@work

programme targeted

to SG's needs

Information sessions to help

staff to improve work-life

balance

6 sessions per year

(1 every second

month)

AMC5

(SG.R1)

Follow-up on target on

female representation

in middle management

(SEC(2017)359)

Distance from the target set

for 2019 ( 6 newly-appointed

female middle managers)

4 by the end of

2018

SG.R1

35

B. Financial Management: Internal control and risk management

The Secretariat-General is on track to reach the internal control and risk management

yearly targets set in the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan.

At the end of 2017 and beginning 2018, the current internal control information flow will

be reviewed with a view to align it with the new Commission's Internal Framework

(C(2017)2373). As a DG managing a relatively limited budget, the current internal

control system is efficient and effective and no major changes under the new framework

are expected.

Objective 1: Effective and reliable internal control system giving the necessary

guarantees concerning the legality and the regularity of the underlying

transactions.



(s)

Legality and regularity

of the underlying

transactions

Error rate detected on the

legality and regularity of the

underlying transactions for

administrative budget

implementation

Error rate below

2% for

administrative

budget

implementation

SG.R1

Objective 2: Effective and reliable internal control system in line with sound

financial management.



(s)

Timely execution of

payments

Percentage of payments on

the administrative budget

made within the time limits

95% SG.R1

Reporting on

budgetary execution

including a financial

dashboard

Completion Monthly SG.R1

Full commitment of

appropriations

Completion >99% end 2018 SG.R1

Cost effectiveness of

controls

Cost of control over

expenditure

<5% SG.R1

36

Objective 3: Minimisation of the risk of fraud through application of effective

anti-fraud measures, integrated in all activities of the DG, based on the DG's

anti-fraud strategy (AFS) aimed at the prevention, detection and reparation of

fraud.



(s)

Up-to-date SG Anti-

Fraud Strategy

Preparation and

implementation of revised

strategy

End 2018 SG.R1

37

C. Information management aspects

Effective information management is key for the Secretariat-General. It ensures

transparency in policy making, appropriate handling of the whole lifecycle of the

information as well as efficient collaboration.

In the area of data, information and knowledge management, in October 2016 the

Commission adopted a new corporate strategy which establishes a corporate framework,

while giving the DGs the possibility to develop their own tailored approaches.

In this framework, the Secretariat-General has been developing its strategic approach

towards an effective and efficient information management. The main objectives are two-

fold: i) information sharing by facilitating document accessibility and ensuring the

systematic document filing ii) modernisation of the working methods by encouraging

collaborative working and the use of the paperless e-signatory.

The Secretariat-General considers the delivery of highly-performing information systems

at corporate level as a key priority. These systems support the making and

implementation of EU law and promote a transparent approach towards citizens. At the

same time, the Secretariat-General fosters the development of a digital culture within its

organisation to enable staff to work collaboratively and share knowledge and information

more easily. Finally, the Secretariat-General promotes innovation in different ways, e.g.

by exploiting the potential of big data and data analytics.

Objective: Information and knowledge in your DG is shared and reusable by

other DGs. Important documents are registered, filed and retrievable.


Output Indicator Target Lead Unit (s)

Sharing information –

Expanding the readers

of SG files -

Identification of file

types with corporate

interest - Awareness

action and bilateral

meetings

Percentage of files shared

with at least one other

DG/service

10% SG.R2

Protecting sensitive

documents filed in a

file with expanded

readers – adopting

new working habits –

Awareness action and

regular quality check

action

Percentage of registered

documents with appropriate

markings filed in a file with

expanded readers

> 75% SG.R2

Paperless e-signatory

– revision of the

existing SG

instructions in order to

extend the use of a

100% electronic

validation to other SG

document types

Percentage of registered

documents with a fully

approved e-signatory (no

paper circulation in parallel)

40% SG.R2

38

Sharing information –

Ensuring that SG

registered documents

are filed – Regular

check (DMO report)

with special attention

paid to documents

created via an

integration in the

document

management systems

(Hermes - Ares –

NomCom)

Percentage of documents

created by SG without filing –

e-Domec statistics

< 2% SG.R2

Registration of emails

via Areslook –

Compulsory trainings

for SG newcomers

Percentage of trained

newcomers

> 90% SG.R2

Promote collaborative

working, knowledge

and information

sharing

Number of MyIntraComm,

Connected and CircaBC

collaborative sites used in SG

40 MyIntraComm

sites;

20 CircaBC sites

SG.R3

39

D. External communication activities

The external communication activities of the Secretariat-General contribute to the

objective set in the 2016-2020 Strategic Plan of supporting the President's political

priorities. Working closely with the Spokesperson's Service and DG Communication, the

Secretariat-General contributes to public awareness and understanding of the work of the

European Union in many key areas: promoting jobs, growth and investment, making the

EU more democratic, implementing the Better Regulation Agenda, etc.

In 2018, the Secretariat-General will collaborate closely with DG Communication and DG

Economic and Financial Affairs to develop a common comprehensive communication plan

on the European Semester taking i.a. into account the upcoming Court of Auditors report

and an evaluation of communication by the European Court of Auditors.

Objective: Citizens perceive that the EU is working to improve their lives and

engage with the EU. They feel that their concerns are taken into consideration in

European decision making and they know about their rights in the EU.



(s)

Keeping the new SG

content on Europa up

to date and of good

quality using i.a. the

SG communication

network

Percentage of SG content

transformed

Percentage of up-to-date SG

pages

100%

100%

SG.F5

Contributing to

consistency and

quality of the

Commission content

on Europa through co-

chairing or

participating in

relevant editorial

boards for the 15

thematic classes

To be agreed when thematic

editorial boards are launched

End 2018 SG.F5

Enhancing direct reach

of SG communication

actions via Europa

pages

Number of unique visitors to

the SG pages promoted

through communication

actions

Increase by 30% as

compared to 2017

or status before

start of

communication

actions

SG.F5

Better regulation

communication

campaign to raise

awareness on the

better regulation

agenda and on the

feedback and

consultation

opportunities available

for citizens and

stakeholders, and to

increase the level of

involvement for

specific consultation

opportunities

Number of posts via social

media

Number of promoted

initiatives

Number of visits to the web

portal

Number of visits to the

related web pages

Number of contributions

Enhanced number of

contributions from

underrepresented countries

Communication plan

implemented and updated

taking into account feedback

Increase by 30%

compared to 2017

average (March-

December)

SG.F5

40

and results

Producing and

implementing a joint

communication plan

(with ECFIN and

COMM) on the

European Semester,

following up on

recommendations from

the European Court of

Auditors

Communication plan agreed

between services and

adopted


communication plan

June 2018

End 2018

SG.F5 SG.D1

COMM

ECFIN

Annual communication spending:

Baseline (2017) Estimated commitments (2018)

360 000 EUR managed by F5 (including

250 000 EUR from COSME programme

for paid promotion of Better Regulation

Agenda)

580 000 EUR for communicating

European Citizens’ Initiative managed by

C4

8 000 EUR from COSME for REFIT

scoreboard online publication managed

by C1

SG publications budget – History of the

Commission Vol3 – 300 000 EUR

All together 1 168 000 EUR

410 000 EUR managed by F5 (including 300

000 EUR from COSME programme for paid

promotion on Better Regulation Agenda)

500 000 EUR for communicating European

Citizens’ Initiative managed by C4

8 000 EUR from COSME for REFIT scoreboard

online publication – managed by C1

SG publications budget – History of the

Commission Vol.3 – 50 000 EUR

All together 960 000 EUR

41

E. Examples of initiatives to improve economy and efficiency of financial and non-financial activities of the DG

Example(s) of economy and efficiency Unit(s)

providing

the

example(s):

Use of electronic procurement corporate solution (e-Procurement) for the

procurement of the SG ICT services.

The Communication "Synergies and Efficiencies in the Commission –

New Ways of Working" identifies e-Procurement as one of the actions to

boost efficiency and effectiveness and declares it shall become

mandatory as from 2017 onwards.

The usage of e-Procurement will reduce the cost of administration by

eliminating low-value tasks and will contribute to reduce the time-to-

pay. Therefore, introducing e-Procurement will generate savings beyond

the ICT domain by saving time of staff in operational and financial

management of various transactions (e-request, e-order, e-fulfilment, e-

invoice). The overall efficiency of the process will improve.

SG.R1, SG.R3

Use of electronic tender procedure corporate solution (e-Tendering) for

the launch of public tenders with publication. The usage of e-Tendering

will streamline the tender procedures and reduce paper handling in

2018.

SG.R1, SG.R3

Publication of mission expenses reports of the Commissioners

The commitment to publish the mission expenses of the Commissioners

stems from the State of the Union speech of 13 September 2017. In this

speech, President Juncker announced a new "Code of Conduct for

Members of the Commission". Since the current ATMOS application

already publishes the Commissioners' and Cabinet Members' meetings

with interest representatives, the Secretariat-General's IT team is

leveraging the ATMOS application by adding new functionalities to allow

for the publication of the mission expenses.

This system supports a common, coherent and efficient reporting of the

reimbursed mission costs of all Commissioners. It will increase the

transparency of the Commission and reduce the administrative burden

linked to the treatment of individual access-to-documents requests.

Overall, the image of the Commission will improve, in particular with

regard to the general public and civil society.

SG.B4, SG.R3

Study on the future of the Secretariat-General's registers

The Secretariat-General owns several information systems, which can

broadly be categorised as registers. They hold Commission information

made available to the public through web pages published on the Europa

website. While owned by the Secretariat-General, some systems are

internally used by the Commissioners' Cabinets (e.g. Carol – Cabinet

Register On Line) or by other Directorates-General (e.g. RegExp –

Register of Expert Groups), and some systems are also shared with

other institutions (e.g. Transparency Register, Joint Legislative

CA11, SG.A1,

SG.B1, SG.B2,

SG.B4, SG.C4,

SG.F1, SG.R3,

SG.DP, SG.SP

42

Database, RegDel – Register of Delegated Acts). While some of these

systems are not yet in production and are being developed (e.g.

RegDel), or designed (e.g. Joint Legislative Database), others are legacy

systems based on aging technologies.

It will be a strategic challenge for the Secretariat-General to implement

a coherent strategy for the consolidation and/or renewal of these

systems and to replace technological platforms that must be phased-out.

The possible synergies between these registers should lead to a further

rationalisation of the Secretariat-General’s system portfolio and help

reduce its maintenance costs. In line with the Commission's Digital

Transformation initiative, the renewal of the registers’ user interfaces on

Europa will result in a coherent and high-quality user experience a

stronger, more coherent digital presence of the Commission.

Study on the electronic access to the EC documents

The study will analyse a fully electronic solution to automate and

streamline the public access to the EC documents and the supporting

flows within the EC and with other EU Institutions, Member States and

third parties, from the first request of the applicant to the final answer of

the EC. The ultimate goal is to bring the EU decision-making process

closer to its citizens and to make it more cost-effective.

The analysis will focus on solutions for a user-friendly electronic access

to documents already disclosed under Regulation 1049/2001. Citizens

and other stakeholders should get a complete overview and history of

their document requests and be able to easily communicate with the EC.

They should formally receive the requested documents solely by

electronic means. For the SG and all Directorates-General, the new

solution should result in a substantial reduction of the time and effort

needed to treat access for document requests. The future generic

solution could be reused by any transnational, national or subnational

administration to effectively manage requests from the public for access

to documents.

SG.B4, SG.R3

Gradually extend the access to the Interinstitutional Calendar for the SG

staff

During 2017 the Secretariat-General's IT unit developed in collaboration

with Directorate F the Interinstitutional Calendar (IIC). Its main purpose

is to aggregate in a single view the most important events of the various

EU institutions. The calendar was developed on the MyIntraComm

SharePoint platform and is maintained collectively and efficiently by a

group of contributors. The information is collected and managed

centrally in a single location instead of being spread across multiple

tables and other follow-up tools. It is made available online but also in

printer friendly views for periods of 1, 3 or 6 months ahead. The

calendar is also accessible from mobile devices and gives users quick

access to all events "on the go".

The Secretariat-General will gradually extend the access to the

Interinstitutional Calendar to all interested staff who will get a quick

overview of key events with a high political profile. The calendar will also

serve as a planning instrument and knowledge management tool and

give easy access to agendas, minutes, relevant documents and links.

DIR F, SG.R3

43

Gestdem/Ares integration

GestDem is the IT application, shared by all DGs' coordinators, which is

used for the administrative handling of requests for access to the

Commission documents. Its integration with Ares (the Advanced Records

System of the Commission) will reduce the double encoding in both

systems and simplify the communication flow concerning requests for

access to documents.

SG.B4, SG.R2

and SG.R3

Electronic access to the Commission documents

The current landscape of tools supporting public access to the

Commission documents (GestDem and related tools) is fragmented and

outdated, there is very little automation and it is partially based on

phasing-out technology which will no longer be supported by DIGIT as

from 2021. The current system is cumbersome and not user-friendly.

Furthermore, it does not provide for an all-in-one case-management

system.

The proposal for a viable IT system for the electronic treatment of

access-to-documents requests (front and back office) will contribute to

the rationalisation of the Commission-wide handling of access-to-

documents requests.

SG.B4, SG.R3

44

ANNEX 1 REGULATORY SCRUTINY BOARD

As in 2017, in 2018 the Regulatory Scrutiny Board will continue to provide quality control

on impact assessments and evaluations and support implementation of Better

Regulation.

As its core business in 2018 the Board will aim to review and issue opinions on the

impact assessments and evaluations of an estimated 75 legislative proposals and

initiatives, submitted by the Commission services. The regular upstream meetings the

Board holds with DGs and other services, especially on particularly challenging IAs and

evaluations, are likely to have a positive influence on the quality of reports. In 2018 the

Board will continue providing its committed upstream work and guidance at early stages

of elaboration of evaluations and impact assessments. The Board developed and piloted a

system of "Quality performance ratings" for impact assessments and evaluations in 2017.

It allows for a more systematic approach to formulating the Board's assessment of the

quality of evaluations and impact assessments. In 2018 the Board will disseminate to

DGs more information about the 10 standard quality criteria used in these ratings, and

how these serve as a tool to measure and report on the overall quality of reports,

including of those resubmitted.

In 2018 the RSB will continue to support the Better Regulation Agenda and its application

by organising and participating in a wide range of interinstitutional and external outreach

activities. As a leading constituency in this policy area, and to respond to the

expectations of its stakeholders and counterparts, the Board will pursue and strengthen

its collaboration with the Commission Services, the European Parliament and the Council,

as well as with external stakeholders engaged in regulatory impact analysis and

evaluation, especially as regards its role in the wider EU regulatory process. In this

respect, in 2018, the RSB plans to organise its second annual conference with a view to

providing a platform for reflection and promotion of smart and evidence-based regulatory

design. The conference will promote exchanges of views on different aspects of

evaluation and impact assessment as well as systems in place at national levels. The

conference will take place in the second quarter of 2018. A technical workshop will take

place later in the year.

2018 will be the third year of the mandate of the RSB. During the course of this year the

Board will make an assessment of its own activities, challenges taken up, and solutions

put in place, and will present a compilation of its experience and lessons in its third

annual report, to be published in the first quarter of 2019.

45


Specific objective C.1: 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.



Unit(s)

Opinions on impact

assessments issued in 2018

Opinions on fitness checks

and major evaluations issued

in 2018

Number of impact

assessments, fitness checks

and evaluations reviewed

each year

On time delivery of the

opinions on impact

assessments, fitness checks

and evaluations

Improvement of the quality

of impact assessments,

fitness checks and

evaluations prepared by

Commission services after

interaction with the RSB,

based on a set of 10

standard quality criteria

established by the Board

75

In accordance with

article 9.1 of RSB

RoP

Ongoing

RSB/

SG.C1/

SG.C2*

Provision of better regulation

advice to DGs

Number of RSB meetings

with DGs

20 RSB

SG.C2*

Business Plan 2018 Publication of the RSB

Business Plan 2018

Q1 2018 RSB

Annual conference on the

regulatory scrutiny in the EU

Organisation of annual

conference

Q2 2018

RSB

Annual report on the

activities of the RSB in 2017

Publication of the RSB 2017

Annual report

February 2018 RSB

Experts workshop at

technical level on a

regulatory scrutiny matter

Organisation of workshop Q3 2018 RSB

* For the successful accomplishment of these outputs the RSB will benefit from the

assistance of unit SG.C2 as Secretariat to the board.

46

ANNEX 2 EUROPEAN FISCAL BOARD

The European Fiscal Board (EFB) is an independent advisory body of the Commission

contributing to the exercise of the Commission's functions in the multilateral fiscal

surveillance. The Board is supported by a secretariat which is attached, for administrative

purposes, to the Secretariat-General. In line with its mandate, the Board issues its advice

to the Commission on the prospective fiscal stance appropriate for the euro area, looking

at it as a single entity. This advice is issued once a year for the following year. In line

with the Commission Decision (EU) 2015/1937 establishing the EFB, the Board also

publishes an annual report covering the main areas of its responsibility. The report thus

covers issues such as (i) the evaluation of the implementation of the EU’s fiscal

framework; (ii) the assessment of the fiscal stance for the euro area as a whole; (iii)

national fiscal councils with a view to identifying aspects of best practice. Finally, the

report may also make suggestions on the future evolution of the EU’s fiscal framework.


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.



Unit(s)

Advice to the Commission on

the prospective fiscal stance

appropriate for the euro area

Publication by the European

Fiscal Board

1st half of 2018 EFB

Advice to the Commission on

the prospective fiscal stance

appropriate for the euro area

Publication by the European

Fiscal Board

1st half of 2018 EFB

Annual Report Publication by the European

Fiscal Board

2nd half of 2018 EFB

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