saeima's part in the work of the eu
TRANSCRIPT
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
Saeima’s part in the work of the EU
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
What is the Saeima?
The Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia, which is composed of 100 elected members of parliament
The Saeima:
adopts laws
monitors the work of the government
adopts the state budget
elects a number of state officials
ratifies international treaties
works in international parliamentary organisations
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
What is the European Union? The European Union (EU) consists of 27 European countries
EU goals:
to ensure peace, welfare, and stability for its nations
to overcome discords on the Continent
to foster a balanced economic and social development
to solve globalisation issues and to preserve diversity of European nations
to protect values shared by Europeans
Latvia joined the European Union on 1 May 2004, together with nine other Central and Eastern European countries. That was the biggest wave of enlargement in the history of the EU.
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
How is the Saeima involved in the work of the European Union?
It takes part in drafting EU legal
acts
It monitors the EU-related work of
the government
It ratifies treaties of the EU
It cooperates with the European
parliament
It cooperates with the parliaments
of EU member states
The Saeima European Affairs Committee represents interests of the
Saeima in the European Union
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
How is the Saeima involved in the work of the EU?
Saeima’s participation in drafting EU legislative acts
EU institutions prepare a draft legislative act and send it to the Saeima European Affairs Committee
The European Affairs Committee receives the draft and forwards it to the relevant line committee for evaluation
The European Affairs Committee receives from the other committee the evaluated draft, prepares an opinion on behalf of the Saeima, and sends it to the EU institutions
Opinions of the national parliaments are respected when EU institutions take the final decision on the text of a legislative act and its coming into force. One-third of the EU member states can suspend the adoption of a legislative act.
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
How is the Saeima involved in the work of the EU?
The Saeima monitors the EU-related work of the government
The Saeima European Affairs Committee regularly meets ministers in order to discuss the work of the ministries on issues related to Latvia’s participation in the EU. This Committee approves Latvia’s national positions for the meetings of ministers of the EU member states.
A Ministry drafts the national
position for the Council meeting
The Ministry presents the drafted position at the meeting of the
European Affairs Committee
The European Affairs Committee
agrees on approving the
national position
Having obtained the Saeima mandate, the minister goes to the Council meeting to
defend Latvia’s interests
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
How is the Saeima involved in the work of the EU?
The Saeima cooperates with the European Parliament
The European Affairs Committee cooperates with the European Parliament and regularly meets MEPs representing Latvia’s inhabitants
The European Parliament is the only EU institution which is directly elected by citizens of the member states. At present, our country is represented in the European Parliament by 8 MEPs.
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
Interesting facts
Various high EU officials, such as the President of the European Parliament and EU commissioners, have visited the Saeima
Latvia’s interests in Brussels are represented by the Saeima attaché, who follows the news in the work of the European Parliament and other EU institutions
The European Affairs Committee is one of the largest committees of the Saeima; it now has 19 members, and all the parliamentary groups are represented in it
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
Follow the work of the Saeima on the Internet
www.saeima.lv
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
You can ask questions about the work of the Saeima:
by telephoning the Saeima
at the number 67087321
by e-mailing at
by coming to the Saeima Visitor
and Information Centre
at 16 Jēkaba iela
(entrance from Trokšņu iela)
Prepared by: Public Relations Department Jēkaba iela 11, Rīga, LV-1811 • Phone: 6708 7321 • E-mail: [email protected]
Thank you for your attention!