L-istruttura ghan-Negozjati ta' Shubija

Qed jigi hawn anness dokument approvat illum mill-Kabinett dwar l-istruttura li ser juza l-Gvern fin-negozjati għas-sħubija fl-Unjoni Ewropea.

---

Structures for Accession Negotiations

---

The negotiating structure must provide, in a comprehensive and co-ordinated manner:

1. A division of responsibilities for the management of all aspects of the negotiations;
2. An identification of the units responsible for co-ordination all the tasks associated with the negotiations and their follow-up, including the consultations with interested parties outside Government;
3. An allocation of tasks for the undertaking of all technical work related to preparation of negotiating positions, including background papers, and to follow up action in the process of the adoption of the acquis;
4. The setting up of a policy-making body under the direction of the Prime Minister to finalise all policy decisions relating to the negotiations.

1. Management of the Negotiations.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs has the over-all responsibility for the negotiations. A Negotiating Group will assist him in this task, consisting of core members and other members appointed for particular subjects as appropriate. In this context the Minister's direct functions include:

a. Submission to the Cabinet Committee of all matters requiring a policy decision, including the final drafts of negotiating positions. b. Leading all discussions with interested parties outside Government, primarily through MEUSAC.

c. Defining, in consultation with the Core Negotiating Group, of the over-all strategy for the conduct of the negotiations, in pursuit of the policies decided by the Cabinet Committee;

d. The conduct of negotiations at a Ministerial level. e. Keeping the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee regularly informed of developments in the negotiations.

The Core Negotiating Group will consist of the Personal Assistant to the Prime Minister, Mr. Richard Cachia Caruana, Malta's Ambassador in Brussels, Mr. Victor Camilleri, the Head of the European Union Directorate, the Personal Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Head of the Malta-EU Information Centre, and a limited number of other key officials. The Negotiating Goup will be chaired by the Personal Assistant to the Prime Minister. The management of negotiations at the operational level will be under the direction of the Chairman of the Core Group in collaboration with Malta's Ambassador in Brussels.

The main tasks of the Core Group will include:

• Ensuring the timely and satisfactory preparation of the drafts of all negotiating papers, including background papers;
• Selecting of individual negotiating teams and ensuring that they are properly briefed and prepared (both substantively and logistically) for the actual negotiations. The actual composition of the negotiating teams must be cleared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs;
• Leading the individual teams into the negotiations at the operational level;
• Monitoring and evaluating all action related to the adoption of the acquis;
• Reporting to the Foreign Minister, for his consideration and decision, on all matters relating to the conduct of the negotiations and their follow-up, and on the interface of MIC and ACT with the rest of the preaccession process.

The Core Group will be supported by (a) a Negotiations Secretariat located in the Office of the Prime Minister, under the direction of PA to PM (b) the Malta Mission in Brussels under the direction of Ambassador Brussels and (c) the EU Directorate.

2. Co-ordination.

(i) Within Government

The Negotiations Secretariat will ensure co-ordination of all aspects relating to negotiations and to follow-up action. Its principal tasks include:

a. Providing overall direction in the preparation of technical documentation, including the enforcing of timetables and of standard formats.

b. Finalising, for the consideration of the Core Group, of the drafts of all technical documents prepared by the line ministries and the EU Directorate.

c. Ensuring that the rest of the system is fully briefed on the action necessary as follow-up to the negotiations through the relevant Permanent Secretary;

d. Overseeing, in conjunction with the Brussels Embassy, all preparations connected with individual negotiations.

e. Troubleshooting practical problems that may arise at any stage of the pre-accession process for consideration by Core Group.

f. Liaison with MIC and ACT.

(ii) With interests outside Government

MEUSAC, under the direction of the Foreign Minister, will remain one of the fora in which the detailed dialogue with interested parties outside Government takes place. It will apply the terms of reference and methods of work as developed for the screening process. All members of the Core Group will form part of MEUSAC.

3. Preparation of technical papers.

The competent line Ministries, in collaboration with the EU Directorate, will be responsible for the preparation of all technical papers related to the pre-accession process. In this connection the line Ministries and the EU Directorate should consult, as appropriate, interested parties outside government, on the clear understanding that these consultations are exclusively intended to elicit the views of these parties and in no way pre-empt or replace the discussions which can only take place under the personal responsibility of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The tasks of the Permanent Secretaries in the Line Ministries, in collaboration with the EU Directorate, include:

a. The drafting of negotiating positions and the relevant background papers for submission to the Core Group through the Negotiations Secretariat.

b. The preparation of briefs detailing follow-up action to the negotiations for submission to the Core Group through the Negotiations Secretariat.

c. The preparation of regular progress reports on the results of the negotiations and their follow-up in order to assist the Core Group in its monitoring and evaluation tasks.

d. The preparation of appropriate summaries of the progress reports for eventual subrnission to the EU Cornmission as background for its annual progress report.

e. Regular updating of the NPAA and of PACMAN.

f. Preparation of ad hoc briefs as required by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the Core Group on any matter relating to the accession process.

The Steering Committee that is co-ordinating the Public Service Reform Programme for EU Accession will be kept informed of progress by the Permanent Secretaries through the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister.

4. Policy Making Body

The existing Cabinet Committee under the direction of the Prime Minister will remain responsible for the finalisation of all policy decisions relating to the negotiations.