16 Aib 2013, 12:15
The Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs will this afternoon discuss the draft update to the National Reform Programme for Ireland for 2013 with officials from the Department of the Taoiseach and a wide range of Government Departments. The document is a key input into the European Semester process for economic policy coordination.
16 April 2013
As part of the drive to enhance coordination of Member States' structural reforms, a National Reform Programme is prepared annually to identify national targets in five headline areas of employment, Research and Development, climate change, education and poverty. These programmes are intended to reflect EU-wide priorities as set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, and policy guidance agreed upon by the European Council. They are submitted to the European Commission in Brussels in April each year.
Chairman of the Committee Dominic Hannigan TD said: “The transformation to a new annual process for economic policy coordination means that EU countries, and particularly euro area countries, can no longer conduct their economic policies in isolation. We look forward to engaging with officials from a wide range of Government Departments on the National Reform Programme for Ireland 2013, which is prepared annually by the Department of the Taoiseach for submission to Brussels as part of the European Semester process. As a Committee, we have been particularly interested in exploring the role for national parliaments in the new and emerging economic governance structures in the EU. We will wish to explore how the Committee system in particular might ensure appropriate and timely oversight of government inputs at key points during the period of the European Semester process. ”
The meeting takes place this afternoon Tuesday 16 April at 2 pm in Committee Room 3 , LH 2000.