Staff seminars
Whereas better interaction and improved exchange of information between MEPs and MPs and also between national parliaments' civil servants could help to improve scrutiny of the European debate at national level and thus foster a genuinely European parliamentary and political culture', suggests the EP resolution of 19 April 2018 on the implementation of the Treaty provisions concerning national Parliaments. In 2019, the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments organised a series of seminars for staff from EU national Parliaments/Chambers. Their aim was to bring together staff from national Parliaments and the EP in order to present and discuss relevant European topics, learn from each other and exchange best practices.
Staff seminars provide an important platform for Parliaments' administrations to hold more specific and focused exchanges on areas of common interest. Staff seminars constitute a dynamic element of the work of both the EP and the EU national Parliaments.
In the last years the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments, together with DG Internal Policies' Economic Governance Support Unit (EGOV), organised staff seminars in relation to the European Semester cycle, bringing together members of staff from national Parliaments/Chambers. These seminars focus on sharing the latest information on the European Semester, including the new economic priorities; strengthening the cooperation and improving understanding of the European Semester cycle through knowledge sharing and exchange of best practices.
Another staff seminars have been organized in the field of parliamentary communication, parliamentary research, as well as on topics such as democracy support or evaluation of legislative process. The aim is to further enhance staff seminars to new fields and issues in the coming years.