40 years ECPRD a real contribution to the effectiveness of democracy in Europe 40 years ECPRD a real contribution to the effectiveness of democracy in Europe Festschrift Contributions made on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD) 1977-2017 European Parliament Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe ECPRD Member Parliaments Edited by Ulrich Hüschen, ECPRD Co-Secretary, European Parliament, Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments, Institutional Cooperation Unit July 2017 Conception & Design: IDEA Unit | Print: Printing Unit | DG ITEC, EDIT Directorate | PSD00111 Disclaimer: © European Union - EP 2017 For any use or reproduction of photos which are not under European Union copyright, permission must be sought directly from the copyright holder(s). 40 years ECPRD a real contribution to the effectiveness of democracy in Europe1 Festschrift Contributions made on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD) 1977-2017 1 Rob Clements, former ECPRD Correspondent UK House of Commons, 2011 Foreword Celebrating 40 years of existence of the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD), we are proud that the network has reached a stage of maturity. Based on the feedback we had from its users, the structure, objectives and activities of the Centre are now in line with the needs, resources and expectations. Over the years, while many ideas were put forward, some were implemented and others were rejected, the initial idea has become a recognised reality, a sure value and even a model for new initiatives around the globe. Some will remember that for its 30th anniversary, a publication was prepared to showcase the history of the ECPRD, in particular how it all started and evolved over three decades. However, the ECPRD is not a network rooted in the past. It does not owe its success to the weight of traditions but to the day-to-day commitment of its members. The core activities - the comparative requests, the seminars and the modern website - make it deeply rooted in the present, influenced by the pace of activities in parliaments, be it in legislation or in administration. Therefore, it was decided by the Centre’s Executive Committee that the Festschrift celebrating the 40th anniversary should be devoted to the heart of its activities, its member parliaments, the correspondents, their actions, the achievements and challenges and last not least the role which the ECPRD plays in this parliamentary game. A first glance at the contributions to this publication show that the Centre is as diverse as parliaments are diverse. All highlight the importance of the network for providing parliamentary research and advice. Some years ago the attempt was made to measure the impact the ECPRD has on the work of parliaments. It turned out that this was not an easy undertaking as benchmarks in this field are difficult. However, the constant high number of requests and the strong participation in the seminars are good indicators that the ECPRD has found its niche. Positive feedback from the Secretaries General of Parliament, meeting on the occasion of the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, confirms this. One common denominator in all contributions is the reference to the excellent co-operation between the correspondents. It cannot be repeated often enough that the ECPRD is not in essence a centre but a network of people. It is amazing and gratifying to see how well this spirit is preserved despite the natural come and go of correspondents. We are sad to see somebody leave, but we also welcome and integrate new colleagues with open arms. We would like to close with a warm thank you to all those who have provided a contribution to this publication, turning it into a lively mosaic of the ECPRD. Our thanks go in particular to the editor, Ulrich Hüschen, Co-Secretary of the Centre, who so ably brought together the various contributions. We wish you an inspiring reading of this Festschrift and all the best for the ECPRD network in the decades to come. Pekka Nurminen Horst Schade Acting ECPRD Co-Director ECPRD Co-Director European Parliament Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe 5 What is the ECPRD? The ECPRD was created in 1977 in Vienna by the Conference thus have access to the Secretary General, and must be in of Speakers of European Parliamentary Assemblies, which a position to coordinate the contribution of the officials of delegated to the Presidents of the European Parliament his or her chamber to the work of the Centre. The success and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe of the centre largely depends on the input provided by the its formation and management. Correspondents. The objectives of the ECPRD are to promote the exchange The European Conference of Presidents of Parliaments, of information, ideas, experience and good practice among consisting of the Presidents or Speakers of Parliamentary the administrations of parliaments in Europe on subjects assemblies of members and special guests of the of common interest. Its main goal is to strengthen close Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, is the co-operation among parliamentary services in all fields supreme authority for the ECPRD and meets every second of parliamentary administration, legislation, information, year. research and documentation; and to collect, exchange and publicise research studies produced by parliamentary The Secretaries General have administrative responsibility services (Article 1 of the Statutes). for the activities of the Centre and these are discussed when they meet during the Conference of Speakers. As ECPRD should be seen as a network of experts in regards the two Co-Directors and the two Co-Secretaries - parliaments rather than a physical centre. Its strength lies representing the European Parliament and the Parliamentary in the un-bureaucratic exchange of information based Assembly of the Council of Europe - these are appointed very much on the voluntary commitment of people. This by the respective Secretaries General of these institutions. exchange materializes in the form of comparative requests The Co-Directors and Co-Secretaries, who carry out their and experts seminars. functions for the Centre in addition to their normal duties, are responsible for the day-to-day running of the ECPRD. Who are the members? The Conference of Correspondents is the annual meeting of Correspondents, at which the activities of the ECPRD are According to Article 2 of the ECPRD Statutes, members are discussed and broader policy decisions are taken. the European Parliament, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and parliamentary chambers where The Executive Committee is composed of the Co-Directors the President is a member of the European Conference and five Correspondents (appointed by the Conference of of Presidents of Parliament. Furthermore, there are some Correspondents). It ensures the continuity of work between parliaments having observer and Partners for Democracy the annual meetings. The Executive Committee meets at status. least twice a year. The Secretariat of the Centre is provided by an official of the European Parliament. The Secretariat In 2017, the Centre consists of 66 parliamentary chambers acts also as webmaster of the ECPRD website which is (including 41 in EU Member States) from 54 countries hosted by the European Parliament as well. and European institutions. Almost 114 Correspondents and Deputy Correspondents represent their respective Furthermore, in 2006 four Areas of Interest have been set parliament in the network and contribute to main ECPRD up: activities. • Economic and Budgetary Affairs (EBA), • Information and Communication Technologies in How is the ECPRD organised? Parliaments (ICT), • Libraries, Research Services and Archives (LRA), Each member assembly appoints a senior official to act as • Parliamentary Practice and Procedure (PPP). the correspondent for the assembly. The Correspondent is the privileged point of contact for the assembly, should 6 The objective of these Areas of Interest is to foster the exchange of information and best practice mainly in form of specific seminars on topical issues hosted by an ECPRD member parliament. Four ECPRD Coordinators are appointed by the Executive Committee to fuel the activities within each area. Not only the excellent cooperation between people but also the implementation of modern IT technologies is responsible for the success of the network. The activities of the ECPRD are supported by a fully-fledged website. Its private section, being only accessible to the members of the networks, hosts a powerful electronic workflow for requests and replies, a growing number of specific seminar mini-sites including online registration and, last not least, parliamentary factsheets on each Chamber with data and contacts. How is ECPRD financed? The ECPRD has neither its own budget nor does it receive financial contributions from the member Parliaments. The expenses for staff, secretariat and IT expenses are paid from different budget lines of the European Parliament. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe also contributes financially to the activities of the Centre. Indirect financing takes the form of member Parliaments hosting seminars and meetings of the Centre and providing meeting rooms and interpreters. All Parliaments pay the travel and subsistence costs of their