INFORMAL DIALOGUE ON EXPERT GROUPS INITIATIVES TAKEN BY COMMISSION SERVICES - State of Play February 2013

Three specific issues are addressed:

(1) Composition of groups

 The composition of thirteen groups was modified.

 Membership is being reviewed for three groups.

 Despite calls for application and direct invitations from Commission departments, it was

not possible to appoint enough new members in certain groups, for various reasons. For

eighteen groups Commission services are prepared to examine possible applications from

interested NGOs or civil society groups on the basis of a list of stakeholders to be

provided by MEPs to the Commission.

 DG AGRI has been pursuing a bottom-up process leading to the revision and balancing of

thirty advisory groups operating in the agricultural sector, which should be completed in

the second half of 2013.

 DG EAC, DG MARE and DG RTD will review the composition of a number of groups

placed under their responsibility in connection with the reform of corresponding policies

or the modification of EU legislation.

(2) Groups where membership may need to be corrected on the Register

In 2012, following a screening of the groups including members appointed in a personal

capacity, Commission services recognised that experts of 31 groups were incorrectly

displayed on the Register as experts appointed in a personal capacity acting in the public

interest, while in reality they were representatives of stakeholders or of the Member States.

This was corrected between the spring and the summer of 2012.

This is the outcome of a new screening carried out on the basis of concerns raised by

stakeholders which concerned a limited number of groups:

 The membership of three groups is being corrected;

 In two cases, there are no members appointed in a personal capacity; members are

correctly displayed as individuals representing a common interest or as organisations;

 Two groups were closed (one group was already closed at the time of the complaint).

(3) Transparency

It is alleged that there are still groups that operate but are not included in the Register and that agendas

and/or minutes are still missing for many groups.

This is the outcome of the screening carried out by Commission Services concerning the

groups indicated by the complainants:

 DG ENER will publish the 'Smart Grid Task Force' on the Register;

 For two groups under the responsibility of DG ENTR, minutes were published in

February 2013 or are currently being published;

 The "Advisory Committee of the Euratom Supply Agency" and the 'SEPA Council' are

not Commission expert groups;

 Three groups were closed (two groups were already closed at the time of the complaint).