An attempt to restore faith in Europe

Inter-institutional dialogue

José Manuel Barroso's annual ‘state of the union' speech is part of a dialogue between the European Commission and the European Parliament on the political priorities for the coming year. 

Barroso proposed an annual address to MEPs as part of the political guidelines he offered in 2009, when he was seeking the support of political groups for re-appointment as European Commission president. So Wednesday's speech was only his second state of the union address. The intention is that the Commission will now discuss priorities with the European Parliament before adopting its work programme for 2012 on 15 November. A delegation made up of the MEPs who chair the Parliament's committees sent the Commission a detailed report on its priorities earlier this year and is scheduled to meet the Commission on 12 October.

The annual work programme is based on Barroso's political guidelines and on the five-year strategic objectives that this Commission agreed after taking office. The work programme is updated annually to reflect progress so far and changes in political priorities.

It contains a list of initiatives that the Commission is planning for the coming year, as well as an indicative list of initiatives for the years remaining until the end of this Commission's mandate in 2014. The Commission sends a monthly report to the other institutions on progress under the annual work programme, and an overview of initiatives that still have to be launched. Major initiatives have to be accompanied by an impact assessment.

At the end of the budgeting year, all directors-general of Commission departments and services have to draw up reports on the extent to which they have achieved objectives set out in their annual management plans. These annual activity reports are collected for a synthesis report, which is sent to the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament.

Simon Taylor