“I’m participating in that meeting in Brussels next week. Is it an expert group or a comitology committee?”
“I need to brief the boss about what to expect. Will the Commission ask her to vote?”
“How can I know where our issue is in the EU decision process, and what comes next?”

Simple questions, the answers to which may be complex, and yet can make your job easier. This course will get you up to speed on the essential elements of how the EU system works: the different powers that the EU has, who does what, and how you can have a role in shaping EU decisions. It is concise but thorough, and focusses in detail on EU law-making.

You will also receive insights as to what to expect from the new European Parliament and European Commission.

What you will learn in this course:

• The differences between legislative acts, implementing acts (the world of ‘comitology’!) and the new delegated acts, relating them to their place in the EU policy cycle, as well as in the hierarchy of laws.
• The decision-making procedures within the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament, and the ways in which national officials and other stakeholders fit into the policy process.
• The ordinary legislative procedure and how a ‘trilogue’ works.
• Delegated and implementing acts using topical cases (including the well-known ‘glyphosate’ saga).

Course methodology and highlights

We believe learning happens best with practical knowledge. So this course includes:

• Extensive insights with multiple examples and real life cases
• Group exercises
• Role plays and simulation games
• Inputs from experienced EU practitioners as the basis for discussion among participants about the practical demands of participation in the various stages of EU decision-making.

Course structure:

The course spans 2.5 days, in order to have time for ample exercises and discussions. Sufficient breaks and pauses have been included to ensure an effective online course. The first two days full-days will end early in the afternoon to allow time to process the content and prepare for the next day.

You will receive a set of concise preparatory materials in advance, to ensure that you have a basic knowledge of EU processes and thus be able to take full advantage of the detailed sessions and practical exercises in the course.

Don’t have much exposure to EU decision-making, or want to refresh your knowledge?

We would want you to get maximum benefits out of this course, irrespective of your level of knowledge on EU decision-making.

So in this course, we have included an introductory module to be held on the morning before the commencement of the detailed course, covering the following topics:

• The legal bases for what the EU can and cannot do
• The main ways in which decisions are taken
• The different powers that Member States have given to the EU

While this module is optional, if you are not sure you are familiar with the basics, we recommend that you attend it, to be able to make the most of the intensive course and immerse yourself in the detailed exercises over the following days.

If you are confident of all the basics, and do not feel that you need any further training on it, you can register only for the Course.