Government of the Republic of Lithuania Official translation GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA RESOLUTION NO. 475 ON THE PROCEDURE FOR THE PREPARATION OF THE POSITION PAPER OF THE REPUBLIC OF LITHUANIA 27 April 1999 Vilnius The Government of the Republic of Lithuania h a s r e s o l v e d : To approve the appended:
- The Procedure for the Preparation of the Position Paper of the Republic of Lithuania
- A Model Structure of the Position Paper of the Republic of Lithuania
- A List of the Working Groups and Heads of the Working Groups for the Preparation of the Position Paper of the Republic of Lithuania. Prime Minister Gediminas Vagnorius Minister of Foreign Affairs Algirdas Saudargas Approved by Resolution No. 475 of 27 April 1999 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania Procedure for the Preparation of the Position Paper of the Republic of Lithuania General Provisions
- The present procedure regulates the preparation and approval of the Position Paper of the Republic of Lithuania and the establishment and functions of the working groups responsible for the preparation of the Position Paper.
- The Position Paper of the Republic of Lithuania is a document developed according to a Model structure approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania to be presented to the EU member states in the course of membership negotiations. The Position Paper outlines the position of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania concerning the capacities of Lithuania to comply with the requirements set forth for each Chapter in the course of the accession leading to a full fledged membership of the EU. After each screening a separate Position Paper is developed for each Chapter. II. Institutions Responsible for the Preparation of Draft Position Papers
- Proposals concerning draft position papers are developed by the competent ministries, government institutions, the Bank of Lithuania and the State Control Office (further referred to as the institutions).
- Initial Drafts of the Position Papers are developed by the working groups set up according to the provisions laid down in Chapter III of the present Regulations.
- The preparation of the Initial Drafts of the Position Papers are co-ordinated and a Final Draft of the Position Papers is prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. III. Working Groups for the Preparation of the Initial Drafts of the Position Papers
- Working groups for the preparation of the Initial Drafts of the Position Papers (hereinafter referred to as working groups) are set for each Chapter already discussed during the screening. The sub-working groups could be established within the working groups which shall be authorised to address a complex and broad Chapter. The heads of working groups shall be nominated by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
- The working group shall comprise representatives of all relevant institutions. The list of the institutions involved in the working groups shall be approved, on the recommendation of the head of the working group, by the Governmental Commission for the European Integration, having agreed it with the European Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. A relevant institution shall delegate its representative to a working group upon a decree passed by the head of the institution having agreed the issue with the head of the working group. Each working group must include representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
- The head of the working group may have (upon his/her recommendation) deputies appointed by the Governmental Commission for the European Integration (as a rule they represent institutions which deal with separate issues falling within the competence of the working group responsible for a certain Chapter). The head of the working group shall nominate a secretary of the working group from the employees of the institution to which he himself/she herself belongs.
- Responsibilities of the working group shall be the following: 9.1.to summarise proposals submitted by the institutions on the draft position papers; 9.2 to develop an Initial Draft of the Position Paper; 9.3 to develop a comprehensive explanatory note for the draft position papers. IV. The Preparation, Co-ordination and Approval of the Draft Position Paper
- The Governmental Commission for the European Integration shall adopt a decision on the preparation of the position paper according to separate Chapters and set the time limit for the preparation of a preliminary draft of the position paper.
- Institutions shall, within the timetable specified by the Governmental Commission for the European Integration work within the limits of their competence on the proposals concerning a draft position paper and a comprehensive explanatory note, and communicate these documents to the head of a respective working group.
- The working group shall summarise the submitted proposals and prepare the draft of the initial position and a comprehensive explanatory note on the draft position paper.
- The head of the working group, which approves a draft position paper, shall submit the position paper and the explanatory note on the position paper to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- On the basis of the Initial Draft of the Position Paper, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall develop a Final Draft of the Position Paper which is submitted for agreement with the ministries concerned, other government institutions, the European Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, other institutions concerned, and, where appropriate, to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.
- Upon receipt and assessment of the comments received from the institutions specified in paragraph 14 of this procedure, draft position paper shall be considered by the Delegation for the Preparation for the EU Membership Negotiations.
- After the approval the Delegation for the Preparation for the EU Membership Negotiations, draft position paper shall be considered at the Governmental Commission for the European Integration. Upon receipt of approval of the Governmental Commission for the European Integration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall develop and, according to the established procedure, submit to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania the coordinated Draft Resolution on the Position Paper.
- Position paper shall be approved by the Resolution adopted by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. V. FINAL PROVISIONS
- Draft position paper shall be prepared and approved in the Lithuanian language.
- The official translation of the draft position paper into the English language shall be organised by the public institution “Translation, Documentation and Information Centre" . The responsibility for the legal revision and terminology contained in the Position Paper shall be vested in relevant institutions, responsible for separate Chapters of the Position Paper. The responsibility for the final revision of the translation of the Position paper into English shall be performed and the translation shall be authenticated by the public institution “Translation, Documentation and Information Centre". Approved by Resolution No 475 of 27 April 1999 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania Model Structure of the Position Paper of the Republic of Lithuania (The Title of the Chapter ) ………………………………………………………………………………………….. (Titles of Institutions Involved in the Preparation of the Position Paper) ………………………………………………………………………………………….. I. General Provisions
- A statement on the principle approval of the entire acquis within the EU Chapter under consideration.
- Time limit for the preparation of the transposition of the acquis (final dates for the co-ordination and the implementation of the legal framework)
- The intended transitional period or derogations (concerning a specific EU legal act or a general problem position unrelated to any legal act) or the statement that neither transitional period nor derogations from the acquis are needed. II. The Background of the position paper
- A short description of the actual situation in the area covered by certain Chapter (the course of reform, structural changes, the position of the sector in the economy, main economic indicators).
- The review of the approximation of national legislation with the EU legislation in terms of the Chapter under consideration; 5.
- a short description of the EU legal framework (references to the Articles of the Rome (Mastricht, Amsterdam) treaties; whether the legal regulation of the Chapter is assigned to the EU member states or to the EU central institutions; whether the transposition of the EU legal measures into the national legislation is necessary ) 5.
- a short presentation of the national legal framework within the legal regulatory sphere in question (main legal sources, main EU legal acts under implementation or principles thereof;) 5.
- main actions necessary for further implementation of the national legal regulations before the accession; 5.
- the date by which full compliance is to be achieved in terms of both legislation and transposition of the legal acts approved.
- The status and prospects of the implementation of legal acts 6.
- administrative capacities for the implementation of the acquis; 6.1.
- the existing institutional system; 6.1.
- prospects for the development of the existing institutional system (the establishment of the institutions; technical and human resources, etc.) 6.
- the existing financing, the anticipated sources for resolving financial problems; 6.
- the necessity for technical adaptation; 6.
- interests to participate in the activities of various sectors of the EU structures and the EU programmes.
- Impact on the international commitments of the State – readiness to denounce international agreements or renegotiate them (where appropriate).
- Comprehensive justification of the request for a transitional period and derogations (legal, organisational, technical, financial, social arguments). Approved by Resolution No 475 of 27 April 1999 of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania The List of the Working Groups and Heads of the Working Groups for the Preparation of the Position Paper of the Republic of Lithuania. The area of the working group The head of the working group
- Free movement of goods A. Rimkūnas, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
- Free movement of people R. Kairelis, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and Labour
- Free provision of services A. Kazlauskas, Deputy Director General of the European Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
- Free movement of capital L. Urbšienė, Deputy Minister of Finance
- Corporate law G. Miškinis, Deputy Minister of Economy
- Competition R. Stankūnas, Director of the State Competition and Protection of the Consumer Rights
- Agriculture N. Kazlauskienė, Deputy Minister of Agriculture
- Fishery A. Gedrimas, Deputy Director of the Fishery Department of the Ministry of Agriculture
- Transport policy A. Šakalys, Deputy Minister of Transport
- Taxation V. Latvienė, Deputy Minister of Finance
- Economic and monetary union L. Urbšienė, Deputy Minister of Finance
- Statistics V. Lapėnienė, First Deputy of Director General of the Department of Statistics under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
- Social policy and employment R. Kairelis, Deputy Minister of Social Affairs and Labour
- Energy V. Valentukevičius, Deputy Minister of Economy
- Industrial policy A. Bartulis, Deputy Minister of Economy
- Small and medium enterprises A. Bartulis, Deputy Minister of Economy
- Science and scientific research R. Sližys, Deputy Minister of Education and Science
- Education and training V. Vėbraitė, Deputy Minister of Education and Science
- Telecommunications and information technology J. Ūsas, Director of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Transport
- Culture and audio visual policy J. Širvinskas, Deputy Minister of Culture
- Regional policy and structural measures V. Katkevičius, Deputy Minister of Public Administration Reforms and Local Authorities
- Environment A. Daubaras, Deputy Minister of Environment
- Consumer protection and health care V. Kriauza, Deputy Minister of Health Care
- Justice and home affairs J. Adomaitis, Deputy Director General of the European Committee under the Government of the Republic of Lithuania
- Customs Union S. Stažys, Director of the Customs Department of the Ministry of Finance
- External relations R. Karoblis, Director of the Economic Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Common foreign and security policy V. Ušackas, Director of the Political Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Financial and budgetary provisions E. Žilevičius, Deputy Ministry of Finance
- Financial control E. Žilevičius, Deputy Minister of Finance