One of the challenges of scrutiny of European affairs is the sheer volume of information available and the time and resources required to sift through this information and to extract that which is useful and relevant to the Assembly and its committees. This process is resource intensive but necessary.
Another challenge has been how to disseminate this information. During the course of the project the European Project Manager has been sharing relevant information on an ad hoc basis with committee clerks and Research and Information Services. Research and Information Services also upload selected articles to the Assembly ‘Horizon’ service which can be accessed by all Members and Secretariat.
There are myriad formal sources of European information, including, but not limited to those outlined below:
European journals and newsletters
There is a range of journals which are useful tools for keeping up to date with news but also a useful learning tool for Secretariat or Members who wish to find out more about European affairs.
The Assembly Library already provides access to a number of European databases. There is a wide range of sources of information online which are updated daily such as EurActiv, EU Observer, European Parliament News, European Commission News, European Movement Ireland, European Movement UK, Open Europe, Enterprise Europe Northern Ireland, and OECD.
Existing fora
The work of fora such as the Northern Ireland European Regional Forum can also be a useful source of information, although most of that information is in relation to funding streams for projects. This information is available not only through attendance at the meetings but through a dedicated online portal on the Belfast City Council website.
IPEX
IPEX is the InterParliamentary EU information eXchange. It is a platform for the mutual exchange of information between the national Parliaments and the European Parliament
74 concerning issues related to the European Union, especially in light of the provisions of the Treaty of Lisbon. The establishment of IPEX derives from a recommendation given by the Conference of Speakers of the Parliaments of the European Union in the year 2000.
The main part of IPEX is the documents database which contains draft legislative proposals, consultation and information documents coming from the European Commission, parliamentary documents and information concerning the European Union. The parliamentary documents are uploaded individually by each national Parliament. IPEX offers at the same time the means for following the subsidiarity check deadlines. The House of Commons European Scrutiny committee, the House of Lords European Union committee and the Oireachtas Joint committee on European Affairs are all active members of IPEX. IPEX also contains a calendar of interparliamentary cooperation meetings and events in the European Union and a section on national Parliaments and the European Parliament providing links to relevant websites and databases in the field of interparliamentary cooperation, as well as specific procedures in EU Parliaments.
Subsidiarity Monitoring Network (SMN)
The SMN was established to support the Committee of the Regions in carrying out its role in subsidiarity monitoring. The network is made up of a number of partner organisations and the Northern Ireland Assembly is a member of the SMN. The SMN carries out analysis of the European Commission work programme to determine which priorities concerning subsidiarity are most important for the regional and local level, starting from the European Commission Work Programme.
The SMN has also carried out substantial research into subsidiarity and the role of regional authorities and indeed coordinated a study on the "Division of powers between the EU, the Member States, and Regional and Local Authorities" carried out by the European Institute of Public Administration for the CoR. This study follows, updates and further develops previous work carried out by the CoR since 2003. Indeed, as the political assembly representing local and regional authorities in the EU institutional set-up, the CoR has a clear role in monitoring the evolution of devolution and decentralisation in Europe.
REGPEX
REGPEX is similar in nature to IPEX in that it is intended as a platform for mutual exchange of information between regional (rather than national) parliaments. It was established in February 2012 and is coordinated by the Subsidiarity Monitoring Network of the committee of the Regions. REGPEX is designed to support the participation of regions with legislative powers in the early phase of the EU legislative procedure, the Early Warning System. Furthermore, it is meant as a source of information and exchange between regional parliaments and governments in the preparation of their subsidiarity analyses.
REGPEX provides an easy access to the relevant information sources of the EU institutions and national parliaments on EU legislative proposals. The Northern Ireland Assembly is a
75 REGPEX partner organisation, meaning that the Assembly can upload opinions on European legislative proposals to the database to share with other regional parliaments.
Recommendation 25
The establishment of effective networks is a vital means of identification of issues of relevance and the mutual exchange of information must be a key aspect of any European scrutiny strategy. These often informal networks must be continually nurtured and as is the case with most effective networking, it is the mutually beneficial nature of the relationship which is key to success, that is, it is important that the Assembly provides information as well as receives.