1.

the common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and the European security and defence policy (ESDP). In this context the committee is assisted by a subcommittee on security and defence;

2.

relations with other EU institutions and bodies, the UNO and other international organisations and interparliamentary assemblies for matters falling under its responsibility;

3.

the strengthening of political relations with third countries, particularly those in the immediate vicinity of the Union, by means of major cooperation and assistance programmes or international agreements such as association and partnership agreements;

4.

the opening, monitoring and concluding of negotiations concerning the accession of European States to the Union;

5.

issues concerning human rights, the protection of minorities and the promotion of democratic values in third countries. In this context the committee is assisted by a subcommittee on human rights. Without prejudice to the relevant rules, members from other committees and bodies with responsibilities in this field shall be invited to attend the meetings of the subcommittee.

1.

the promotion, implementation and monitoring of the development and cooperation policy of the Union, notably:

2.

matters relating to the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement and relations with the relevant bodies;

3.

Parliament’s involvement in election observation missions, when appropriate in cooperation with other relevant committees and delegations.

1.

financial, economic and trade relations with third countries and regional organisations;

2.

measures of technical harmonisation or standardisation in fields covered by instruments of international law;

3.

relations with the relevant international organisations and with organisations promoting regional economic and commercial integration outside the Union;

4.

relations with the WTO, including its parliamentary dimension.

1.

the multiannual financial framework of the Union’s revenue and expenditure and the Union’s system of own resources;

2.

Parliament’s budgetary prerogatives, namely the budget of the Union as well as the negotiation and implementation of interinstitutional agreements in this field;

3.

Parliament’s estimates according to the procedure defined in the Rules;

4.

the budget of the decentralised bodies;

5.

the financial activities of the European Investment Bank;

6.

the budgetisation of the European Development Fund, without prejudice to the powers of the committee responsible for the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement;

7.

financial implications and compatibility with the multiannual Financial Framework of all Community acts, without prejudice to the powers of the relevant committees;

8.

keeping track of and assessing the implementation of the current budget notwithstanding Rule 72(1), transfers of appropriations, procedures relating to the establishment plans, administrative appropriations and opinions concerning buildings-related projects with significant financial implications;

9.

the Financial Regulation, excluding matters relating to the implementation, management and control of the budget.

1.

the control of the implementation of the budget of the Union and of the European Development Fund, and the decisions on discharge to be taken by Parliament, including the internal discharge procedure and all other measures accompanying or implementing such decisions;

2.

the closure, presenting and auditing of the accounts and balance sheets of the Union, its institutions and any bodies financed by it, including the establishment of appropriations to be carried over and the settling of balances;

3.

the control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank;

4.

monitoring the cost-effectiveness of the various forms of Community financing in the implementation of the Union’s policies;

5.

consideration of fraud and irregularities in the implementation of the budget of the Union, measures aiming at preventing and prosecuting such cases, and the protection of the Union’s financial interests in general;

6.

relations with the Court of Auditors, the appointment of its members and consideration of its reports;

7.

the Financial Regulation as far as the implementation, management and control of the budget are concerned.

1.

the economic and monetary policies of the Union, the functioning of Economic and Monetary Union and the European monetary and financial system (including relations with the relevant institutions or organisations);

2.

the free movement of capital and payments (cross-border payments, single payment area, balance of payments, capital movements and borrowing and lending policy, control of movements of capital originating in third countries, measures to encourage the export of the Union’s capital);

3.

the international monetary and financial system (including relations with financial and monetary institutions and organisations);

4.

rules on competition and State or public aid;

5.

tax provisions;

6.

the regulation and supervision of financial services, institutions and markets including financial reporting, auditing, accounting rules, corporate governance and other company law matters specifically concerning financial services.

1.

employment policy and all aspects of social policy such as working conditions, social security and social protection;

2.

health and safety measures at the workplace;

3.

the European Social Fund;

4.

vocational training policy, including professional qualifications;

5.

the free movement of workers and pensioners;

6.

social dialogue;

7.

all forms of discrimination at the workplace and in the labour market except those based on sex;

8.

relations with:

as well as relations with other relevant EU bodies and international organisations.

1.

environmental policy and environmental protection measures, in particular concerning:

2.

public health, in particular:

3.

food safety issues, in particular:

1.

the Union’s industrial policy and the application of new technologies, including measures relating to SMEs;

2.

the Union’s research policy, including the dissemination and exploitation of research findings;

3.

space policy;

4.

the activities of the Joint Research Centre and the Central Office for Nuclear Measurements, as well as JET, ITER and other projects in the same area;

5.

Community measures relating to energy policy in general, the security of energy supply and energy efficiency including the establishment and development of trans-European networks in the energy infrastructure sector;

6.

the Euratom Treaty and Euratom Supply Agency; nuclear safety, decommissioning and waste disposal in the nuclear sector;

7.

the information society and information technology, including the establishment and development of trans-European networks in the telecommunication infrastructure sector.

1.

coordination at Community level of national legislation in the sphere of the internal market and of the customs union, in particular:

2.

measures aiming at the identification and removal of potential obstacles to the functioning of the internal market;

3.

the promotion and protection of the economic interests of consumers, except for public health and food safety issues, in the context of the establishment of the internal market.

1.

matters relating to the development of a common policy for rail, road, inland waterway, maritime and air transport, in particular:

2.

postal services;

3.

tourism.

(a)

the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the other instruments of the Union’s regional policy,

(b)

assessing the impact of other Union policies on economic and social cohesion,

(c)

coordination of the Union’s structural instruments,

(d)

outermost regions and islands as well as trans-frontier and interregional cooperation,

(e)

relations with the Committee of the Regions, interregional cooperation organisations and local and regional authorities.

1.

the operation and development of the common agricultural policy;

2.

rural development, including the activities of the relevant financial instruments;

3.

legislation on:

4.

the improvement of the quality of agricultural products;

5.

supplies of agricultural raw materials;

6.

the Community Plant Variety Office;

7.

forestry.

1.

the operation and development of the common fisheries policy and its management;

2.

the conservation of fishery resources;

3.

the common organisation of the market in fishery products;

4.

structural policy in the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, including the financial instruments for fisheries guidance;

5.

international fisheries agreements.

1.

the cultural aspects of the European Union, and in particular:

2.

the Union’s education policy, including the European higher education area, the promotion of the system of European schools and lifelong learning;

3.

audiovisual policy and the cultural and educational aspects of the information society;

4.

youth policy and the development of a sports and leisure policy;

5.

information and media policy;

6.

cooperation with third countries in the areas of culture and education and relations with the relevant international organisations and institutions.

1.

the interpretation and application of European law, compliance of European Union acts with primary law, notably the choice of legal bases and respect for the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;

2.

the interpretation and application of international law, in so far as the European Union is affected;

3.

the simplification of Community law, in particular legislative proposals for its official codification;

4.

the legal protection of Parliament’s rights and prerogatives, including its involvement in actions before the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance;

5.

Community acts which affect the Member States’ legal order, namely in the fields of:

6.

measures concerning judicial and administrative cooperation in civil matters;

7.

environmental liability and sanctions against environmental crime;

8.

ethical questions related to new technologies, applying the procedure with associated committees with the relevant committees;

9.

the Statute for Members and the Staff Regulations of the European Communities;

10.

privileges and immunities as well as verification of Members’ credentials;

11.

the organisation and statute of the Court of Justice;

12.

the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market.

1.

the protection within the territory of the Union of citizens’ rights, human rights and fundamental rights, including the protection of minorities, as laid down in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union;

2.

the measures needed to combat all forms of discrimination other than those based on sex or those occurring at the workplace and in the labour market;

3.

legislation in the areas of transparency and of the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data;

4.

the establishment and development of an area of freedom, security and justice, in particular:

5.

the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, Europol, Eurojust, Cepol and other bodies and agencies in the same area;

6.

the determination of a clear risk of a serious breach by a Member State of the principles common to the Member States.

1.

the institutional aspects of the European integration process, in particular in the framework of the preparation and proceedings of conventions and intergovernmental conferences;

2.

the implementation of the EU Treaty and the assessment of its operation;

3.

the institutional consequences of enlargement negotiations of the Union;

4.

interinstitutional relations, including, in view of their approval by Parliament, examination of interinstitutional agreements pursuant to Rule 120(2) of the Rules of Procedure;

5.

uniform electoral procedure;

6.

political parties at European level, without prejudice to the competences of the Bureau;

7.

the determination of the existence of a serious and persistent breach by a Member State of the principles common to the Member States;

8.

the interpretation and application of the Rules of Procedure and proposals for amendments thereto.

1.

the definition, promotion and protection of women’s rights in the Union and related Community measures;

2.

the promotion of women’s rights in third countries;

3.

equal opportunities policy, including equality between men and women with regard to labour market opportunities and treatment at work;

4.

the removal of all forms of discrimination based on sex;

5.

the implementation and further development of gender mainstreaming in all policy sectors;

6.

the follow-up and implementation of international agreements and conventions involving the rights of women;

7.

information policy on women.

1.

petitions;

2.

relations with the European Ombudsman.’;