The Permanent Representation\u2019s main mission is to promote and defend the Italian positions within the EU, particularly\u00a0in the preparatory bodies of the Council of Ministers\u2019 meetings which are briefly described below.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
COREPER<\/strong><\/p>\n The Coreper (acronym of the French expression\u00a0Comit\u00e9 des Repr\u00e9sentants Permanents<\/em>, Permanent Representatives’ Committee) is charged with the preparatory work of the EU Council (except most of the agricultural matters, which are handled by the Special Committee of Agriculture) as well as any task the Council decides to assign to it.<\/p>\n The capacities of the Coreper are \u201chorizontal\u201d, since the body is tasked to prepare all the sectional EU Councils and discuss the dossiers (proposals presented by the EU Commission) in a pre-negotiating phase.<\/p>\n The Coreper plays a fundamental role in the EU decision-making mechanism, being at the same time a forum of dialogue (dialogue among the Permanent Representatives and between each of them and their respective capital) and a politically monitoring body (with its\u00a0function of monitoring and supervision of the working groups).<\/p>\n The Coreper is structured into two different formations identified on the basis of their respective competences:<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0the Coreper II or \u201csecond part\u201d, composed by the Permanent Representatives of the Member States, deals with subjects\u00a0falling under the umbrella of the following Council formations: General Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Economic and Financial Affairs (ECOFIN) and Justice and Home Affairs (JHA). Moreover, the Coreper II is the preparatory body of the European Council. \u2022 the Coreper I or \u201cfirst part\u201d, composed by the Deputy Permanent Representatives of the Member States, deals with issues which fall under the umbrella of the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumers\u2019 Policy, Competition, Transportation, Energy and Telecommunications, Environment and, Education, Youth and Culture Councils. Italy is represented in Coreper I by the Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Marco Canaparo<\/strong><\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Council working groups<\/strong><\/p>\n The Council working groups have informal character and are\u00a0attended by representatives of the Member States who have a specific competence in the matters handled by the\u00a0single groups. The main task of the working groups is to provide the Coreper with essential assistance by focusing on the technical preparatory work in view of the adoption of a certain act.<\/p>\n The working groups\u2019 number changes by time. At the beginning of 2015 more than 150 groups were established. (Click here for the\u00a0complete list of the Council working groups\u00a0<\/strong><\/b><\/a>)<\/p>\n The Italian participation in the working groups is entrusted to members of the Permanent Representation, often assisted by capital-based colleagues.<\/p>\n Approximately 60 functionaries and \u201cexperts\u201d belonging to more than 20 national and regional administrations serve at the moment in the Permanent Representation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n PSC<\/strong><\/p>\n The Political and Security Committee (PSC) , created in 2001 under the provisions of the Treaty of Nice, is the competent body for the External and Common Security Policy (ECSP) and the European Security and Defense Policy (ESDP).<\/p>\n The Committee is tasked to monitor the evolution of the international situation, to contribute to the ECSP definition and to implement the decisions of the EU Council.<\/p>\n Within the ESDP, the PSC exercises, under the Council\u2019s authority, the political control and the strategic direction of the EU crisis management operations.<\/p>\n While executing its tasks the PSC is assisted by a Committee for the civilian aspects of the crisis management (CIVCOM), a Political and Military working Group (PMG), the EU Military Committee (CMUE)\u00a0 and the Military Staff of the European Union (EUMS).<\/p>\n
\nItaly is represented in Coreper II by\u00a0the Permanent Representative, Ambassador Vincenzo Celeste<\/a>.<\/strong><\/b><\/p>\n