European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA)

European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA):
BY VEERLE DECKMYN

(Head of Information, Documentation and Publications Service, EIPA)

The European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) is an international institute supported by and governed by the national administrations of the Member States of the European Union (EU) and the European Commission. The objectives of the Institute, as laid down in its statutes, are to 'provide civil servants and other interested parties with training courses of a European character relating to public administration in the European Union and the collection and development of knowledge regarding public administration in the European Union or in relation to it.' Thus, the Institute is dedicated to supporting the management of European integration through the provision of European-level training, applied research and consultancy, as a complement to national and subnational programmes in the same field of expertise in public administration.

The Institute was established in Maastricht in the Netherlands in 1981 on the occasion of the first European Council in that city, and continues to have its main seat in Maastricht.

Given its mandate, EIPA has a number of characteristics which make it unique, including its European character, focus on integration issues, comparative and multidisciplinary studies and special training methodologies.

EIPA's characteristics:
European character
The Institute is European in terms of its governance, mandate and scope of its work. The Institute monitors all important developments in the European Union Institutions, policies and processes, and in the corresponding organisations and policies of the Member States. It is also European in that the expert staff are drawn from all Member States of the EU and from associated countries.

Focus on European integration issues
The central role of the Institute relates directly to the process of European integration, and to the special demands which that creates in respect of issues of multilayer governance, international co-ordination and co-operation and the adaptation of national systems of governance and administration.

Comparative and multidisciplinary studies
As a prerequisite of improved co-ordination and co-operation, the Institute has a special interest in the study of the various systems of administration on the EU and beyond, to improve understanding of the differences and develop new modalities of co-operation. This requires simultaneous study from a number of different disciplines and perspectives, and the Institute maintains dedicated teams of experts from the fields of law, economics, political science and organisation and management to undertake this work. To fulfil its mandate, the Institute must act as a bridge between theory and practice, and the full-time expert staff brings together leading academics and experienced practitioners.

Special training methodologies
The typical target group of the Institute's training programmes comprises high level decision-makers and senior public officials drawn from the administrations of the Member States - civil servants, parliamentarians, judges, etc. - or from the European Institutions. Working with this specialised, international audience requires the development of appropriate advanced training methodologies and the EIPA has unique experience in special training formats such as action-learning (the EuroManagers programme), international exchanges of officials (the Karolus programme) and the development of case studies, simulations, etc.

Staff
There are approximately one hundred permanent members of staff at the EIPA. Expert staff are drawn from all Member States of the European Union and other countries preparing for EU accession.

EIPA's official working languages are English and French. However, other languages, such as German, may be used.

EIPA's Antennae
In 1992, EIPA established an antenna in Luxembourg: the European Centre for Judges and Lawyers, which is located close to the Court of Justice and the Court of First Instance of the European Communities. It offers various training programmes in European law provided by a team of qualified legal experts.

The Barcelona Antenna (European Centre for the Regions) was established in 1996 with the aim of promoting regional co-operation and uniform implementation of Community policies at a regional level within the EU Member States.

EIPA's international function:
EIPA and the European Union
The EIPA is primarily concerned with programmes aimed at improving the understanding of EU processes and policies, developing the capacities of the administrations of Member States to cope with European integration, and assisting in the development of co-operation between these administrations. In addition, at the request of the European Commission and the governments of the Member States, the EIPA carries out seminars and consultancy work in countries in Central and Eastern Europe to support their preparation for eventual accession to the Union.

The EIPA regularly organises seminars on behalf of and at the request of EU Institutions such as the European Commission and the European Parliament. Similarly, the EIPA carries out activities at the request of individual governments. EIPA also organises seminars open to civil servants, judges, lawyers and academics from across the EU and from countries outside the Union.

Finally, EIPA aims to help regional and local governments function effectively within the EU and to benefit from relevant Community policies. In this respect, the European Centre for the Regions in Barcelona plays an influential role.

Training:
The EIPA adapts its training services to its target group, which varies from civil servants, judges and lawyers involved in the formulation and implementation of European policies to European, national or regional politicians, and from European experts from public services to experts from employers' and consumer organisations or trade unions.

Training sessions often comprise case studies and simulations of situations experienced within European processes, e.g. comitology and committees, the Presidency and the European Negotiations seminars, and within the postgraduate programme leading to a Master's degree in European legal studies.

EIPA's EuroManagers ('action training') programme offers senior public servants the opportunity to upgrade their knowledge and skills in the management of EU-related matters.

EIPA's Karolus ('training through mobility') programme aims to promote convergent implementation of internal market legislation, and within similar programmes in the fields of asylum and migration.

Forthcoming seminars on European information:
Keep Ahead with European Information, Maastricht, 16-17 November 1998 (EIPA /EIA)

Who's Afraid of European Documentation, Maastricht, 16-18 June 1999

Publications:
Professional research papers, seminar proceedings and working papers are published and distributed by EIPA. Two recent publications on European Information are 'Guide to Official Information of the European Union', Veerle Deckmyn, 1998; 'Openness and Transparency in the European Union', Veerle Deckmyn and Ian Thomson (eds), 1998.

The EIPA's bulletin EIPASCOPE is published three times a year and contains articles on a wide variety of EIPArelated subjects, as well as a 'Newsletter of the Regions in the European Union'.

Contact addresses:
European Institute of Public Administration
PO Box 1229
NL-6201 BE Maastricht
The Netherlands
Tel: +31-(0)43-32-96-222
Fax: +31-(0)43-32-96-296

Further information including complete updated information on seminars and publications are to be found on EIPA's web site: http://www.eipa.nl. New EIPA publications and articles from EIPASCOPE are regularly listed in 'Recent references' and 'Recent publications of interest' in European Access.