Strasbourg, 2 June 2004	CDL-UDT(2004)003syn (former CDL-UD(2004)011syn) Engl. only

 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR DEMOCRACY THROUGH LAW

(VENICE COMMISSION)

 

 

 

 

 

UniDem Campus Trieste   Training seminar on “Harmonisation of national legislation with the acquis communautaire and good law-making principles”   (Trieste, 24 – 28 May 2004)

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

 

 

The UNIDEM Campus Trieste project is the Venice Commission’s programme of legal training for civil servants from 11 countries[1] financed by the Region Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

 

The third training seminar of this year took place in Trieste, from 24 to 28 May 2004 on the topic “Harmonisation of national legislation with the acquis communautaire and good law-making principles”. It aimed at raising the participants’ awareness regarding specific legislative drafting challenges, and at underlying the importance that well-drafted legislation has in ensuring that citizens understand and identify their rights and obligations, and that the courts can enforce them.

 

During this five-day training, the 31 participants heard lectures given by leading European experts in the field of law-making techniques, and explored and discussed the practical implications of such techniques through several specific workshops.

 

The participants in particular analysed the role of the law-drafting techniques in ensuring better regulation, discussed the improvement of the drafting techniques within the EU, examined the links between the process of harmonisation of national legislation with the acquis communautaire and the introduction of the appropriate law-drafting principles, and became acquainted with the procedure of preparation of Council of Europe treaties. The training also covered the question of good law-making principles in the Parliamentary procedures, as well as the importance of ensuring transparency in law-drafting processes and involving external experts and the civil society.

 

Three national delegations (from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and Macedonia) presented their specific experience in related matters.

 

The written reports related to the lectures will be available shortly on the Venice Commission’s web site.