Report of the EPTA Council meeting

Berlin, November 9th, 2000

The institutions in EPTA met for their annual meeting of the EPTA council, chaired by this year’s president of the EPTA council, Ms. Ursula Burchardt, MP, on 9 November in the Reichstag. This year, the Members of Parliament and directors of the nine full members of the network represented in the EPTA council and the representatives of the five associate members incorporated an additional member. The newly established Norwegian institution "Teknologiradet" which carries out studies for the Norwegian parliament was accepted as 15th member of the EPTA network.

At the suggestion of the president a brief exchange of opinions was held on ways of intensifying exchanges between the Members of Parliament involved in TA at the various parliaments. Whereas working level cooperation between scientists in the various TA establishments has developed very favourably over recent years, interchanges between the Members of Parliament interested in TA remains more or less limited to the annual council meetings. There was general agreement on the desirability of defining a TA project on an overarching European topic which could be worked on jointly by the EPTA institutions. The Members of Parliament in the EPTA council would take on the function of a steering committee and this would also intensify working contacts between MPs.

EPTA's new Internet pages drawn up by TAB and an open e-mail list for persons interested in TA (eptamail@eptanetwork.org) were presented at the council meeting. This new communication media will further facilitate exchanges within the network. A discussion on one topic which could not be drawn to conclusion during the meeting is now to be continued via e-mail. It addressed the growing interest shown in EPTA by organisations outside Europe (for example Japan and Korea). On the one hand it was considered favourable to promote further internationalisation for the network extending beyond Europe in order to support efforts outside Europe to establish parliamentary TA units. On the other hand, however, the European focus of the network in particular was considered a favourable pre-condition for further developing working relations with the aim of setting up joint TA projects on European themes.

This year’s council meeting concluded by confirming that the EPTA presidency for the coming year will be held by the TA establishment of the Finnish parliament (Finnish Committee for the Future). The Finnish colleagues then invited the meeting to a reception in the Finnish embassy.