| Type of parliamentary body |
Multifunctional |
| Nature |
Temporary |
| Related to chambers |
Drzavni Zbor
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| Date of creation |
17 November 2004 |
| Last renewal date |
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| Mandate |
Pursuant to the Foreign Affairs Act, the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, and the Ordinance on the Establishment and Tasks of National Assembly Working Bodies, the Committee on Foreign Policy discusses draft laws, other acts and questions relating to Slovenia's foreign affairs, consular protection, treaties and other issues dealt with by the relevant ministry. It also discusses issues regarding bilateral and multilateral parliamentary cooperation, determines and expresses its position on matters placed on the agendas of international parliamentary bodies, institutions and organizations, and brings such matters to the attention of the President of the National Assembly and the chairmen of other working bodies. It approves initiatives to conclude treaties which are within the exclusive competence of the Republic of Slovenia and, whenever new elements arise in the negotiations, the new positions to be adopted by the negotiating delegations. It considers proposals to open or close Slovenian missions abroad and to appoint the heads of missions, draws up proposals for the Council of the President of the National Assembly regarding the composition of National Assembly delegations to international parliamentary institutions and international organizations and bodies, and ensures that the National Assembly's activities in the international sphere are conducted in accordance with the relevant Rules.
As the lead body on such matters, the Committee discusses proposals to conclude and sign treaties, including multilateral, regional and bilateral agreements on economic cooperation and international trade, and the draft legislation on their ratification.
The Constitution provides that the National Assembly is the legislative and the Government the executive body of Slovenia. Thus, the National Assembly is responsible for adopting legislation, while the Government directs and coordinates the conduct of national policies. The Government submits to the National Assembly laws, the State budget, national programmes, and other general acts defining the fundamental and long-term policies on matters within the State's jurisdiction.
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| Membership |
The Committee is composed of a Chairman, two Deputy Chairmen and 16 members. Its composition reflects the political make-up of Parliament.
In accordance with the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly, working bodies are established in each parliamentary term to monitor affairs in specific areas, to prepare policy decisions in such areas, to formulate positions on particular issues, and to discuss draft laws and other National Assembly acts. The National Assembly establishes working bodies and determines their tasks on the proposal of the Council of the President.
The Council of the President is the consultative body of the President of the National Assembly. In certain cases provided for in the Rules of Procedure, the Council is also competent to make decisions. The Council consists of the President and Vice-Presidents of the National Assembly, group leaders, and the deputies of the national communities. The Council decides, inter alia, on the number of seats allocated to each group on a working body, and which group is entitled to name the working body's chairman or deputy chairman. In determining the number of members each group has, the Council takes into account the group's size (number of members); in allocating the seats on individual working bodies, it takes into account the ratio between governing coalition deputies and opposition deputies. As a rule, each group is guaranteed at least one seat on every working body. In attributing leading positions on working bodies, account is taken of the group's size and of the other positions it has been allocated in the National Assembly and in delegations to international parliamentary institutions, international organizations and international bodies.
Working bodies are composed of a chairman, in general one deputy chairman, and the members. The offices of chairman and deputy chairman of a given working body are usually held by deputies from different groups. If the chairman of a working body belongs to one of the groups in the governing coalition, the office of deputy chairman will, as a rule, be held by a member from an opposition group, and vice versa.
Working body chairmen and deputy chairmen are appointed by the National Assembly on the proposal of the groups entitled - on the basis of a Council decision - to hold such positions.
Each group appoints as many working body members as it is entitled to have, and informs the President of the National Assembly accordingly.
Once the working body's chairman, deputy chairmen and members have been appointed as outlined above, the composition of the body concerned is published in the National Assembly's gazette. Changes are published in the same manner.
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| Working methods |
The agenda for Committee meetings is determined by the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy. The Committee members, parliamentary groups, the Government, the competent ministries and the public may all propose items.
Committee meetings are normally open to the public. Only meetings at which confidential matters are discussed and those at which EU affairs are dealt with (e.g. Slovenia's tentative position on certain EU issues or on the participation of Slovenia's representatives in EU Councils, attendance reports, etc.) are closed to the public. Representatives of the Government and of institutions whose work is directly related to the matter being discussed, and experts and representatives of any other public institution concerned may be invited to attend.
The Committee may ask the Government and other State authorities, public institutes, public enterprises and public funds founded by the State to provide any explanations and information it needs to perform its tasks. They must forward the requested information and documents to the Committee immediately. This means that a working body may at any time ask representatives of the Government and other civil servants to report on the implementation of the policy on international economic relations (e.g. on the course and results of negotiations).
One important means by which the Committee controls and collects information is the "questions and motions" item, which is placed on the agenda of almost every regular Committee meeting and during which the Committee members' questions on foreign and trade policy are answered by the Minister of Foreign Affairs or the State Secretary.
In order to gather information from or provide information to the broader public, the Committee may convene public hearings. Such hearings, together with issues on which information needs to be collected, are announced in the media.
The Committee decides by a majority vote of the deputies present, unless the Constitution, the law or the Rules of Procedure of the National Assembly provide otherwise. The Committee draws up a report on the issues discussed. Such reports are normally made available to the public, unless they cover confidential matters.
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| Relations with other parliamentary bodies |
As the lead body on such matters, the Committee on Foreign Policy discusses the ratification of treaties taking account of the opinions expressed by the working body concerned. When it comes to economic cooperation and international trade, the working body concerned is the Committee on the Economy.
The Committee cooperates with other National Assembly working bodies in different manners and at different levels - such as cooperation between chairmen or between services - so that information is properly disseminated among them. The Chairmen of two or more working bodies may also agree to hold a joint meeting.
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| Relations with external bodies |
The Committee on Foreign Policy cooperates with the representatives of the Government, particularly of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With regard to international trade policy, it also cooperates with the representatives of the Ministry of the Economy. |
| Subjects dealt with |
The National Assembly delegation to the 5th WTO Ministerial Conference, held in Cancun in September 2003, included the Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy, who is also the head of the Slovenian Inter-Parliamentary Group.
The Committee took note of the National Assembly delegation's participation in the 5th WTO Ministerial Conference. As the lead working body on international agreements, it regularly discusses initiatives to conclude bilateral, regional or multilateral trade agreements and the draft laws on their ratification.
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| CONTACT INFORMATION |
| Main address |
Subiceva 4, 1000 Ljubljana |
| Phone |
+386 1 478 9487 |
| Fax |
+386 1 478 9894 |
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PRESIDING OFFICER(S)
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| Name |
Mr. Jozef Horvat |
| Notes |
Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Policy |
| Address (if different from above) |
Subiceva 4, 1000 Ljubljana |
| Phone |
+386 1 478 9938 |
| Fax |
+386 1 478 9894 |
| E-mail |
jozef.horvat@dz-rs.si |
| Website |
http://www.dz-rs.si
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SECRETARY
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| Name |
Ms. Katja Jerman |
| Notes |
Secretary of the Committee on Foreign Policy |
| Address (if different from above) |
Subiceva 4, 1000 Ljubljana |
| Phone |
+386 1 478 9938 |
| Fax |
+386 1 478 9894 |
| E-mail |
katja.jerman@dz-rs.si |
| web site: |
http://www.dz-rs.si
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| Notes |
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