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by Keith Vincent
6UKREP's description as "the hidden arm of Whitehall" reflects suspicions among some politicians that such a body leads to a weakening of political control over events.
Compromising situations
OF ALL the initials and acronyms in everyday use, "UKREP" probably means nothing to more people than most of them. Yet it stands for a body which plays an absolutely central role in the EEC legislative machine.
Since the inelegant acronym stands for the "United Kingdom Representation to the European Communities" it is easy to see why something shorter is needed for everyday use.
UKREP is the office in Brussels which, in everything but name, is Britain's Embassy to the Common Market institutions. Its description as "the hidden arm of Whitehall' is not intended to reflect the fact that almost no one has heard of it. In part, it refers to the fact that, unlike any other diplomatic post, it has a high proportion of civil servants from home Departments on its staff.
But it also reflects suspicions among some politicians that the existence of such a body on the other side of the English Channel, mixing on a day-to-day basis with their opposite numbers from other countries and the Commission, leads to a weakening of political control over events.
UKREP is headed by an ambassador, though he has the title "Permanent Representative". In the diplomatic pecking order, the post ranks at least as high as the traditional plum ambassadorships to Washington or Paris. Its first holder went on to become Head of the Diplomatic Service, while the second was appointed to head the Department of Energy. It is deliberately staffed, at all levels, by high flyers.
Because 90 per cent of EEC legislation and 75 per cent of its budget is devoted to agriculture, the Ministry of Agriculture has by far the biggest contingent at UKREP. But the Department of Transport and its predecessors has had a man (and once a woman) in Brussels since our membership of the Community took effect. Britain's transport attaché, as the holder of the post is known, plays a major, though largely unrecognised part in Common Market developments affecting transport.
Although the work has immense variety, the pivot on which it turns is the Working Party on Transport Questions, known for short as the TWG (for Transport Working Group). This is the lowest level of the EEC legislative machine, and is therefore part of the Council of Ministers.
Its core consists of the transport attaches from all 10 Permanent Representations. The chair is taken by the attaché from the country currently holding the Presidency of the Council itself. Until the end of this year, this is Denmark, with Germany following in January.
The attaches are assisted by civil servants from the transport ministries in the national capitals, who travel to Brussels when the subjects for which they are responsible are being discussed. In order that the countries more distant from Brussels are not at a disadvantage, the EEC pays the travel expenses. The officials of the Commission dealing with the topic under discussion complete the group's active membership. Also present are two or three officials from the permanent staff of the Council of Ministers. These, known as the Secretariat, in theory have no views on the topic under discussion. Their role is simply to service the Group's work — to ensure that interpreters are provided, that the right documents have been distributed, and above all to produce an accurate record of what has been decided — often very difficult after a stormy session.
But in practice they are experts in finding compromises between different points of view. After a difficult meeting, when it seems that no progress can ever be made, members of the Secretariat can be seen taking delegates into quiet corners to sound them out on the possibility of a solution. The Secretariat's key role can hardly be exaggerated.
The TVVG's main task is to examine proposed new or amended transport legislation. Only the Commission has the right to initiate new legislation, but it does not do this in a vacuum. As in the current review of drivers' hours, it consults widely before making formal proposals. These are then sent to the Council, and the first examination takes place in the TWG. Very rarely is every country content. In most cases nearly all transport attaches will have been told by their ministries to express at least reservations, if not outright opposition.
The Group's first discussion of a particular proposal will usually do no more than establish each country's initial position. Attaches will report these back to their capitals, and the civil servants there will consider what should be done. Where important political questions are involved, this will include letting ministers know what is going on, and getting their instructions. In most countries, and certainly in Britain, governments will also seek the views of those, in the industry and elsewhere, who would be affected what is proposed.
In a typical case, by the time the TWG has its second discussion of a proposal the major battlelines will have been drawn up. The fact that the Commission consults widely before making formal proposals means that there is rarely absolute and total opposition to an idea. But almost always there are points of detail, and there may be many of these. When the proposals for drivers' hours amendments come forward next year, they are almost certain to generate a very wide variety of views.
TheTWG's objective is to settle as many of the detailed and technical points as possible. This almost always involves compromise — the strong suit of the Council Secretariat advising the transport attaché holding the presidency. Gradually the number of unresolved points of difference is reduced to a level where the proposal can go to the ministers themselves, meeting in the Council.
The ministers may settle all the remaining items, in which case the proposal becomes law. Or they may refer all or some of them back to the Group, perhaps after agreeing certain principles which should be applied, in the hope that the matter will be ready for adoption at the next Transport Council.