Practical EU Presidency Skills

The success of a Council Presidency relies heavily on its ability to ensure momentum and achieve results. The Presidency has to deliver results within complex formal and informal processes of negotiation and elaborate cross-cultural and interpersonal communication. This seminar covers the strategic, logistical, procedural, and practical aspects of these challenges, and the action steps as well as the inter-personal skills required to successfully manage them.

The course is tailor-made to national officials and representatives scheduled to be involved in the management of the negotiations and EU decision-making procedures during their turn in the driving seat of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers working parties of the European Union.

What will you learn:
This course covers the strategic, practical, and interpersonal aspects of the complex formal and informal dynamics of the negotiation processes under the leadership of Council Presidencies.  The course advises members of ‘Presidency teams’ on how to get results collectively and survive individually. It focuses on communication aspects and public speaking performance.

It also aims to contribute to an exchange of practices and to foster connections between different Presidencies. The seminar is highly interactive and consists of a combination of simulation exercises, workshops, case studies and presentations.

Note: Good prior knowledge of EU decision-making is required to take full advantage of the training.

Why attend?
The key objective of the programme is to update and upgrade, in a practical way, the tactical and relevant strategic Presidency skills of the participants. After this training, they will be appropriately equipped to:

• Find their place, role, and added value during the Presidency
• Open, conduct, lead or assist meetings; from presenting the agenda to proposing a Presidency compromise text
• Read the positions, interventions, and tactics of national delegations
• Manage efficiently the relations with the Council Secretariat, the Commission, the national delegations, and EP representatives within the required formal procedures and the established informal processes
• Acquire and try out negotiation techniques to bridge the gaps, strike deals, craft compromises, and overcome stalemates.

Course methodology
The programme follows an interactive approach centred on situation rooms, workshops, simulation exercises, exchanges of best practices, as well as reality check. Throughout the learning process, participants will have the opportunity to audit – and improve – their knowledge and practice of negotiation and communication skills, in order to appropriately and collectively defend the role, functions, and prerogatives of the Presidency team members. In order to optimize the learning experience, participants will be invited to undertake some “homework” between the sessions planned.

The learning by doing approach of the programme relies therefore on the presence and active involvement of all participants during the training. It builds on the sharing of experience and requires a sufficient availability of the participants to prepare, contribute to, and attend the various sessions scheduled in the programme.

The course offers an interactive method to acquire the indispensable communication proficiency, negotiation techniques and chairing skills to manage from the ground the operations of Council preparatory bodies.

Participants will access the benefits of learning by doing with:

• two simulation exercises and situation rooms;
• realise how to better manage and stand the pressure of the political and legislative agendas of the EU institutions;
• improve their skills with the practical knowhow and learning points derived from the multiple debriefing sessions and analyses of their negotiation performance by the moderators.

The programme is destined to ‘Presidency teams’ that should be made of the future Chairpersons and Co/deputy chairs of Council preparatory bodies; the national delegates representing their Country during the Presidency; the attachés/counsellors from the Permanent Representation without a chairing role; EU coordinators and policy managers/experts operating from their country.

Project number:  2513301

Course venue
European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA)
O.L. Vrouweplein 22
6211 HE, Maastricht
the Netherlands

Project Management Officer
Ms Noëlle Debie
Tel: +31 43 32 96 226
n.debie@eipa.eu

Fee
The fee includes documentation, refreshments, lunches, and a dinner. Accommodation and travel costs are at the expense of the participants or their administration.

Discounts
EIPA member fee
EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency.

Who are the supporting countries?
Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies.

Early bird discount
The early bird discount is not cumulative with other discounts or promo codes, except for the EIPA member fee.

Loyalty coupon
As a token of appreciation we offer all our participants a loyalty coupon for one of our future courses. The offer can be shared with colleagues and relevant networks. The coupon will expire one year after its release. This discount is not cumulative with other discounts, except for the EIPA member fee.

Meals
Dietary preferences can be indicated on the registration form.

Hotel reservations
EIPA has special price arrangements with a number of hotels. The hotels are within walking distance from EIPA. If you wish to take advantage of this option, please click on the hotel name to book directly using the link. Payment is to be made directly and personally to the hotel upon checking out.

• Eden Design Hotel
  designhotel@edenhotels.nl
  +31 (0)43 328 25 25
• Townhouse
  info@townhousehotels.nl
  +31 (0)43 323 30 90
• Mabi
  info@hotelmabi.nl
  +31 (0)43 351 44 44
• Derlon
  info@derlon.com
  +31 (0)43 321 67 70

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed online registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation.

Cancellation policy
For administrative reasons you will be charged €150 for cancellations received within 15 days before the activity begins. There is no charge for qualified substitute participants.

EIPA reserves the right to cancel the activity up to 2 weeks before the starting date. In that case, registration fees received will be fully reimbursed. EIPA accepts no responsibility for any costs incurred (travel, accommodation, etc.).

A few days before the start of the course you will receive the log-in details for accessing the course materials. You can log in here.