The Secretariat-General is at the heart of the European Commission. Under the authority of the President, it serves the College and ensures collegiality, consistency, and efficiency of the Commission’s action. The Secretariat-General steers and coordinates the Commission’s work to ensure that its initiatives and operations are aligned with the political guidelines of the President.
The Secretariat-General ensures the smooth functioning of the institution, in coordination with the other presidential and central services.
In particular, the Secretariat-General:
- supports the President, as well as the Executive Vice-Presidents and Vice-Presidents of the Commission in their coordination tasks;
- shapes the Commission’s strategic objectives, cross-cutting policies and operational priorities;
- promotes the Commission’s institutional competences and good governance, and fosters the development of a modern, service-oriented, and transparent EU administration that works to the highest standards of ethics and integrity;
- ensures the smooth running of the Commission’s decision-making processes;
- provides advice and oversight, together with the Cabinet of the President, on the application of the ethical rules for the Members of the Commission;
- steers and coordinates the Commission’s policy work, from its inception to the interinstitutional negotiations, to ensure coherence, quality and timely delivery, in line with the principles of better regulation and evidence-based policy making;
- coordinates the Commission’s policy on enforcement of EU law;
- acts as the interface between the Commission and the other EU institutions, bodies, and administrations;
- assists the President of the Commission as a member of the European Council, and as a participant in other Leaders’ meetings;
- supports the President for summits with third countries, contacts with international partners and participation in international organisations and fora (including United Nations, G7 and G20); acts as the Commission’s interface with the European External Action Service;
- coordinates the Commission’s work on policies with an international dimension, including the implementation of the European Economic Area Agreement and relevant agreements with the UK;
- steers the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility and coordinates the European Semester, through the Recovery and Resilience Task Force and in cooperation with the relevant Directorates-General;
- cooperates with independent and specialised entities, including the Regulatory Scrutiny Board, the European Fiscal Board and its secretariat, the Mediation Service and the Data Protection Officer of the Commission.