01 July Dear Colleague,

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1 01 July 2005 Dear Colleague, On behalf of the UK Presidency of the Council of the EU, please find attached a practical guide to the UK, the meetings of the European Public Administration Network (EPAN) and associated events. Should you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact any of the UK team responsible for EPAN activities. Yours sincerely, [signed] John Barker 1

2 Contents: 1 - Calendar of events 2 - Where will meetings be held? 3 - Cabinet Office 4 - Visiting London and Other Regions 5 - Getting here (Airport, Rail & Underground links) 6 - Accommodation in London 7 - Useful Contact Numbers 8 - Cabinet Office Postal Addresses 9 - Useful Web Links 1- Calendar of Events & Locations 15 July Troika Secretariat (1) London July IPSG Troika 1 2 September IPSG Working Group (1) London 8 9 September E Government Working Group (1) London September HR Working Group (1) Luxembourg September Better Regulation Conference Edinburgh 26 September Troika Secretariat (2) London 14 October DG Troika London 26 October HR Working Group (2) London October E Government Working Group (2) London 11 November Troika Secretariat (3) London November E Government Conference Manchester 1 2 December IPSG Working Group (2) Edinburgh 4 6 December DG Conference Newcastle 2

2- Where will the meetings be held? Troika Secretariat (15 July, 26 September, 11 November) Troika Secretariat meetings will be held in the Cabinet Office building, Admiralty Arch in London.

3 2- Where will the meetings be held? Troika Secretariat (15 July, 26 September, 11 November) Troika Secretariat meetings will be held in the Cabinet Office building, Admiralty Arch in London. The building is a local landmark and sits at the end of the Mall opposite Buckingham Palace. It is very close to Trafalgar Square and all local tourist spots. The nearest train station is Charing Cross. London s Underground network also serves the nearby stations of Charing Cross, Embankment and Leicester Square. t=public&addr2=&advanced=&addr3=&pc=sw1a2wh&quicksearch=sw1a+2 WH IPSG Troika (21 22 July) The meeting will take place in Kirkland House (which is linked to Admiralty Arch see above) and we are expecting to see representatives from Luxembourg, Netherlands, Austria and Finland. The main objective of the meeting will be to lay down the groundwork - and to firm up the timetable for the first of the IPSG meetings taking place in September. We ll then circulate that in draft to IPSG members and commission papers from relevant lead contacts prior to circulation of final papers in mid-august. Our intention is to adhere to working guidelines agreed by the group during the Irish Presidency. IPSG Working Group (1 2 September, 1 2 December) The first meeting will take place in Trinity House, near Tower Bridge in London from 1-2 September. The key topic will be to firm up the IPSG Work Programme for 2006/7 though we will also be allocating time for feedback from the UK-hosted Customer Satisfaction Expert Meeting, our Quality Conference Evaluation and the other work areas that are carried over from meeting to meeting, such as CAF, the EUPAN and CIRCA websites and benchmarking. 3

4 From Tower Hill (Subway) as you exit the main subway station, Trinity House is directly across the square from the exit (50m). From Tower Gateway (Docklands Light Railway - DLR) as you exit the DLR station down the escalators follow the signs to Tower Hill subway station. At the main subway station exit, you will see a small square. Trinity House is directly across the square from the exit (150m). If you experience any problems getting to the meeting on 1September 2005, please contact the IPSG team on and we can help you find your way to Trinity House. The second meeting will take place at the Roxburghe Hotel in Edinburgh on 1-2 December. We will be receiving the support of our colleagues in the Scottish Executive for this event, particularly with arrangements for the evening event which we hope will take place at Edinburgh Castle on 1 December. We hope to have reached agreement on most of the agenda items prior to this meeting as there is a very tight turnaround time prior to the DG meeting taking place in Newcastle a couple of days after the end of the IPSG meeting. Roxburghe Hotel 38 Charlotte Square Edinburgh EH2 4HG Tel

egovernment Working Group (8 9 September, 27 28 October) The egovernment Working Group meetings will be held in Lancaster House, London.

5 egovernment Working Group (8 9 September, October) The egovernment Working Group meetings will be held in Lancaster House, London. Situated between Green Park and St James, Lancaster House is a short walk to and from Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square. Built during the mid nineteenth century, the house provides first class facilities for government business and boasts to have entertained more heads of state, politicians and celebrities than any other in London. Lancaster House is a five minute walk through Green Park from London Underground Green Park station. egovernment Conference (24 25 November) The Transforming Public Services: Ministerial egovernment Conference will be held at the Manchester International Conference Centre (MICC). Situated in one of Europe s most progressive cities, Manchester is continually growing and developing. The city retains the best of its past heritage whilst constantly moving ahead towards the future. The MICC is well served by air, rail and road networks. For more information Better Regulation Conference (22 23 September) Better Regulation is a top government priority for the upcoming UK Presidency. The Better Regulation Executive in the Cabinet Office leads on taking forward the UK's work on regulatory reform at both the domestic and European level. As part of our Presidency activities, the Cabinet Office will be hosting a major international conference on European Better Regulation which will take place on the September 2005 at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh. The latter lies in the shadow of historical Edinburgh Castle and is just a short walk from the city's famous shopping 5

thoroughfare, Princes Street. The Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa is situated in the heart of Edinburgh, one of Europe's most historic, yet cosmopolitan cities.

6 thoroughfare, Princes Street. The Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa is situated in the heart of Edinburgh, one of Europe's most historic, yet cosmopolitan cities. Popular sights such as the medieval Old Town and the architectural interest of the Georgian New Town are close by. The hotel has spectacular views of Edinburgh Castle and is home to ONE, Europe's most advanced City Spa and will provide a relaxed and informal atmosphere in which to discuss improving the European regulatory environment. The conference will be entitled Competitiveness and Consultation Business at the Heart of Europe. The overarching aim of the conference will be to engage European business leaders with the Better Regulation agenda, from whom, to date there has been less interest and pressure than from UK business. By engaging senior European business leaders with the agenda, we hope to generate genuine and tangible Europe-wide top-level support and engagement with structures which are designed to deliver better European regulation. The conference is set to be extremely high profile and we anticipate highlevels of interest. Vice President Günter Verheugen, Niall FitzGerald (CEO, Reuters) and Sir David Arculus (Chair of the Better Regulation Task Force) will all be making keynote speeches. HR Working Group (12 13 September, 26 October) The first meeting of the HR Working Group will be held in the Jean Monnet building in Luxembourg. The second meeting will be held at 1 Birdcage Walk, London on Wednesday 26 October. More information on these meetings will be sent in late August and early October. DG Troika (14 October) The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich sets the scene for the meeting of the DG Troika in October. The site is based in Greenwich and forms part of the centre of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The UNESCO designation recognises the site as being of "outstanding universal value", as Greenwich comprises the finest and most dramatically sited architectural and landscape ensemble in the British Isles. The site is served by a number of rail links from the centre of London. The nearest train station is Greenwich. The nearest underground station is Cutty Sark. 6

7 DG Troika and DG Conference (DG Troika 4th December) (DG Conference 5 6 December) Newcastle is situated in the North East of England, approximately 200 miles from London. Once renowned for heavy industry (mining and ship building), the city has undergone a recent regeneration which has brought new life to the city centre and riverside area. New projects have delivered a vibrant and colourful range of sites and experiences to the city and there is a new energy flowing through the area. The spirit and sense of identity is encapsulated in a structure named the Angel of the North, symbolic of the pride and industrial heritage of the region. Angel of the North The meeting, and hopefully your stay in Newcastle, will be at the Hilton Newcastle/Gateshead, a centrally located hotel on the banks of the River Tyne. &ViewPropertyHomePage=&formName=ViewPropertyHomePageForm The hotel is in easy reach of the new Sage building, a recently constructed music centre, famous for its architecture and inclusive community vision. In the run up to Christmas, local shops and markets provide a host of local goods and, for serious shoppers, the Metro Centre, one of Europe s largest shopping centres, is within easy reach of the city centre. 7

8 Delegates participating in the DG Troika will be invited to a half day meeting on Sunday 4 December at the Hilton Hotel. For those delegates who arrive on Sunday and are not participating in the Troika, the Presidency will arrange a visit to a local attraction in the afternoon. The Presidency invites all member state delegations to a reception dinner on Sunday 4 December Details will follow. 3 - Security in Cabinet Office Buildings The Cabinet Office takes security very seriously so visitors will be expected to wear passes at all times. Members of staff will be available to escort you through the building as required. 4 - Visiting London & Other Regions London offers a wide range of attractions and events throughout the year. Since the list is almost exhaustive, it would be useful to consult the London Tourist board for key dates of events. Suffice to say that the main Cabinet Office buildings are in walking distance of The National Gallery, Covent Garden and most London theatres. You can even pop down to 10 Downing Street if you are in the area! Information on regional cities, including Edinburgh, Manchester and Newcastle can be found on the British Tourist Authority s site: 5- Getting here London is served by 4 main airports London Heathrow (airport code LHR), London Gatwick (LGW), London Stansted (STN) and London City Airport (LCY). All are served by regular bus and rail links direct to the centre of town. Services to London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are served by express links. The airport in Newcastle is served by a regular Metro system; Edinburgh has a regular shuttle bus into the city centre. Airport codes are indicated next to the airport name. London Heathrow (LHR) Rail Links (Journey time is approximately 15 minutes and terminates at London Paddington Station, towards the North West of the City) 8

9 London Gatwick (LGW) Rail Links (Journey time is approximately 30 minutes and terminates at Victoria Station, in the centre of the city) London Stansted (STN) Rail Links (Journey time is approximately 45 minutes and terminates at Liverpool Street Station, towards the East of the city) London City Airport (LCY) Shuttle buses run from the Airport to local Underground stations with direct links to the city centre. More information on arrivals and transportation can be found on the London City Airport link above. The airport has direct links to Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, Paris and Brussels. Newcastle Airport (NCL) Newcastle airport is the main international airport serving the North East of the UK. The airport is well served by national carriers (British Airways, Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, to name a few) as well as many budget and charter airlines (Ryanair, Easyjet) offering direct services across Europe. Manchester Airport (MAN) Manchester Airport is one of the largest regional airport outside of London and is well connected to major European hubs. There are regular bus, rail and taxi services to the city centre. Edinburgh Airport (EDI) Edinburgh Airport is reached easily by good bus links direct to/from the city centre. Taxis are available near the airport s arrivals hall. There are direct links to most major EU capitals and regular flights from London, Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt and other hub airports. 9

10 London Underground The network is relatively straightforward, once you get to grips with the vast number of stations and the colours for each line! Further information, including an Underground map can be found at 6- Accommodation London s accommodation can be quite expensive although there is a wide range of options available to suit most budgets. The list below suggests a small sample of travel company sites that may offer more favourable rates: Cheaper deals are available in more basic accommodation:

11 7- Useful Contact Numbers John Barker CB (Director General) Director of Talent Paulette Riddell (PA) Personal Assistant to John Barker Tel: (0) Fax: (0) Paul Roberts (HR Working Group and DGs/Troika Meetings/CIRCA) Deputy Head EU Staffing Branch Tel: (0) Fax: (0) Carol Williams (HR Working Group and DGs/Troika Meetings) Deputy Head EU Staffing Branch Tel: (0) Fax: (0) Tracey Blower (HR Working Group and DGs/Troika Meetings/CIRCA) EU HR and Public Administration Manager Tel: (0) Fax: (0) Maria Carim (HR Working Group and DGs/Troika Meetings/CIRCA) EU Interchange Manager Tel: (0) Fax: (0) Lisa Wiffen (HR Working Group and DGs/Troika Meetings/CIRCA) Administrative Assistant Tel: (0) Fax: (0) Roy Stephenson (IPSG) Deputy Director Charter Mark Team Tel: (0) Fax: (0)

12 Jane Jones (IPSG) Head of Charter Mark Policy Tel: (0) Fax: (0) James Airey (IPSG / CIRCA) Policy Adviser Office for Public Sector Reform James.airey@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk Tel: (0) Fax: (0) Ian Ascough (e-government Unit) EU Policy Business Operations Ian.ascough@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk Tel: (0) Fax: (0) Farah Ahmed (e-government Unit) EU Policy Business Operations Farah.ahmed@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk Tel: (0) Fax: (0) General EPAN enquiries: ukpresidency.eusb@cabinet-office.x.gsi.gov.uk 12

13 8- Postal Addresses (DG Events, Troika Secretariat, HR Working Group, CIRCA administration) Cabinet Office EU Staffing Branch Room G14 Admiralty Arch (South Side) London SW1A 2WH (IPSG) Cabinet Office Office for Public Sector Reform 22/26 Whitehall London SW1A 2WH (e-government Unit) Cabinet Office E Government Unit Stockley House 130 Wilton Road London SW1V 1LQ National School of Government Sunningdale Park Larch Avenue Ascot Berkshire SL5 0QE 9- Useful Links UK Tourist Information Sites

NewcastleGateshead invites you to explore Great Exhibition of the North

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