Problem overview:

     Framework for coordination: The Economic Policy Coordination Committee (EPCC) is the highest decision-making organization that coordinates with ministries related to economic policies including environmental sectors.

Background:

     Establishing effective co-ordination system between government ministries

     Korea has had no universal economic development plan since 1993. Instead, each sector and ministry, namely information, land using, environment and so on, have their own plans. Therefore, it is very often that some plans (especially in action plan) raise inter-ministerial conflicts or policy duplications. Especially for environmental policies, conflict of interests between the Ministry of Environment (MOE) and the Ministry of Construction & Transportation (charged with spatial development and land using policies) or the Ministry of Industry and Energy (charged with industrial development policies) seem hard to avoid. So, the Korean government established the Economic Policy Coordination Committee (EPCC) in 1998 under the presidential decree with the main purpose to coordinate and resolve conflict of interests among relevant ministries.

Members and Missions of the EPCC:

     The EPCC is chaired by the Minister of Finance and Economy. The committee comprises of all the ministers of the economic sector, namely, Minister of Industry & Energy, Minister of Construction & Transportation, Minister of Environment, Minister of Labor, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Information & Communication, Minister of Budgeting & Planning, Chairman of Financial Supervisory Commission, Chairman of Fair Trade Commission. At the working level, a subcommittee consisting of directors from the same ministries prepares and coordinates the agenda to be submitted to the EPCC and controls detailed programs decided or delegated by the EPCC.

     The major role of the EPCC in environmental policies is to coordinate and resolve the conflict between the MOE and other ministries in formulating and implementing economic policies. In addition, the EPCC plays a great role in integrating environmental consideration into economic policy making. By participating in the EPCC, the MOE can influence on overall economic policy, for key factors in economic policies are decided in the EPCC.

Assessment

     The EPCC has some distinctive characters different from other committees. First, it is not an advisory or consultant body but a decision-making one with powerful authority. Projects decided in the EPCC are immediately implemented by line ministry, and the results of the projects should be reported to the EPCC. Second, it has no problems of infrequency, for it should be opened at least every other week by the legislation. There are several examples that the EPCC successfully coordinated the different viewpoints or interests between the MOE and the line ministries on the issues such as energy, transportation, and water management. And in formulating the "Annual Economic Policy Orientation", the basic government policy orientation about macro and micro economic affairs, the EPCC has played an important role in integrating environmental consideration into economic policy making. See also Korea's Environmental Conservation Committee