EUU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 416: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmødet 20-21/1-19 i Bukarest

Europaudvalget 2018-19 (1. samling)
EUU Alm.del Bilag 416
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TROIKA OF COSAC

Bucharest, Romania, 20 January 2019

PRESENT AT THE MEETING

CHAIRS:

Ms Gabriela CREȚU, Chairwoman of the European Affairs Committee, Romanian

Senat;

Mr Angel TÎLVĂR, Chairman of the European Affairs Committee, Romanian

Camera

Deputaților.

Mr Christian BUCHMANN, Chair of the EU Committee, Austrian

Bundesrat;

Mr Arto

SATONEN, Chair of the Grand Committee, Finnish

Eduskunta.

AGENDA

1. Adoption of the agenda of the meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC

2. Approval of the draft programme of the meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC

3. Debate on the draft programme of the LXI COSAC

4. Approval of the outline of the 31st Bi-annual Report of COSAC

5. Letters received by the Presidency

6. Any other business

PROCEEDINGS

1. Adoption of the agenda of the Meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC

Ms CREȚU welcomed the delegations of the Presidential Troika of COSAC (hereinafter

referred to as "the Troika"), and outlined the agenda of the meeting of the Troika, which was

adopted without amendment.

2. Approval of the draft programme of the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC

Ms CREȚU outlined the topics on the programme of the meeting that would take place the

following day.

The first session would focus on the “priorities of the Romanian Presidency of the Council of

the EU”

and would be presented by Ms Ana BIRCHALL, Vice-Prime Minister for Romania's

Strategic Partnerships' Implementation.

The second session would deal with “increasing cohesion and ensuring convergence through

the Multiannual Financial Framework instruments", with Ms Corina CREȚU, Commissioner

for Regional Policy,

as well as Mr Daniel DĂIANU, member

of the Board, National Bank of

Romania and member of the Romanian Academy.

After the Chair noted a slight change in the participant’s list, the draft programme of the meeting

of the Chairpersons of COSAC was approved without amendment.

3. Debate on the draft programme of the LXI COSAC

Mr TÎLVĂR informed the Troika members that the LXI COSAC would take place on 23 –

of June 2019 in Bucharest. He then outlined the four sessions of the draft programme.

EUU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 416: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmødet 20-21/1-19 i Bukarest

The first session would focus on the achievements of the Romanian Presidency of the Council

of the European Union; the second session would deal with the prospects for international trade

relations of the European Union; the future of relations between the European Union and the

UK in the context of Brexit; the third session would address the European Education Area as a

driving factor for reshaping and strengthening the Single Market; while the fourth session

would tackle economy based on innovation, technological progress and social European Union

impact; the role of national Parliaments in fostering the "New Economy" of the EU.

The draft programme of the LXI COSAC was approved without amendment.

4. Approval of the outline of the 31st Bi-annual Report of COSAC

Mr TÎLVĂR outlined the structure of the 31st Bi-annual

Report of COSAC noting that it would

be divided in three chapters, with the first chapter dealing with the prospects for international

trade relations of the European Union; the future of relations between the European Union and

the United Kingdom in the context of Brexit; the second chapter seeks to get the views of

parliaments on the European Education Area as a driving factor for reshaping and strengthening

the Single Market; and, finally, the third chapter focusses on economy based on innovation,

technological progress and social impact; the role of Parliaments in fostering the "New

Economy" of the EU.

The questionnaire would be distributed by 12 February and the replies would be expected by

19 March 2019.

The outline of the 31st Bi-annual Report of COSAC was approved.

5. Letters received by the Presidency

Ms CREȚU referred to the following letters received::

- Letters from Ms Áslaug Arna SIGURBJÖRNSDÓTTIR, Chair of the Standing Committee

on Foreign Affairs, Icelandic

Althingi;

Ms Karin KELLER-SUTTER, President of the

Swiss EFTA-EU delegation, Swiss

Assemblée fédérale;

Mr Tone Wilhelmsen TRØEN,

President of the Norwegian

Stortinget;

and Ms Tamar KHULORDAVA, Chairwoman of

the Committee on European Integration, Parliament of Georgia; requesting participation in

COSAC meetings.

- A letter from Mr Michael HEALY-RAE, Chairman Joint Committee on European Union

Affairs, Irish

Houses of the Oireachtas,

regretting his Chamber’s inability to be represented

at the meeting due to the 100th anniversary of the first meeting of the

Dáil Éireann.

- A letter from Mr Kristian VIGENIN, Chair of the Committee on European Affairs and

Oversight of the European funds, Bulgarian

Narodno sobranie,

proposing the participation

of one or more members of the COSAC Presidential Troika to the meetings of the

Conference of Committees for European Affairs/Integration of countries within the

Stabilisation and Association Process of South-East Europe (COSAP), on a regular basis.

- A letter from Ms Mairead McGUINNESS, First Vice-President, European Parliament,

regretting that she could not be able to participate at the Chairpersons of COSAC, as she

would be representing European Parliament at a ceremony in Dublin.

- A letter from Ms Danuta HÜBNER, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs,

European Parliament, regretting that she could not participate at the Meeting of the

Chairpersons of COSAC due to medical circumstances, and stressing a couple of remarks

regarding the draft programme of the LXI COSAC Plenary meeting and the outline of the

31st Bi-annual Report of COSAC.

EUU, Alm.del - 2018-19 (1. samling) - Bilag 416: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmødet 20-21/1-19 i Bukarest

After consultation with the Troika, the Parliaments requesting participation had been invited as

special guests, although Iceland would not be attending the Chairpersons meeting.

With regard to the letter sent by Mr VIGENIN, Mr BUCHMANN supported the general idea

expressed in the letter in order to strengthen the ties between COSAC and COSAP. Mr

SATONEN pointed out that over the years, COSAC has avoided making permanent

commitments of this nature, in order not to bind the hands of future Presidencies. Mr

SATONEN suggested keeping to the established practice, leaving it to each Presidency, in

consultation with the Troika, to assess invitations on a case-by-case basis.

Ms CREȚU said

the letter of Mr VIGENIN should be further discussed in the meeting the

following day.

6. Any other business

Ms CREȚU highlighted the intention of the Romanian Parliament to send a letter of intent to

the European Union Affairs Committees of national Parliaments asking them to confirm their

intentions to maintain the current co-financing mechanism of the Permanent Member of the

COSAC Secretariat and the costs of running of the office of COSAC for two years starting from

1 January 2020.

In accordance with the LX COSAC Conclusions regarding the integration of the COSAC web-

page into the IPEX platform, whereby COSAC invited the Romanian Presidency to closely

monitor the transfer of information and to ensure the completion of the process by the LXI

COSAC plenary meeting, the Chairs took note of the progress made thus far and the working

timetable for the migration before the Plenary meeting in Bucharest provided by COSAC

Secretariat and presented by its Permanent Member.

With regard to the future of the COSAC website, the Chairs agreed to take into consideration

the recommendation of the IPEX Board meeting.