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Europaudvalget 2014-15 (1. samling)
EUU Alm.del Bilag 328
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TROIKA OF COSAC

Riga, Latvia, 1 February 2015

PRESENT AT THE MEETING

CHAIR: Ms Lolita ČIGĀNE, Latvian

Saeima.

Mr Marc ANGEL, Chair of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Cooperation

and Immigration, Luxembourg

Chambre des Députés,

Mr Ramón Luis VALCARCEL SISO, Vice-

President, European Parliament; and Ms Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Chair of the Constitutional

Affairs Committee, European Parliament.

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 LIII COSAC

4. Approval of the outline of the 23

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

The meeting was chaired by Ms Lolita ČIGĀNE who welcomed the delegations of the Presidential

Troika of COSAC (hereinafter referred to as "the Troika").

In the absence of any objection, the agenda of the meeting of the Troika was adopted without

amendment.

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

Ms ČIGĀNE referred to the two sessions that would take place the next day. The first one would

include the priorities of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union and Prospects

for the European Union after the Election of the new European Commission and would be

addressed by Ms Zanda KALNIŅA-LUKAŠEVICA, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, and Mr Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of

the European Commission for Better Regulation, Interinstitutional Relations, the Rule of Law and

the Charter of Fundamental Rights. The second one would focus on Eastern Partnership and

Challenges Ahead and would be addressed by Mr Urban AHLIN, Speaker of the Swedish

Riksdag,

Mr Edgars RINKĒVIČS, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia, and Mr Ostap

SEMERAK, First Deputy Chairman of the Committee on European Integration of the Ukrainian

Verkhova Rada.

Ms ČIGĀNE said that, during the opening session, two short presentations would be made. Mr

René LEEGTE, Dutch

Tweede Kamer,

would present the results of the informal meeting on the role

of national Parliaments that had taken place on 19

January 2015 in Brussels. Lord BOSWELL, UK

House of Lords,

would present his discussion paper on the "green card" procedure.

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The draft programme of the meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC was approved without

amendment.

3. Debate on the draft programme of the LIII COSAC

Ms ČIGĀNE presented the topics on the draft programme, which included the following: 1. State of

Play of the Latvian Presidency; 2. European Union Energy Policy: State of Play, Challenges and

Opportunities; 3. The European Union as a Global Actor: EU Trade Policy for the next five years;

4. Future of the Parliamentary Scrutiny of the European Union Affairs.

Regarding the topic of European Union Energy Policy, Ms ČIGĀNE said that the Presidency had

two confirmed keynote speakers; Mr Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European

Commission for Energy Union, and Mr Jerzy BUZEK, Chair of the European Parliament's

Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. She also mentioned that the Presidency was planning

to invite two additional speakers.

Referring to the keynote speakers on the topic of the European Union as a Global Actor, the Chair

informed that Ms Cecilia MALMSTRÖM, Commissioner for Trade, had confirmed her

participation. The Presidency, she added, envisaged inviting two additional speakers, a US Trade

representative, as well as a representative of the European Parliament.

Ms HÜBNER took the floor and stated that the applicable rules governing the composition of the

European Parliament's delegation could present a potential challenge to the choice of keynote

speakers from the European Parliament. She explained that the European Parliament delegation

would be composed of a Vice-President and the Chair of the Constitutional Affairs Committee plus

four other members, from various political groups using the D'Hondt system, and that the European

Parliament could finance only the participation of keynote speakers who were members of the

delegation.

Ms ČIGĀNE said the Presidency had been aware of the issue and was taking note of it; she

expressed hope that the Presidency and the European Parliament would closely cooperate when

forming the European Parliament's delegation and that the delegation would be well representing

the European Parliament's principles.

Mr ANGEL, referring to the proposed topic of EU Trade Policy, advised that the discussion on the

Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) needed to include the issue of the investor-

state-dispute-settlement (ISDS). Ms ČIGĀNE confirmed this issue was one of those to be tackled.

On the same topic, Ms HÜBNER suggested making TTIP visible in the title of the draft

programme, as this was the very first discussion on TTIP organised between the European and

national Parliaments. The Chair said the Presidency had taken note of the suggestion and would

resolve the issue.

Ms ČIGĀNE then presented the fourth session on the draft programme dealing with the Future of

Parliamentary Scrutiny of the European Union Affairs to which the entire second day of the

meeting would be dedicated. It would include three topics: 1. General overview of instruments

aiming at increasing national Parliaments' involvement in the EU decision-making; 2. Political

dialogue and the "green card" procedure; 3. Role of Parliaments in shaping the European

Commission's Multiannual Work Programme. The Chair said that the Presidency envisaged a mix

of representatives of national Parliaments, the European Parliament and possibly of the academia as

keynote speakers.

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Mr VALCARCEL SISO proposed, firstly, changing the title of the third topic to "The European

Commission's Multiannual Work Programme and the Role of Parliaments", in order to avoid all

ambiguity between national Parliaments and European Parliament's prerogatives. Secondly, he

suggested changing the order of the topics under the fourth session of the LIII COSAC so as to

discuss first the proposed "green card", the European Commission's Multiannual Work Programme

and the role of Parliaments, and conclude with a general debate. Thirdly, he proposed Ms Maria

João RODRIGUES, member of the European Parliament's Committee on Employment and Social

Affairs, as a keynote speaker for the topic regarding the European Commission's Multiannual Work

Programme.

The Presidency agreed with the proposed amendment of the draft programme of the LIII COSAC

and proposed to keep the order of the topics under the fourth session and to amend the title of the

first topic to read, instead of "General overview", "State of play of instruments aiming at increasing

national Parliaments' involvement in the EU decision-making".

Ms ČIGĀNE also informed that, after a proposal of the meeting of the Chairpersons of the

Committees of European Union Affairs of Parliaments of the EU South earlier in the afternoon to

discuss the situation of ISIS and terrorism in the Middle East, the Presidency had agreed to hold a

formal lunch debate on the topic.

4. Approval of the outline of the 23

Bi-annual Report of COSAC

Ms ČIGĀNE briefly presented the outline of the 23

Bi-annual Report. She reported that the first

chapter would tackle the subject of European Union Energy Policy: state of play, challenges and

opportunities. The second chapter would deal with the future of parliamentary scrutiny of European

Union affairs. The third chapter would tackle the topic of EU Trade Policy and the role of national

Parliaments. In addition, she explained that the intention of the Presidency was to include the input

of the Bi-annual Report in the LIII COSAC. The Chair said that the questionnaire for the 23

Bi-

annual Report would be circulated in about two weeks' time mentioning the intended deadline of

March 2015 for the replies.

The outline of the 23

Bi-annual Report of COSAC was approved without amendment.

5. Letters received by the Presidency

The Presidency had received the following letters:



Letters from Ms Anniken HUITFELD, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs

and Defence of the Norwegian

Storting,

as well as from Dr Kathy RIKLIN, National

Councillor/ President of the EFTA/EU Delegation of the Swiss

Assemblée fédérale,

regarding participation at COSAC. After consultation with the Troika, letters of invitation

had already been sent to the Norwegian

Storting

and the Swiss

Assemblée fédérale.



Letters from Mr Vannino CHITI, Chair of the Committee on Policies of the European Union

of the Italian

Senato della Repubblica,

and Mr Michele BORDO, Chair of the Committee on

Policies of the European Union of the Italian

Camera dei deputati,

regarding their inability

to participate in the COSAC Troika and Chairpersons meetings in Riga.



A letter from Mr Malik AZMANI, Chair of the European affairs Committee of the Dutch

Tweede Kamer,

regarding Mr René LEEGTE's attendance at the meeting of the

Chairpersons of COSAC.



The reply of the European Commission to the Contribution of the LII COSAC.

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

A letter from Mr Frans TIMMERMANS, First Vice-President of the European Commission,

responding to Ms ČIGĀNE's letter on enhanced political dialogue between national

Parliaments and the European Commission.

A letter from Mr Kalle PALLING, Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee of the

Estonian

Riigikogu,

proposing a common statement of the Chairpersons of COSAC on

current events in Ukraine.

Mr ANGEL supported Mr PALLING's initiative regarding a common statement of the Chairpersons

of COSAC on current events in Ukraine, proposing, nevertheless, balancing the content of the draft

statement by adding a reference to the need for modernisation and continuation of reforms in

Ukraine.

Mr VALCARCEL SISO suggested amending the second paragraph of the draft statement and

proposed more moderate language reflecting the Foreign Affairs Council conclusions on Ukraine

adopted on 29

January 2015. Mr ANGEL and Ms HÜBNER agreed, the latter underlining the need

to ensure the consistency between the positions expressed by the EU Parliaments and by the

Council of EU.

Following a proposal by the Presidency on the way to proceed, the Troika amended the draft

statement that was going to be presented to the Chairs the next day.

6. Any other business

No other business.