EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

Europaudvalget 2019-20
EUU Alm.del Bilag 826
Offentligt

MINUTES OF THE EXTRAORDINARY MEETING OF THE CHAIRPERSONS OF

COSAC

Zagreb, Croatia, 16 June 2020

(held via web conference)

AGENDA:

1. Opening of the videoconference

- Welcome

address by Mr Domagoj Ivan MILOŠEVIĆ, Chairman of the

European Affairs Committee, Croatian

Hrvatski sabor

2. Adoption of the agenda of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Chairpersons of

COSAC

3. Procedural issues and miscellaneous matters

Briefing on the results of the videoconference meeting of the Presidential

Troika of COSAC

Presentation of the 33rd Bi-annual Report of COSAC

Presentation of the Letter by the Presidency, to be offered for co-signing to the

members of COSAC

4. Debate on current issues - part one: A common European response to the

coronavirus outbreak and repercussions on the Multiannual Financial

Framework 2021 - 2027

Keynote speakers: Mr

Maroš ŠEFČOVIĆ,

Vice-President of the European

Commission in charge of Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight; Mr Jan

OLBRYCHT, Vice-President of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Co-

Rapporteur on MFF

5. Debate on current issues - part two: Conference on the Future of Europe

Keynote Speakers: Ms Dubravka

ŠUICA,

Vice-President of the European

Commission in charge of democracy and demography (via pre-recorded video

message); Ms Mairead McGUINNESS, First Vice-President of the European

Parliament in charge of relations with national Parliaments

PROCEEDINGS

IN THE CHAIR: Mr

Domagoj Ivan MILOŠEVIĆ, Chairman of the European Affairs Committee,

Croatian

Hrvatski sabor

1. Opening of the meeting

Welcome address by Mr Domagoj Ivan MILOŠEVIĆ, Chairman of the European Affairs

Committee, Croatian

Hrvatski sabor

Mr Domagoj Ivan

MILOŠEVIĆ,

Chairman of the European Affairs Committee, Croatian

Hrvatski

sabor,

welcomed the participants and noted that the LXIII COSAC had to be cancelled due to the

coronavirus outbreak and consequences of two earthquakes that affected Zagreb in March.

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ

was nevertheless grateful that despite the extraordinary circumstances COSAC

could still meet and carry out its work virtually. He concluded his intervention by wishing the

participants a fruitful meeting.

2. Adoption of the agenda for the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ

presented the draft agenda of the Extraordinary

COSAC Chairpersons‚ meeting,

which was approved without amendment.

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

3. Procedural issues and miscellaneous matters

- Briefing on the results of the videoconference meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC

- Presentation of the 33rd Bi-annual Report of COSAC

- Presentation of the Letter by the Presidency, to be offered for co-signing to the members of

COSAC

- Letters received by the Presidency

- Procedural issues

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ welcomed the Chairpersons who attended the Chairpersons‚ COSAC for the first

time, namely Mr Patrick DEWAEL, Chair of Federal Advisory Committee for European Affairs and

President of the Belgian

Chambre des représentants;

Tomáš VALÁŠEK,

Chair of the European

Affair Committee of the Slovak

Národná rada;

and Mr Marko Pogačnik, who had attended COSAC

meetings before but was attending COSAC for the first time in his capacity as Chair of the Committee

on EU Affairs of the Slovenian

Državni zbor

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ

informed the participants of the topics discussed during the meeting of the

Presidential Troika of COSAC that had taken place on 20 May 2020 via videoconference, reminding

the participants they had received the minutes of that meeting by email.

Presentation of the 33

Bi-annual Report of COSAC

MILOŠEVIĆ

invited the Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat, Mr Kenneth CURMI, to

present the 33

Bi-annual Report of COSAC, which was based on Parliaments' replies to the related

questionnaire circulated to delegations on 7 February 2020 with a deadline of 9 March 2020 for

submitting replies.

Mr CURMI briefly referred to the three chapters of the Report: the first one followed up on the

findings of the previous report, the second one reviewed the cooperation in place between various

Union bodies and Parliaments/Chambers and the third one analysed the ways and means by which

Parliaments/Chambers conducted their oversight.

Letters received by the Presidency

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ

referred to the letters received by the presidency. These consisted of letters

regarding participation at COSAC meetings as well as two letters, one from the UK

House of

Commons

and one from the Czech

Poslanecká sněmovna

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ continued by pointing out that the migration of the COSAC web site to the IPEX

platform had been finalised. Finally, he drew attention to the Presidency letter to the EU institutions,

as an outcome of the Extraordinary Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC, and invited interested

participants to co-sign the letter by Friday, 19 June.

4. Debate on current issues - part one: A common European response to the coronavirus

outbreak and repercussions on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021 - 2027

Keynote speakers:

Mr Maroš ŠEFČOVIĆ, Vice-President

of the European Commission in charge of

Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight; Mr Jan OLBRYCHT, Vice-President of the EPP Group in

the European Parliament, Co-Rapporteur on Multi Financial Framework (MFF)

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ,

Chairman of the European Affairs Committee, gave the floor to Mr

Maroš

ŠEFČOVIĆ, Vice-President

of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional Relations

and Foresight.

Mr OLBRYCHT, Vice-President of the EPP Group in the European Parliament, Co-Rapporteur on

Multi Financial Framework (MFF), started his keynote address by stating that the current crisis was

also bearing the opportunity for real change. In the months to come there was going to be a debate on

the future of the Union, what some observers called a Hamilton‚s moment. The MFF 2021-2027

was

a reduced version of the European Commission‚s proposal of 2018 and considerably reduced to what

the European Parliament had proposed. It required the unanimous decision by the Member States as

well as consent by the European Parliament, and included the European Commission‚s proposal of

the recovery instrument

“Next

Generation EU”, for which it was going to borrow money on the

financial markets for the first time, and for which the Commission was seeking a speedy ratification.

This required a clear position by each of the national Parliaments. Due to Article 122 of the Treaty

on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) the European Parliament was not to decide on the

fund itself but it was going to be influential in the co-decision of its legal framework. The European

Parliament was currently waiting for the political agreement of the Council in order to be able to start

working on the bridge solution, i.e. the immediate correction of the commitment of the budget to 11.3

billion euros as well as the change of at least four regulations for the ongoing year of 2020. Mr

OLBRYCHT emphasized that the European Parliament was prepared to start its work immediately.

In the event that a political agreement was not reached, the treaty solution offered a contingency plan

for 2021.

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ

thanked Mr OLBRYCHT and gave the floor to the second keynote speaker, Mr

Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President

of the European Commission.

Mr ŠEFČOVIČ

started his keynote address by highlighting the importance of solidarity among the

27 Member States, particularly in times of crisis. The aim of the recovery plan was not only to restart

European economies but to modernize them by making them greener, more digital and fairer. Despite

affecting all Member States, the scope of the consequences of the crisis varied considerably.

Therefore, the plan was based on detailed analysis of incurred costs, taking into account different

indicators to ensure fair distribution and avoid additional division lines. The European Commission

had put forward an unprecedented proposal which merged the MFF with a recovery plan, thus

combining a budget worth 1.1 billion EUR with a recovery fund worth 750 billion euros. A temporary

increase of the budget‚s own resources ceiling to 2 percent allowed the European Commission to use

its favourable credit rating to borrow 750 billion euros on the financial markets which were to be paid

back not before 2028 and not after 2058.

Mr ŠEFČOVIČ explained that “Next Generation EU” would

siphon direct investment quickly to where it was most needed, reinforce the single market and help

to provide the tools needed to step up cooperation in areas such as health and crisis management. He

went on to emphasize that the budget would allow to drive the green and digital transition and build

a fair and resilient economy. The European Commission hoped for an approval to the plan in July

2020 and to see the first draft in October 2020 in order to be able to use the full potential of the

recovery instrument by the beginning of 2021.

Mr ŠEFČOVIČ

underlined the crucial role of national

Parliaments, particularly with regard to the own resources policy of the European Union, and invited

all Parliaments to engage in fruitful discussions with the European Commission.

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ

thanked the keynote speakers and hoped that the European Union would use the

crisis to redefine its relationship with China. He added that the current situation called for a Pan-

European taxation of certain industries and sectors.

In the subsequent debate, 24 speakers took the floor, with the vast majority of them welcoming the

European Commission proposal for a new long-term EU budget and recovery plan.

Mr Peter STROBEL, German

Bundesrat,

affirmed the need for a collective major European effort in

order

to overcome the crisis. He welcomed the European Commission‚s amended proposal as a bold

and apt step in this direction. In his view, the combination of grants and loans took account of the

general economic performance of the European economies and guaranteed European solidarity. Mr

STROBEL underlined the need for regional strategies across borders, further noting that the regions

of Europe had been severely affected by the reintroduction of border controls in response to the

COVID-19 pandemic. Commuter movements, as well as access to care and the social environment,

had been disrupted, a situation which needed to be avoided in case of a future pandemic.

Mr Richard HÖRCSIK, Hungarian

Országgyű lés

, informed the audience of the foreseeable

termination of the state of emergency previously declared in the country, as Parliament intended to

vote on the issue on the same day of the COSAC Chairpersons meeting. With regard to the European

Commission‚s proposal,

he expressed worries over any possible financial cuts to the cohesion fund.

He called for the fair treatment of less developed European countries, and stressed that the recovery

plan should not put any extra burden on them. Mr HÖRCSIK closed his statement by underlining the

interconnected nature of Europe and the particular importance of the Western Balkans in that context.

Mr Yiorgos LILLIKAS, Cyprus

Vouli ton Antiprosopon,

stated that Cyprus was host to the highest

number of asylum seekers within the EU, a number equivalent to 3.8 percent of its population, and

called for the Union‚s effective solidarity in order to alleviate disproportional migratory pressures on

front-line Member States. Mr LILLIKAS went on to say that the proposal by the European Union had

not met Cyprus‚ expectations with regard to REACT-EU.

He expressed his hope that cohesion funds

could be strengthened and that all funds would be attributed to Member States in a flexible manner.

He concluded by stressing that Cyprus was not in favour of additional own resources.

Mr Gunther KRICHBAUM, German

Bundestag,

commented on the lack of solidarity at the outset of

the crisis and welcomed the recovery fund as a means to support in particular those countries which

had been hit the hardest. Mr KRICHBAUM stressed that no institutional power for health affairs

existed in Europe and suggested the further development of the European Centre for Disease

Prevention and Control (ECDC) in order to be better prepared in case of a future pandemic.

Mr Václav HAMPL, Czech

Senát,

expressed concern with regard to the total amount of the loan

which the European Commission would take out in order to execute its recovery plan, expressing

reservations as to whether that amount of money was actually needed. He would also not rule out

another pandemic occurring in the next 30 years, in which case the hands of the Union would be tied

due to the commitment of the recovery plan.

Ms Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN, Dutch

Eerste Kamer,

stated that a sustainable recovery was in the

interest of all Member States. She also pointed out that this was the first digital COSAC to be held in

the history of the Conference, as a direct result of the need to explore new ways and digital formats

of conducting meetings, a need brought about by the crisis. She also hoped that the crisis would open

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

up other possibilities in a similar fashion. . She stated that a sustainable recovery was in the interest

of all Member States.

Mr Gediminas KIRKILAS, Lithuanian

Seimas,

stated that single market barriers should be removed,

Schengen should be restored and investments directed at the digital transformation and research

capacities. He emphasized the need for European economies to strengthen their autonomy especially

with regard to China. Mr KIRKILAS welcomed the proposal by the European Commission but

expressed disappointment as to the budget adjustments regarding cohesion.

Ms Mairéad McGUINNESS, European Parliament, explained that the European Commission had

assured the unchanged priority status of the Green Deal and digital transformation within the revised

proposal. In view of the complexity of the recovery package, the role of national Parliaments was

absolutely vital. The withdrawal of the UK from the EU should also be given due attention.

Mr ŠEFČOVIČ

affirmed the importance of national Parliaments in the process of explaining the

proposal in the respective Member States. He used his concluding remarks to appeal once more to

the solidarity and political leadership of national Parliaments.

Mr ŠEFČOVIČ

went on to explain that

within the recovery and resilience facility of Next Generation EU, the resilience of national

economies had been added to investments and reforms related to the green and digital transition. He

called on the national governments to draw up ambitious individual recovery plans in order to

accelerate economic growth and modernize European economies. Additional own resources were

supposed to cover large parts of the debt. In this regard, the European Commission was currently

looking at the possibility of introducing new taxes, such as an import carbon tax or a digital tax.

Mr Marko POGAČNIK,

Slovenian

Državni zbor

, declared Slovenia‚s support of the proposal and

welcomed in particular the increased funding for the Justice Transition Mechanism.

Mr Tomáš VALÁŠEK,

Slovak

Národná rada,

remarked that the absorption capacity had an

unfavourable effect on the transformation agenda. If the focus was on absorption only, the opportunity

to actually transform economies might be missed. In a similar vein, he suspected that the European

Commission‚s reference to own resources paying the debt decreased the incentive for national

governments to use the money effectively. Mr

VALÁŠEK pointed

out that the money was in fact

being borrowed from the next generation, and thus entailed some responsibility towards it.

Mr Dragomir STOYNEV, Bulgarian

Narodno sabranie,

expressed his support for the European

Commission proposal, but argued that the approval by all national Parliaments should be linked to

their opportunity to participate actively in the process of adopting policies in national recovery plans

as well as in monitoring their implementation. The role of national Parliaments should be

strengthened in this regard. Mr STOYNEV stressed the importance of active involvement of national

Parliaments in setting priorities for investment and reinforcement.

Ms Satu HASSI, Finnish

Eduskunta,

argued that the Finnish Parliament regarded these exceptional

measures as justified due to the exceptional situation but also held reservations. She stressed that the

European economies were tightly interconnected. The Finnish Parliament had questions regarding

the size of the package, the proportion of grants and loans and the length of the payback period. The

Constitutional Committee of the Finnish Parliament had also raised the question of the legal basis.

With regard to the criteria, Ms HASSI stated that particular attention should be paid to those

economies that had been hit particularly hard by the coronavirus crisis. It was important that

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

investments were carbon neutral. She stressed that the measures would not relieve national

governments of their responsibility to take care of their own economies.

In her statement, Ms Marina BERLINGHIERI, Italian

Senato della Repubblica,

pointed out the

difficult situation in Italy due to the COVID-19 pandemic and emphasized the importance of

developing common strategies and projects. She praised the European Commission's revised MFF

proposal, describing it as very innovative.

Mr Luis CAPOULAS SANTOS, Portuguese

Assembleia da República,

asserted the support of the

Portuguese Parliament for the proposal. It was in the hands of policy makers to restore hope among

European citizens and renew Europe based on the Union's founding principles. Similarly, Ms Vita

Anda TERAUDA, Latvian

Saeima,

called for Latvia to support the European Commission proposal.

She stated that the proposal was a good response to the needs of an economic recovery. The proposal

required solidarity and significant mutual commitment. She pledged Latvia's solidarity, but stressed

that Europe's other great ambitions should not be completely sidelined.

Mr Dimitros KAIRIDIS, Greek

Vouli ton Ellinon,

also welcomed the European Commission's

ambitious proposal, but was skeptical about how state aid was going to be used, pointing out that

there would be legal restrictions on granting legal aid to problem companies, and that most Greek

companies had been classified as problem companies. He called for Greek entrepreneurs not to be

left on their own.

In his intervention, Mr Ondřej BENESIK,

Czech

Poslanecká sněmovna

, pointed out the need to gain

detailed knowledge on all aspects of the origin and spread of the current pandemic and China's failure

to inform the international community in a timely and adequate manner. He said this information was

crucial in order to be able to deal effectively with pandemic situations in the future. Ms Gabriela

CREŢU,

Romanian

Senat,

praised

the Union‚s quick reaction

to the pandemic with regard to short-

term problems, but stressed that long-term thinking was needed to turn this situation into an

opportunity. The main problem was the lack of trust and the necessity of reconsidering rules and

priorities. The Union had to reduce its internal economic gaps and build cohesion in order to face the

ongoing challenges. She regretted that the old trend of using more financial instruments and less

grants was continuing.

Mr Ettore Antonio LICHERI, Italian

Senato della Repubblica,

called for support for the European

Commission proposal. He hoped that an agreement would be reached before August. Italy was

particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and needed support. He said that the EU member

states needed to show solidarity.

Ms Annika QARLSSON, Swedish

Riksdag,

stressed that there were different ways to solve the

current problems related to the pandemic. She stressed that the instruments needed to be temporary

and limited to the imminent aim of recovery from the crisis. Conditionality with criteria such as the

rule of law was necessary.

In her intervention, Ms Anniken HUITFELDT, Norwegian

Storting,

called on the members to stand

up against authoritarian politicians and agreed with Mr ŠEFČOVIČ that the response had to be based

on solidarity. She went on to emphasize the importance of free trade and open borders, a sentiment

echoed by Mr Pere LÖPEZ,

Consell General

of Andorra, who advocated common rules for the free

movement of persons.

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

Patrick DEWAEL,

Belgian Sénat,

thanked the Presidency for organizing the videoconference despite

all obstacles, and praised the Commission‚s recovery, and

appreciated the philosophy behind it. It

was important to ensure appropriate funding and investment was kept in certain fields, such as

digitalization and research. The funding proposed by the Commission would allow to repair the social

and economic damage done by the pandemic, and ensure the economy can be relaunched. Solidarity

was important and Member States should be ready to contribute in one form or another but this should

not be considered as a blank cheque and should come with certain conditions, such as the respect for

the rule of law to encourage necessary reforms in order to ensure more productive economies.

Mr Jean BIZET, French

Sénat,

stated that the unprecedented challenges faced by the European Union

required unprecedented solutions, materialising progressively through measures by the European

Central Bank and the European Stability Mechanism as well as the European Investment Bank. The

Council had also agreed to an instrument specifically aimed at relaunching the European economy.

France and Germany took the initiative, inspiring the Commission with a proposal to revise the MFF

with measures directed at increasing economic resilience of affected countries, and with measures to

ensure a greener and more digital Europe, a proposal which the French Senate welcomes , while

underlining the importance of the European alimentary sovereignty; a greener CAP; the necessity to

increase the funding for the European autonomy, notably the European Defence Fund, space policy,

ITER and Frontex; the creation of the EU Health Programme and the financial resources allocated to

filtering foreign investment. It was important to ensure that measures taken did not boomerang on the

European economy, while optimising European competition and trade policies.

In his concluding remarks, Mr Jan OLBRYCHT stressed the need for solidarity and close

cooperation. He made it clear that the European Commission proposal was the beginning of the debate

on the future of Europe, which would invariably lead to complex debates in the Council and in each

Parliament. He stressed that the European Parliament was ready to start its work, and that a

compromise was urgently needed.

5. Debate on current issues - part two: Conference on the Future of Europe

Keynote speakers: Ms Dubravka

ŠUICA, Vice-President

of the European Commission in charge of

democracy and demography (pre-recorded video message).

Ms Mairead McGUINNESS, First Vice-President of the European Parliament in charge of relations

with national Parliaments.

In her pre-recorded video message,

Ms Dubravka ŠUICA, Vice-President

of the European

Commission, referred to the role of national Parliaments in the Conference on the Future of Europe

(the Conference) and urged participants to ask their respective governments to conclude the

negotiations in the Council in order to pave the way for a Joint Declaration on the Conference, to be

agreed by the EU institutions.

Ms ŠUICA

referred to the Conference as a new public space,

complementary to representative democracy, in which EU citizens could engage with policymakers,

physically or digitally.

Ms ŠUICA

further underlined that, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic,

the Conference was now needed more than ever.

Ms Mairead McGUINNESS, First Vice-President of the European Parliament, referred to the short

resolution on the Conference to be adopted by the European Parliament in the coming days, and urged

the Council to agree on a position. According to Ms McGUINNESS, the launch of the Conference

was becoming more urgent with COVID-19 and related EU recovery plans, as well as possible future

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

pandemics, all of which were matters linked to the future of the European Union. Ms McGUINNESS

pleaded for the involvement of national Parliaments, which needed to be active vis-à-vis their

respective governments, and called on them to put citizens first. Finally, Ms McGUINNESS referred

to the letter from national parliaments/chambers to Mr David Maria SASSOLI, President of the

European Parliament,

Mr Gordan Grlić

RADMAN, President-in-Office of the General Affairs

Council, as well as Vice-President

ŠUICA,

signed on 21 January by 34 Chairpersons of just as many

Member States‚ EU Affairs Committees

(representing 24 national Parliaments), hoping that the letter

would help the Council to agree on a common position.

Fifteen speakers took the floor during the ensuing debate, with a vast majority of participants calling

for a greater role of national Parliaments in the Conference and urging the Council to agree swiftly

on a common position.

A number of speakers called for greater involvement of national Parliaments in the Conference (Mr

Christian BUCHMANN, Austrian

Bundesrat;

Mr Vaclav HAMPL, Czech

Senát;

Mr Yorgos

LILLIAS, Cyprus

Vouli ton Antiprosopon;

Mr Hayke VELDMAN, Dutch

Tweede Kamer;

Ms Sabine

THILLAYE, French

Assemblée nationale;

Mr Peter STROBEL, German

Bundesrat;

Mr Gunther

KRICHBAUM, German

Bundestag;

Ms Gabriela CREȚU,

Romanian

Senat).

Of these, some expressly called for national Parliaments‚ involvement in the steering and supervisory

bodies of the Conference (Mr STROBEL) or for the full integration of national Parliaments in the

structure of the Conference (Ms THILLAYE). Mr Gunther KRICHBAUM, German Bundestag,

expressed disappointment at the content in the late reply by Ms Dubravka ŠUICA on behalf

of the

Commission to the letter sent on 21 January to the EU institutions by 24 national Parliaments asking

for a greater role in the Conference. Mr KRICHBAUM underlined that national Parliaments needed

to be at the same level as the European Parliament, and stated that if treaty changes were needed to

be agreed to, national Parliaments were key for ratification. Both Mr HAMPL and Mr BUCHMANN

concurred with Mr KRICHBAUM, with the latter urging the Council to agree on a common position

(a position shared with Mr STROBLEL and Mr LILLIKAS) and suggested that besides COVID-19

pandemic, digitalisation, fundamental values and recovery plan could also be topics covered by the

Conference.

Mr Bogdan KLICH, Polish

Senat,

asked for the topic of EU values, as the basis of the EU, to be

debated in the Conference, and called for a focus on the strategic objectives of the EU, with a more

democratic EU decision-making process closer to its citizens, all of which could be fulfilled within

the existing EU treaties.

Ms Vita Anda TERAUDA, Latvian

Saeima,

underlined the importance of transparency (a sentiment

echoed by Mr VELDMAN and Mr BUCHMANN) and a strong feedback mechanism in the

Conference in order to bring about active participation, engagement and legitimacy, with no

predetermined outcome and open to Treaty changes.

Ms Marina BELINGHIERI, Italian

Camera dei Deputati,

called for pragmatism and realism, and for

ambitious but achievable goals, and drew attention to the need for reforms in the Council and the

simplification of EU decision-making including through the extension of qualified majority voting to

areas such as taxation and foreign policy. Mr Nikitas KAKLAMANIS, Greek

Vouli ton Ellinon,

called for more resources and stressed the importance of being courageous when taking decisions.

EUU, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 826: Referat af ekstraordinært COSAC-formandsmøde 16/6-20 i Zagreb

Ms Gabriella GIAMMANCO, Italian

Senato della Repubblica,

called for the issue of tax dumping to

be addressed, and argued for the need of a common minimum tax base, EU digital tax and a genuine

common European foreign policy.

Lord KINNOULL, UK

House of Lords,

referred to the importance of inter-parliamentarism and

parliamentary relations, in order to promote understanding and progress among states, and the

necessity to defend Western liberal democracy.

Mr Angel

TÎLVĂR,

Romanian

Camera Deputatilor,

emphasised the importance of the education

sector for the EU single market.

In her concluding remarks, Ms McGUINNESS stated that she would convey the message expressed

by national Parliaments to the European Parliament and asked national Parliaments to convey the

message to their executives to agree on a common position in the Council. Ms McGUINNESS

mentioned in particular that if treaty changes were to be agreed to, national Parliaments engagement

was of paramount importance. Finally, Ms McGUINNESS concurred with the opinion expressed by

Lord KINNOULL on defending Western liberal democracy.

Finally, Mr Guido WOLF, Chair of the Committee on European Union Questions of the German

Bundesrat,

thanked the Croatian Presidency for its work in maintaining dialogue and relations

between the Member States during these challenging times, and informed the participants of the

incoming German Presidency, whose motto

would be “Together for Europe‚s recovery”.

announced that due to the COVID-19

pandemic, the Chairpersons‚ meeting would not take place in

July as planned. Instead, and as agreed with his colleague, Mr KRICHBAUM, a videoconference

would be organised on 14 September. A live COSAC plenary session was still not ruled out, he added.

MILOŠEVIĆ thanked Mr WOLF for the message and

wished the forthcoming German Presidency

all the success. He asked the Commission to understand the importance and leverage of national

Parliaments and called for a joint vision on the development of the EU.

Mr MILOŠEVIĆ referred to

the challenges that the Coronavirus had brought to life and democracy, and stressed the importance

of working together in the face of such challenges. The main focus for the way forward was to ensure

a competitive Europe thanks to a more entrepreneurial, younger generation.