R
ÉPUBLIQUE
F
RANÇAISE
Paris, 1
st
December 2021
To Chairpersons and participants
Dear Sir,
Dear Madam,
The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union will open in
January next year against a backdrop of multiple challenges facing the European
Union.
Internally, the European Union must find a way out of the pandemic, build its
resilience and revitalise its economy, while simultaneously ensuring its ecological
transition, overseeing its digital transformation and safeguarding the rule of law.
Externally, the European Union must protect its borders whilst upholding its
values and adopting a geopolitical position that promotes strategic autonomy and
facilitates partnership building with third countries.
Launched in spring 2021, the Conference on the Future of Europe aims to
outline responses to these challenges by building a dialogue with European
citizens.
This unprecedented context requires the Union's Parliaments to enrich their
debates within the COSAC.
After too many months of virtual meetings, we are delighted to invite you to
join us in Paris for the COSAC Chairpersons' Meeting on 13
th
and 14
th
January
2022, in order to set this process in motion. We will invite you to consider
renewing our working process, by forming dedicated working groups thus
fostering in-depth dialogue.
Naturally, this meeting will also be an opportunity to present the priorities of
the French Presidency. As it coincides with the twentieth anniversary of the
introduction of the euro, this will be an opportunity to celebrate this milestone
together by debating the achievements and the future of the single currency.
We look forward to welcoming you to the French Senate in Paris.
Yours faithfully,
Sabine THILLAYE
Chair
National Assembly European affairs
committee
Jean-François RAPIN
Chair
Senate European affairs committee