EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 187: Referat fra COSAC-møde og Trojka-møde 26-28/11-23 i Madrid

Europaudvalget 2023-24
EUU Alm.del Bilag 187
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TROIKA OF COSAC

ADRID

, S

PAIN

, 26 N

OVEMBER

2023

PRESENT AT THE MEETING

CHAIR: Mr José Ignacio LANDALUCE CALLEJA, Member of the Spanish

Senado,

and Susana SUMELZO JORDÁN, Member of the Spanish

Congreso de los Diputados,

Co-Chairs of the Delegation of the Spanish

Cortes Generales

before the COSAC;

Ms Eliane TILLIEUX, Co-Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on European

affairs, Belgian

Chambre des représentants/Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers,

and

Mr Gaëtan VAN GOIDSENHOVEN, Co-Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on

European Affairs, Belgian

Sénat/Senaat;

Mr Hans WALLMARK, Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs of the

Swedish

Riksdag,

Ms Matilda ERNKRANS, Deputy Chair of the Committee on EU

Affairs of the Swedish

Riksdag;

Mr Othmar KARAS, First Vice-President, European Parliament.

(Mr Salvatore DE MEO, Chair of the Committee for Constitutional Affairs, European

Parliament, was unable to attend).

AGENDA

PROCEEDINGS

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

COSAC

2. Approval of the draft programme of the plenary meeting of the LXIX COSAC 2

3. Presentation of the 40th Bi-annual Report of COSAC

4. Candidate interview for Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat for

2024–2025 and adoption of the Appointment Proposal for the Permanent Member

of the COSAC Secretariat by the Chairpersons of COSAC

5. Draft Contribution and Conclusions of the LXX COSAC

6. Letters received by the Presidency

7. Any other business

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 187: Referat fra COSAC-møde og Trojka-møde 26-28/11-23 i Madrid

PROCEEDINGS

1. A

DOPTION

COSAC

OF THE DRAFT AGENDA OF THE

EETING

OF THE

RESIDENTIAL

ROIKA

Ms Susana SUMELZO JORDÁN, Member of the Spanish

Congreso de los Diputados,

and Mr José Ignacio LANDALUCE CALLEJA, Member of the Spanish

Senado,

welcomed the delegations of the Presidential Troika of COSAC (hereinafter referred to

as "the Troika").

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN recalled that, in relation to the recent general parliamentary

elections in Spain, held on 23 July 2023, the new Spanish Government had been sworn

in the prior week. She added that the parliamentary Committees in the Spanish

Cortes

Generales,

including the Joint Committee for European Union Affairs, were yet to be

established, which imposed some limitations on the preparation of the Presidency.

She then referred to the

agenda of the Meeting of the Troika,

previously circulated to all

delegations, which was adopted without amendments.

2. A

PPROVAL OF THE DRAFT PROGRAMME OF THE PLENARY MEETING OF THE

LXIX COSAC

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN then referred to the revised

draft agenda of the LXX COSAC

Plenary scheduled for 26 to 28 November 2023, in Madrid, that had been circulated in

advance of the meeting. She noted that the recent formation of the Spanish Government

had allowed for the confirmation of several key-note speakers and a more concrete and

final draft agenda.

The draft programme circulated was composed of five thematic sessions which would

be covered during the LXX COSAC:

●

A review of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU;

The Pact on Migration and Asylum of the EU;

The energy crisis and green transition;

The situation in Ukraine and relations with the European Union;

The EU’s Open Strategic Autonomy and relations with Latin America.

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN also alluded to the letter sent by Mr Glenn BEDINGFIELD,

Chair of the Foreign and European Affairs Committee of the Maltese

Kamra

tad-Deputati,

suggesting that a debate regarding the ongoing situation in the

Middle-East to the agenda of the LXX COSAC. After consulting with the Troika, the

Presidency had replied by proposing to widen the scope of Session I

"The Spanish

Presidency of the EU",

in order to include the debate of the crisis in the Middle East, as

requested by the Maltese Chair.

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 187: Referat fra COSAC-møde og Trojka-møde 26-28/11-23 i Madrid

She concluded this point by noting the support of the Troika for the proposed draft

agenda for the LXX COSAC.

3. P

RESENTATION OF THE

ANNUAL

EPORT OF

COSAC

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN referred to the

40th Bi-annual report of COSAC

which was

drafted by the COSAC Secretariat on the basis of replies to the related questionnaire

circulated to national Parliaments/Chambers on 20 September 2023, with a deadline on

20 October for submitting the answers.

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN thanked the COSAC Secretariat for their work and gave the

floor to its Permanent Member, Mr Bruno DIAS PINHEIRO, to present the Report.

Mr DIAS PINHEIRO emphasized the fact that all the 39 Parliaments/Chambers and the

European Parliament had replied to the questionnaire, expressing the expectation that

the findings of the Report might prove useful not only for the COSAC Plenary but also

for the works in the months ahead.

He further recalled that the three chapters of the Report were dedicated to:

1. the role of Parliaments in relation to the European goal of open strategic autonomy;

2. the role of Parliaments in handling the energy policies: renewable sources of energy;

3. the role of the Parliaments when confronted with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The main results from the Report were summarized in a

short video clip

produced by

the Permanent Member and presented at the end of his intervention.

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN thanked the Secretariat for its work.

4. C

ANDIDATE INTERVIEW FOR

ERMANENT

EMBER OF THE

COSAC S

ECRETARIAT FOR

2024–2025

AND ADOPTION OF THE

PPOINTMENT

ROPOSAL FOR THE

ERMANENT

EMBER

OF THE

COSAC S

ECRETARIAT FOR THE PERIOD

2024/25

BY THE

HAIRPERSONS OF

COSAC

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN recalled that the term of office of the incumbent Permanent

Member of the COSAC Secretariat, Mr Bruno DIAS PINHEIRO, was set to expire on

31 December 2023 and the Presidency had been informed that he will not apply for a

second term.

On 27 October, the Spanish Presidency invited delegations to

submit nominations for

the position of the Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat, accompanied by the

candidate's curriculum vitae, motivation letter and recommendation letter of supporting

Chairperson, with a deadline set to 10 November 2023, at the latest. The Chair informed

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 187: Referat fra COSAC-møde og Trojka-møde 26-28/11-23 i Madrid

that within the deadline, there was one candidacy submitted, namely that of

Mr Jakob

SJÖVALL from the Swedish

Riksdag.

She presented the

background note

on the appointment of the Permanent Member of the

COSAC Secretariat and mentioned that, following previous appointments of the

Permanent Member, the selection and nomination procedure would be conducted in the

spirit of impartiality, transparency and fairness.

Moreover, and for the purpose of transparency, the Chair of the Committee on European

Union Affairs of the Swedish

Riksdag,

Mr Hans WALLMARK, had been invited to

observe the proceedings, as the national Parliament that had put forward the candidate,

and was given the floor to present the candidacy of Mr Jakob SJÖVALL.

The candidate was then invited to attend a brief interview with the members of the

presidential Troika of COSAC. After that, the remaining members of the Presidential

troika deliberated unanimously on the adequacy of the candidate. Therefore, and in line

with the COSAC Rules of procedure (Article 9.3), Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN announced

that the Troika would propose to the Chairpersons during the LXX COSAC the

appointment of Mr Jakob SJÖVALL from the Swedish

Riksdag

as the Permanent

Member of the COSAC Secretariat for the period 2024-2025.

Towards the end of this agenda point, the Chair thanked the current Permanent Member,

Mr Bruno DIAS PINHEIRO, for professionalism, the constant support and assistance

provided to all national Parliaments and the Presidencies over the past two years. Mr

KARAS also thanked Mr DIAS PINHEIRO for the excellent cooperation in this period.

5. D

RAFT

ONTRIBUTION

COSAC

AND

ONCLUSIONS

OF THE PLENARY MEETING OF THE

LXX

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN introduced the procedure regarding the adoption of

Contribution and Conclusions by the LXX COSAC, recalling that the Presidency had

consulted the Troika for comments and reactions about the initial drafts of the

Contribution and Conclusions on two occasions, firstly on 6 November 2023 and on 22

November, the latter to include five paragraphs on the situation in the Middle East. A

revised version of the Contribution was made available to the Troika on 25 November,

as a basis for the discussion at the meeting of the Presidential Troika.

She noted that several amendments to the draft Contribution had been put forward by

delegations within the set deadline of 20 November and that the Presidency had

distributed a table with those amendments. Moreover, she informed the Troika that the

Presidency had tried to accommodate the majority of these amendments in the

compromise text distributed ahead of the meeting, provided they were not contradictory

with the original draft or addressed matters which were beyond the agenda of the LXX

COSAC.

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 187: Referat fra COSAC-møde og Trojka-møde 26-28/11-23 i Madrid

Ms Eliane TILLIEUX, Co-Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on European

affairs, Belgian

Chambre des représentants/Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers,

took

the floor to address the situation in the Middle East, and the evolving nature of this

conflict. She then reiterated an amendment put forward by the Belgian

Chambre des

représentants/Kamer van Volksvertegenwoordigers,

advocating for what she considered

to be a stronger position, namely calling for a “complete ceasefire” in this dispute, and

that issues like the two-State solution and the recognition of Palestine should also be

addressed.

Mr Hans WALLMARK, Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs of the

Swedish

Riksdag,

considered that the text put forward by the Presidency was overall

balanced and that reopening could bring new diverging amendments being drafted. He

agreed with the relevance of the points raised by Ms Eliane TILLIEUX, but recalled that

the truce being enforced at the time was conditional and that the situation amounted to a

“very complicated puzzle”, reiterating the text present reflects the possible balance

amongst all Member-States.

Mr Othmar KARAS expressed his understanding for the issues raised by Ms

TILLIEUX, as a desirable outcome, but concurred in considering that the compromise

text presented by the Presidency was balanced and reflected a clear majority, and

therefore was advisable not to reopen it.

Mr José Ignacio LANDALUCE CALLEJA took the floor to reiterate that the text

presented by the Presidency was the most appropriate to reflect the common position on

this complex issue.

Mr Gaëtan VAN GOIDSENHOVEN, Co-Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on

European Affairs, Belgian

Sénat/Senaat,

also emphasised the evolving nature and

complexity of this situation, noting the COSAC usually chose to adopt Contributions

based on the lowest common denominator to express its common position.

Ms Eliane TILLIEUX acknowledged that the proposals made could not be endorsed at

the Troika meeting, and then informed that the Belgian delegation would resubmit the

amendments to the Plenary on the next day.

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN took note of the discussion and of the complexities

surrounding the conflict in the Middle-East. She then mentioned that the draft

Contribution and Conclusions were therefore noted by the Troika and would be

circulated to all delegations.

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 187: Referat fra COSAC-møde og Trojka-møde 26-28/11-23 i Madrid

6. L

ETTERS RECEIVED BY THE

RESIDENCY

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN recalled the following letters received by the Presidency

requesting invitations to attend the COSAC meetings that were received before the

Chairpersons meeting:

Ms Benedikt WÜRTH, President of the Swiss delegation for relations with the

European Parliament, Swiss

Assemblée fédérale;

Mr Masud GHARAHKHANI, President of the Norwegian

Stortinget;

Lord Peter RICKETTS, Chair of the European Union Committee, United

Kingdom (UK)

House of Lords;

Bjarni JÓNSSON, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of the

Icelandic

Althingi;

Ms Maka BOTCHORISHVILI, Chair of the Committee on European Integration

of the Georgian

Sakartvelos p'arlament'I;

Ms Rrezarta KRASNIQI, Chair of the Committee on European Integration,

Kosovo

Kuvendi i Kosovës;

Mrs Brigitte BOCCONE-PAGES, President of the Monaco

Conseil national,

and

Mr Régis BERGONZI, National Councillor, President of the Commission for

monitoring the negotiations with the European Union.

She also mentioned that ahead of the LXX COSAC meeting, letters requesting an

invitation to attend the Plenary were also received from Sir William CASH, United

Kingdom

House of Commons,

from Mr Arman YEGHOYAN, Chair of the Standing

Committee on European Integration of the national Assembly of the Republic of

Armenia, and from Ms Bernadeta COMA, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee of

the

Consell General

of Andorra.

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN said that, following consultation with the Presidential Troika

of COSAC, invitations had been extended to all the above-mentioned Parliaments to

take part in the LXX COSAC.

She also alluded to the letter sent by Mr Glenn BEDINGFIELD, Chair of the Foreign

and European Affairs Committee of the Maltese

Kamra tad-Deputati,

which was

discussed in the framework of the previous point on the agenda.

All the letters mentioned were made available on

IPEX.

7. A

NY OTHER BUSINESS

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244(1999) and

the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

EUU, Alm.del - 2023-24 - Bilag 187: Referat fra COSAC-møde og Trojka-møde 26-28/11-23 i Madrid

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN noted that this would be the last Troika meeting chaired by

the Spanish

Cortes Generales

and gave the floor to Ms Eliane TILLIEUX and to Mr

Gaëtan VAN GOIDSENHOVEN, as incoming Presidency of COSAC.

Ms TILLIEUX thanked the Spanish Presidency for all the work and achievements

during the past semester, especially under the complex circumstances related to the

general elections held in Spain in July 2023. She then referred to the challenges ahead

for the Belgian Presidency, in the context of the elections for the European elections and

for the Belgian elections, both scheduled for June 2024. For that reason, she informed

the Troika that the parliamentary work in the Belgian Parliament will cease in May and

therefore all the interparliamentary activities would take place between January and the

beginning of April 2024.

Ms TILLIEUX then informed that the meeting of the COSAC Chairpersons would take

place on 14 and 15 January 2024, in Namur, and that the LXXI COSAC would be held

from 24 to 26 March, in Brussels. She noted that the incoming Presidency would be the

last one of the current institutional cycle and that it would aim at building upon the

achievements obtained during a very challenging legislature.

Mr VAN GOIDSENHOVEN pointed out that, for the first in its history, the COSAC

Plenary would be at the premises of the European Parliament from 24 to 26 March

2024. He also identified some of the issues to be addressed, namely the new strategic

agenda to be adopted by the European Council, gender balance and equality, Open

Strategic Autonomy and the rule of Law.

Mr WALLMARK noted that this was the last Troika meeting attended by the Swedish

Riksdag,

thanking all the Troika members for all the cooperation in the past 18 months

and wishing the incoming Presidency much success.

Mr KARAS also expressed his gratitude for the good and friendly working atmosphere

amongst the Troika.

Ms SUMELZO JORDÁN and Mr LANDALUCE CALLEJA thanked all the Troika

members for the good cooperation and concluded the meeting.