Texts adopted

XXX COSAC in Rome, October 2003 : Contribution

XXIX COSAC in Athens, May 2003 : Contribution

XXVIII COSAC in Brussels, January 2003 : Contribution and Copenhagen parliamentary guidelines

XXVII COSAC in Copenhagen, October 2002 : Contribution

XXVI COSAC in Madrid, May 2002 : Contribution

XXV COSAC in Brussels, October 2001 : Contribution

XXIV COSAC in Stockholm, May 2001 : Contribution

XXIII COSAC in Versailles, October 2000 :

Contribution adressed to the institutions of the European Union

Declaration on Serbia

Declaration on terrorism

XXII COSAC in Lisbon, May 2000 : Contribution

XX COSAC in Berlin, May-June 1999 : Appeal to Voters in the European elections

XIX COSAC in Vienna, November 1998 : Solidarity with Italy

XVI COSAC in The Hague, June 1997 : Declaration on transparency

XV COSAC in Dublin, October 1996 : Conclusions

Until 2002, contributions are also available in html on this page

Contribution adressed to the Convention on the Future of Europe,
the EU’s institutions, the national parliaments and the Presidency

XXVIIth COSAC, Copenhagen, October 2002

1. The COSAC meeting agrees that it is necessary to involve national parliaments to a greater extent in national EU decisions in order to ensure a firmer democratic foundation for EU co-operation. The people and the democratically elected parliamentarians in the different countries will thus gain greater and more direct influence on joint European decisions, which have considerable consequences for domestic policy.

   That national parliaments should be involved in the EU’s activities to a greater extent is mentioned both in the Maastricht Treaty (1993) and in the Protocol on the National Parliaments annexed to the Amsterdam Treaty (1999). The role of national parliaments is furthermore dealt with in a declaration to the Nice Treaty (2000) and in the declaration from the European Council in Laeken (2001).

   The European Convention is considering national parliaments’ role in connection with possible future amendments to the treaty. COSAC welcomes the deliberations of the Convention and the work of the Working Groups of the European Convention on the principle of subsidiarity and the role of national parliaments.

2. COSAC expresses its reluctance to create new institutions.

3. COSAC notes that the Protocol to the Amsterdam Treaty on the Role of the National Parliaments from 1999 provides comprehensive opportunities for the national parliaments and for COSAC, that must be fully applied and strengthened.

4. A decision was made to strengthen COSAC co-operation at the COSAC meeting in Madrid 12 -14 May 2002, and the presidency troika was asked to prepare a proposal for a more effective COSAC more focused on the role of the national parliaments. The Danish COSAC Presidency therefore advanced a reform initiative for the COSAC meeting in Copenhagen on 16-18 October 2002.

5. During the COSAC meeting in Copenhagen a comprehensive discussion has taken place on the basis of the Danish draft proposals for COSAC reform as well as on some draft contributions.

6. On the basis of this debate and within the present treaty provisions, COSAC decides to set up a working group with the aim of continuing the Danish Presidency’s reform initiative while paying attention to other proposals. The working group shall have the following tasks:

1. To continue the work of drafting a code of conduct setting out minimum standards for effective national parliamentary scrutiny of governments.

2. To draft proposals for how to change COSAC’s rules of procedure concerning majority decisions.

3. To draft proposals on how to establish a secretariat for COSAC that ensures the necessary continuity of the work of COSAC, including possible changes in COSAC’s rules of procedure.

4. To consider the organisation of future meetings of COSAC including the question on how to involve the sectoral standing committees as well as the composition of the delegations.

5. To consider the possibility of letting COSAC assess the Commission’s annual legislative programme in order to ensure its compliance with the principle of subsidiarity.

6. To consider the possibility of giving COSAC a new and more understandable name.

7. To consider a new strategy for IT and administrative co-operation between EU administrative bodies in the national parliaments including the representations of national parliaments in Brussels.

8. To consider whether there is a need to establish co-operation agreements with the EU’s institutions.

9. To follow the work of the European Convention and the Intergovernmental Conference.

7. The Working Group shall conclude its work before 31 December 2002. Regarding the monitoring of the work of the European Convention the Working group shall continue its work after this date. The recommendations from the Working Group shall be considered at an extraordinary COSAC meeting to be agreed by the Greek and Danish presidency.

8. The Working Group comprises the chairpersons of the Community and European Affairs Committees of the national parliaments and of the appropriate body of the European Parliament. The representatives of candidate countries’ parliaments participate in the Working Group as observers.

CONTRIBUTION FROM THE PRESIDENCY

XXVIth COSAC, Madrid, May 12-14, 2002

1. COSAC wishes to reaffirm its support for the fight against terrorism and states its desire for greater cooperation between all countries on security and justice matters.

2. COSAC welcomes the convening of the European Convention, which commenced its work on 28 February of this year in Brussels. After the useful experience of the method followed to draft the Charter of Fundamental Rights, parliamentarians from the national parliaments and the European Parliament are playing a highly important role in the reform of the European Union and revision of the European treaties from the beginning, as called for by COSAC at its meetings in Stockholm and Brussels.

COSAC places special importance on the fact that the countries that are to join the European Union participate fully in the Convention.

3. On the basis of the spirit of the Lisbon European Council, COSAC is pleased to note the acceptance by the Barcelona European Council of the recommendations adopted in the XXIInd, XXIIIrd and XXIVth COSAC meetings concerning the Union's new strategic goal to transform its economy into a knowledge-based economy in the general framework of protection of the European social model.

4. In order to emphasis the parliamentary dimension of the European Convention, the parliamentary committees on European affairs should play an interface and coordination role at a national level with the parties involved in the Convention.

5. COSAC considers that it has a duty to monitor, step by step, the work of the Convention and that, to do this, an item concerning the monitoring of the work of the Convention needs to be included automatically on the agenda of every one of the next COSAC meetings. And, during the lifetime of the Convention, COSAC will forward documents and its record of proceedings to any working party on the role of national parliaments.

6. COSAC believes, in the light of the above, that once the work of the Convention has finished, it must be the fundamental basis of discussions at the IGC. Before the IGC is convened, COSAC should hold a meeting dealing with these points with a view to a contribution from COSAC.

7. COSAC welcomes the establishment of the Forum and the preparation of the Youth Convention, scheduled to be held on 9-14 July in Brussels.

It calls upon non-governmental organisations, interest groups and the social partners to form networks and make their voices heard in the Convention.

8. This meeting of COSAC calls upon the Presidential Troika, keeping in mind the mandate of the European Convention, to organise the preparatory work to draw up a detailed proposal for a more effective COSAC, focusing its activity more on the role of national parliaments.

CONTRIBUTION ADRESSED TO THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

XXV COSAC in Brussels, October 2001

COSAC strongly condemns the terrorist aggression that struck the United States on 11 September 2001 and unreservedly supports the measures taken by the Extraordinary European Council of Brussels of 21 September 2001 in order to fight against terrorism.

1. COSAC underlines the important role that the parliaments of the Member States and of the candidate countries, as well as the European Parliament, should play in the debate on the European Union’s future. The importance of active parliamentary participation in this debate should not be underestimated.

2. The European Council of Laeken should structure the debate that should end up by 2004 at the latest with a new Intergovernmental Conference by setting a method, a timetable and an agenda. COSAC calls upon Member States not to restrict the agenda to the four points mentioned in the Declaration of Nice but to broaden it to a debate on a global political project for Europe.

3. COSAC recalls its support for the convocation of a body built on the model of the Convention of the Charter of fundamental rights in which the national parliaments of the Member States, the European Parliament and the parliaments of the candidate countries should be suitably represented - while envisaging the possibility of having substitutes - and run by a Presidium elected from within itself. The Convention’s role should not be limited to a discussion forum. In effect, the Convention should be tasked to present to the 2004 IGC a coherent draft proposal contributing solutions to the problems with which it is confronted.

4. COSAC supports the creation of a European forum and national forums enabling citizens and civil society, by maximising their participation, to contribute to the Convention’s work.

Enlargement

5. COSAC again expresses its strong support for the process of enlarging the European Union and calls upon the parliaments and governments of the Member States to take the appropriate measures to enable the ratification process of the Treaty of Nice to be completed as soon as possible.

6. COSAC also calls upon the European Commission and the Council to make every effort necessary for honouring the commitment made by the European Council of Gothenburg seeking to conclude, by the end of the year 2002, negotiations with the candidate countries that are ready to join. In addition, COSAC urges the parliaments and governments of the candidate countries to make the necessary arrangements as soon as possible to ensure the implementation of the "acquis communautaire".

 

Employment, the European Social Model and Negotiations in the WTO Context

7. COSAC insists that particular attention should be paid to developing the European social model, with respect for the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. In this context, emphasis should be on quality of employment, competitiveness, adaptability and life-long learning, equality of opportunity, greater worker involvement in promoting economic change, modernising welfare protection, fighting against social exclusion and poverty, and sustaining and financing pensions. The objective of full employment and the efforts deployed in terms of the quality of labour should go hand in hand. The importance of having both qualitative and quantitative employment indicators is undeniable.

8. With the prospect of a new WTO negotiating round, COSAC insists on the development of a balanced, global agenda, in the context of which the interests of the developing countries - and in particular the least developed countries - as well as the social and environmental dimensions are taken into account.

 

Food Safety and Sustainable Development

9. COSAC stresses the need for proceeding as quickly as possible to the establishment of a European Food Agency with its own powers but with sufficient democratic control. The setting up of this agency should accompany a strengthened safety regime throughout the food chain.

10. COSAC insists on the implementation of a new European strategy in respect of sustainable development in order to make the policies of the European Union consistent with the three constituent aspects of sustainable development (economic growth, social cohesion and environmental protection).

 

Asylum and Immigration

11. COSAC invites the European Union’s institutions to present, at the time of the European Council of Laeken, a joint action plan seeking to control clandestine immigration and to fight against the trade in human beings. It also emphasises the need to harmonise asylum and visa procedures in order to achieve a common European asylum system.

CONTRIBUTION ADRESSED TO THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

XXIV COSAC in Stockholm, May 2001

The future development of the European Union

1.      COSAC expresses its strong support for the enlargement process of the EU and calls on the Governments of the Member States to take appropriate measures so that the ratification process of the Treaty of Nice is completed by the beginning of 2002. COSAC urges the European Union and its Member States to admit a first group of new Member States in time for the European election in 2004.

2.      COSAC underlines the role of Parliaments in the debate about the future development of the European Union. Parliaments in the Member States are close to their voters, and can thus function as a link between the citizens and the debate at the European level. Along with the European Parliament, national Parliaments should therefore actively and continuously foster a public dialogue about the future of the EU. COSAC stresses the necessity to include the Parliaments in the candidate countries in the debate. One important aim of this debate is to ensure a well functioning Union.

3.      COSAC in itself is a suitable forum for the debate. COSAC is recognised in the Treaty and is entitled to forward contributions to the EU institutions. COSAC will continue to meet during every presidency and there is already a practical framework in place for COSAC and a Troika that ensures continuity. At the same time the rotating Presidency of COSAC facilitates that attention is paid to different subjects. COSAC has the virtue of including national Parliaments of the Member States and the candidate countries, as well as the European Parliament. The size of the delegations at COSAC ensures that different political views from each country are represented. Thanks to the regularity of the COSAC meetings, personal networks develop between participant members. Everyone involved may bring ideas from COSAC discussions to their national debate. 

4.      COSAC hereby declares its intention to actively follow and participate in the debate. COSAC intends to put the future development of the Union on its agenda at its meetings until the next IGC. A COSAC Working Group, which was set up during the Swedish Presidency, has discussed the role of national Parliaments and the European Union. COSAC has decided that the Working Group will continue its work and study the issues mentioned in the Nice Declaration.

5.      A Convention was used as a forum for drafting the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Experiences from this work should be taken into account, when the European Union enters the more structural phase of the debate on its future. As part of the preparations for the IGC 2004, a conference based on this model should be convened in order to develop proposals for EU reform. As to the composition and working methods of such a body, COSAC stresses the necessity that national Parliaments are given a strong and early role. The Member States are after all the contracting parties to the Treaties and their national Parliaments are responsible for the eventual ratification of amendments to the Treaties. The parliaments of the candidate countries should be included in the preparations for the IGC 2004.

Protocol on the role of the national Parliaments in the European Union

6.      COSAC recalls what is stated in the Protocol on the role of the national Parliaments in the European Union, that scrutiny by individual national parliaments of their own government in relation to the activities of the Union is a matter for the particular constitutional organization and practice of each Member State. This means that the EU should function in a way that allows every national Parliament to work with EU matters in the way it decides for itself. The handling of matters at the EU level should thus give time and room for scrutiny by Parliaments at the national level.

7.      COSAC draws the conclusion that the Protocol on the role of national Parliaments has not been fully implemented since some Parliaments claim that they do not receive the documents within the stated time limits. COSAC urges the institutions to ensure that the Protocol, which is an integral part of the Treaties, is followed. COSAC notes that the Protocol does not explicitly say by whom Commission consultation documents (green and white papers and communications) “shall be promptly forwarded to national Parliaments of the Member States”. COSAC asks the Council of Ministers and the Commission to clarify the division of responsibility between them in this respect. COSAC also reaffirms its statement from the COSAC meeting in Versailles regarding modification of the Protocol in order to ensure that national parliaments have enough time to scrutinise EU matters.

The new strategic objective of the European Union

8.      COSAC, in the spirit of the Lisbon European Council, welcomes the acceptance by the Stockholm European Council of the recommendations drawn up by the COSAC meetings in Lisbon and Versailles regarding the Union’s new strategic objective to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social cohesion. COSAC recognises the impetus given to this process by the Swedish EU Presidency.

Following-up of this Contribution

9.      COSAC urges the institutions to take this Contribution into account. COSAC looks forward to the report on the future of the European Union that, according to the Nice Declaration on the Future of the Union, shall be presented to the European Council in G�teborg in June 2001 and expects the report to consider this Contribution. COSAC also notes that the main theme for the meeting in Stockholm in September 2001 of the Conference of Speakers of the EU Parliaments will be the role of national Parliaments in the European structure.

CONTRIBUTION ADRESSED
TO THE INSTITUTIONS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

XXIII COSAC in Versailles, October 2000

1. COSAC calls on the member states to reach an agreement, at the Nice European Council, on institutional reform, in the light of enlargement, that would ensure, from now on, efficient, transparent and legitimate institutions and allow the accession of new member states from January, 1st 2003. It expresses its strong support for the enlargement process and recommends the intergovernmental conference in its global agreement on the revision of the Treaties to safeguard the principles of solidarity, cohesion, subsidiarity and proportionality, which are necessary for a true Union of people and states.

2. COSAC takes note of the political agreement reached by the heads of state and government on the draft Charter of Fundamental rights of the European Union as drafted by the Convention. It calls on the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament to proclaim this Charter. It considers that the chosen procedure, involving representatives chosen by the heads of states and government, the Commission, the European Parliament and the national Parliaments, could be useful in the future.

3. COSAC stresses the Union's need to foster, in the spirit of the Lisbon European Council, the development of an economy of innovation and knowledge, ensuring policies actively promoting employment and combating unemployment and social exclusion. It calls on the European institutions to approve, during the French presidency, the "Social European Agenda" which will be a multiannual framework for social measures with due respect for the principle of subsidiarity. This new strategic objective should enable the reconciliation of the changes due to the new economy with the European social values and with the perspective of enlargement.

4. COSAC, in the light of the Tampere conclusions, calls upon the Union and the member states to create in cooperation with the candidate countries, an area of freedom, security and justice reinforcing fighting against terrorism and serious forms of transnational organised crime which, respecting the right to individual privacy, is based on practical measures in the fight against illegal immigration and common standards regarding external border checks as well as reinforced co-operation between the relevant enforcing authorities.

5. Considering that national Parliaments, together with the European Parliament, are a constituent element of the democratic legitimacy of the European institutions, COSAC urges the Inter-governmental Conference to modify part I of the Protocol on the role of national Parliaments as follows:

- All consultation documents and proposals for legislation from the European Commission, as well as proposals for measures under titles V and VI, should be transmitted by electronic means to each national Parliament as soon as they are adopted by the college of Commissioners;

- The six-week time period provided by para. 3 should also apply, except in urgent cases, to proposals for measures to be adopted under titles V of the Treaty on European Union as well as to proposals regarding interinstitutionnal agreements to which the Council is a party ;

- A minimum 15-day time period, or one week in urgent cases, should be observed between the final reading of a text by COREPER and the Council decision.

COSAC recalls that no provision of this protocol can jeopardise the competences and prerogatives of each national Parliament as provided by its national constitutional arrangements.

DECLARATION ON SERBIA

XXIII COSAC in Versailles, October 2000

DECLARATION ON TERRORISM

XXIII COSAC in Versailles, October 2000

COSAC most firmly condemns any terrorist action, in particular the one that plunged Spain into mourning.

CONTRIBUTION

XXII COSAC in Lisbon, Mai 2000

1.  In view of the extraordinary meeting of the European Council on employment, economic reforms and social cohesion, COSAC expresses its support for the Union's new strategic aim of basing its economy and society of knowledge.

2.  COSAC recognises the importance of commitment to a European research area, in which information technologies can develop as a form of modernisation, of combating social exclusion and of promoting economic and social cohesion.

3.  COSAC calls on the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament to adopt a European agenda which promotes economic modernisation and growth, employment, improvements in education and vocational training and which combats all form of exclusion and discrimination.

4.  COSAC believes that all Member States of the Union should adhere in the latter and spirit of the Treaties, with particular reference to the single European market.

5.  COSAC considers that the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights presents an important opportunity to give citizens greater protection in relation to the European Union legal order, and to make fundamental rights more visible to the citizens of the Union and to the European institutions. The creation of the Charter might have broader implications in the future of the Union, and its connection with the European Convention on Human Rights should be safeguarded, through respect for the case law of the Courts of both Luxembourg and Strasbourg.

6.  COSAC invites the European institutions and the IGC to take into account the efforts of the Convention responsible for drawing up the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

7.  COSAC asks the Convention responsible for drawing up the Charter of Fundamental Rights to take the opinion of applicant countries and their parliaments on this question into account.

8. COSAC expresses its strong support for the enlargement process of the EU and urges the governments participating in the IGC to proceed with their work in order to make it possible to start the ratification procedures of the Treaty amendments early next year.

APPEAL TO VOTERS IN THE EUROPEAN ELECTIONS

XX COSAC in Berlin, Mai-June 1999

The participants in the XXth Conference of European Affairs Committees of the National Parliaments of EU Member States and the European Parliament, gathered in Berlin on 31 May and 1 June 1999, appeal to all voters in the European Union to participate in the fifth direct elections to the European Parliament which will take place between 10 and 13 June 1999.

Twenty years have passed since the first direct elections to the European Parliament. As a directly elected body, the European Parliament can contribute to the necessary strengthening of democratic decision-making within the institutions of the European Union.

All those who call for more democracy, more transparency and greater closeness to the citizen within the European Union, are urged to cast their vote in the elections to the European Parliament.

SOLIDARITY WITH ITALY

XIX COSAC in Vienna, November 1998

The XIXth COSAC meeting, assembled in Vienna on 23-24 November 1998, expresses its solidarity with Italy, which has faced the Ocalan affair in full compliance with the principles of italian and european legislation.

La XIXma COSAC, riunitasi a Vienne il 23-24 novembre 1998 esprime la sua solidarieta con l'Italia che ha affrontato la questione Ocalan nel pieno rispetto degli ordinamenti della legislazione italiana e dell'Unione Europea.

DECLARATION ON TRANSPARENCY
(XVI COSAC, The Hague, June 1997)

The COSAC, meeting in The Hague on 9 and 10 June 1997

Considering

that it is necessary to bring Europe closer to the citizens;

that the democratic legitimacy must be reinforced;

that the transparancy of the decision-making process in the European Union must be improved;

Is of the opinion :

that proposed legislation and the legislative acts of the Union should be accessible;

that when the Council acts in its legislative capacity the results of votes and explanation of votes as

well as statements in the minutes shall be made public;

that a reinforced Declaration 13, as described in the conclusions of the CEAC in October 1996 in Dublin, and which the Dutch Presidency has included in its final proposals to the IGC should be give treaty force;

that the six weeks delay mentioned in these proposals should be applicable to all Commission acts of a legislative nature.

CONCLUSIONS ADOPTED BY THE XV COSAC
(Dublin, October 1996)

1. Within the European Union, National Parliaments have their own role to play to strengthen democracy and improve the efficiency of the Union. COSAC, through its work, will give a high priority to the pursuit of these aims.

COSAC can assist individual National Parliaments by making available to them the experience and information of other Parliaments.

2. It is the view of COSAC that, to further the useful work of parliamentary cooperation, the organisation should be strengthened and its meetings should be organised to maximise its potential. A number of National Parliament are in the course of considering sending official representatives to Brussels who could in time come together to offer a support service for COSAC.

3. It is appropriate that the flow of information from Union Institutions to the National Parliaments be improved and that National Parliaments should have control over the decisions of their respective Governments as set out in the constitutional arrangements of the Member States. To this end, COSAC believes that Declaration 13 should be reinforced by the Inter-Governmental Conference, by including it in the Treaty, to insure that Governments follow through on their commitments under the Declaration and that the National Parliaments have a period of at least four weeks for examining all proposals of relevance to the legislative process.

4. There is a desire to improve the working of COSAC. The following are among the ways in which this can be brought about:

the dates of COSAC should be set at the conclusion of the previous COSAC,

each delegation should have, within reason, the opportunity to include items on the agenda for COSAC,

each delegation should be allowed to distribute, before the COSAC, documentation and proposals relevant to the agenda,

a meeting of officials should be called to preview COSAC,

to allow each delegation and each delegate an opportunity to speak on an agenda item; time limits of, say, five minutes should be imposed on speakers from the floor and

to arrange during COSAC meetings for time for informal association and dialogue between delegates.

5. COSAC may pursue certain specific issues, e.g. Subsidiarity, 2nd and 3rd Pillar items and questions relating to the fundamental rights of European Union citizens, with a view to arriving at some ideas as to the way forward for these items. However, its conclusions will be offered as suggestions and would not seek to bind any delegate or delegations. The communiqu�s on the above will be forwarded by the President of COSAC to the Institutions of the European Union and to the Governments of Member States.