EUU, Alm.del - 2009-10 - Bilag 489: Referat af Trojka-møde og COSAC-formandsmøde i Bruxelles 4.-5. juli 2010

Mr Armand DE DECKER, Speaker of the BelgianSénat,welcomed the participants of themeeting, noting that for Belgium this was the twelfth Presidency of the EU. The Speakerextended special welcome to the delegation of the IcelandicAlþingi,which participated in themeeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC for the first time.The Speaker informed the Chairpersons that following the elections on 13 June 2010, theBelgian Federal Parliament would be reconstituted between 6 July 2010 (Chambredesreprésentants)and 20 July 2010 (Sénat).Mr Armand DE DECKER announced that during the Belgian Presidency thirteeninterparliamentary meetings, including COSAC meetings would be held, along the meetingsco-organised with the European Parliament. The Speaker informed the Chairpersons that the

priorities of the Belgian Presidency had been based on the programme of the current TrioPresidency (Spain-Belgium-Hungary), signed on 5 November 2008.Mr Armand DE DECKER, as the former President of the Assembly of Western EuropeanUnion (henceforth "WEU"), was particularly interested in the second chapter of theFourteenth Bi-annual Report of COSAC which will deal with the parliamentary scrutiny ofcommon security and defence policy (henceforth "CSDP"). Moreover that the Conference ofSpeakers of the EU Parliaments at their meeting on 14-15 May 2010 in Stockholm haveasked the incoming Belgian Presidency of the Speakers' Conference to further explore theproposal to schedule regular conferences for parliamentary committees dealing withEuropean affairs, foreign affairs and defence as well as justice and home affairs incooperation with the European Parliament. In this context, Mr Armand DE DECKERunderscored the task for the Belgian Presidency to reach a decision on parliamentary scrutinyof common foreign and security policy (henceforth "CFSP") at the next meeting of theSpeakers' Conference in April 2011, considering that one of the main tasks of the nationalParliaments is to approve the military budgets of their respective countries. The Speakerunderlined that parliamentary scrutiny of CSDP is essential. According to him, a debate onthe parliamentary scrutiny of CFSP, including CSDP, during the XLIV COSAC meeting on25-26 October 2010 in Brussels would be an important contribution towards this goal.Adoption of the agenda of the meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC and thedraft agenda of the XLIV COSAC

Mr Herman DE CROO thanked the Spanish Presidency of COSAC for the workaccomplished during the last six months. The Chairman also noted that in the list ofparticipants of this meeting all participating Parliaments, including those of candidatecountries, were listed in alphabetical order to underscore the principles of equality andsolidarity. Mr DE CROO also drew attention to the participation of the delegation of theEuropean Parliament which was particularly well represented by its Vice-President MrMiguel Ángel MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ and by the Chairman of the Committee onConstitutional Affairs Mr Carlo CASINI.Mr Herman DE CROO invited the Members to adopt the agenda of the meeting ofChairpersons of COSAC. The agenda was adopted as set out above.Mr Herman DE CROO recalled the decisions taken by the Presidential Troika of COSAC on4 July 2010 on the draft agenda of the XLIV COSAC meeting and on the draft outline of theFourteenth Bi-annual Report of COSAC.Mr Herman DE CROO informed the meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC that theBelgian Presidency had proposed three items for the agenda of the XLIV COSAC meeting,i.e. "Sustainable development in the Europe 2020 Strategy", "Parliamentary Scrutiny of theCommon Security and Defence Policy", and "The Future Role of COSAC - continuation ofdebate". The debates on the three items would be structured on the basis of the FourteenthBi-annual Report to be drafted by the COSAC Secretariat based on the replies to thequestionnaire to be sent to national Parliaments and the European Parliament shortly after theChairpersons' meeting. These items would not be introduced by guest speakers. However,the Belgian Presidency had invited two guest speakers to the XLIV COSAC: Mr HermanVAN ROMPUY, the President of the European Council, (confirmed participation on 26

In an ensuing debate, among others, Mr Pierre LEQUILLER, the Chairman of the Committeeon European Affairs of the FrenchAssemblée nationale,proposed to add the topic oneconomic governance on the agenda of the XLIV COSAC meeting. In this context, MrMiguel Ángel MARTÍNEZ MARTÍNEZ pointed out that talks with the Belgian Presidencyon the subject for the next Joint Parliamentary Meeting to be held on 8-9 November 2010,include that of economic governance.Replying to Mr LEQUILLER, Mr DE CROO stated that the issue of economic governancemight not be ripe for the XLIV COSAC meeting in October and suggested to postpone thisissue until the Hungarian Presidency in the first semester of 2011.The Chairpersons of COSAC endorsed the decisions taken by the Presidential Troika ofCOSAC on the draft agenda of the XLIV COSAC meeting and the outline of the FourteenthBi-annual Report of COSAC.2. Priorities of the Belgian Presidency– guest speaker: Mr Olivier CHASTEL, StateSecretary for European Affairs of BelgiumThis session of the meeting was chaired by Ms Vanessa MATZ. The Chair opened thesession and gave the floor to Mr Olivier CHASTEL, Secretary of State for European Affairsof Belgium.Mr Olivier CHASTEL presented six main priorities of the Belgian Presidency. In doing so,he emphasised that:1. The crisis exit strategy and the return to a durable and sustained growth was thefirst and most important among these priorities. In this context, the legislativeinitiatives aiming at the establishment of the European Systemic Risk Board andthe European System of Financial Supervisors were highlighted side by side withthe equally urgent proposal for a directive on investment fund managersregulating the hedge funds;2. The second priority was the promotion of social progress and combating poverty.Here, the Secretary of State underlined that the Belgian Presidency would be thefirst to implement the European Employment Strategy which would take intoaccount the objectives set by the Europe 2020 Strategy;3. Thirdly, the Belgian Presidency intended to reopen negotiations on climate andenvironment in order to prepare the Cancún en Nagoya conferences and to furtherimplement the EU climate and energy package;4. The deepening of the area for freedom, security and justice was the fourth priorityof the Belgian Presidency. In this framework, particular attention would be paid tofurther implementation of the Stockholm Programme, the immigration issue,development of a common asylum policy and fight against terrorism;

5. The fifth priority was the global influence of the Union in general and theuniqueness of its representation in CFSP matters in particular;6. Last but not least, the Belgian Presidency endeavoured to further implement theTreaty of Lisbon by, for instance, developing the European Citizens’ Initiative,adopting the EU budget for 2011 along with a new procedure, contributing to thestrengthening of the newly created institutional framework and modified relationsof the key actors within the EU.In the ensuing debate several Members were particularly interested in the approach of thePresidency to immigration in general and to human trafficking and illegal immigration inparticular. More specifically, regarding trafficking in human beings, it was stressed that thesome Member States that used to be transit countries were becoming either source ordestination countries. Regarding illegal immigration attention was drawn to the fact thatcurrent policies in this field were still based on the principle of voluntary burden sharing.In the debate, questions were also raised on the future of the European External ActionService. The current economic situation was another matter of concern for a number ofMembers. More specifically, they wanted more information,inter alia,on the monitoring ofthe follow-up of the Europe 2020 Strategy and on the results that were to be expected fromthe so-called “Van Rompuy task force”. In this context, Mr Pierre LEQUILLER, from theFrenchAssemblée nationale,drew attention to the report of the UMP Group on theestablishment of economic governance in the EU1. Later, the report mentioned by MrLEQUILLER’S was made available at the entrance of the conference room.Furthermore, the following issues regarding external aspects of the EU were mentioned: theEuropean Neighbourhood Policy and the absence of any reference in the speech of theSecretary of State to a common visa policy, to the Middle East policy and to the Transatlanticand Mediterranean Summits during the Belgian Presidency. Further inquiries were made intothe prospects of an EU-Africa Summit.Next, issues were raised regarding the enlargement of the European Union, the intentions ofthe Belgian Presidency on the preparation for the Cancún Summit and on the gap in theparliamentary oversight of CSDP.In his answer regarding immigration, Mr CHASTEL stressed the ambition of the BelgianPresidency to reach an agreement on the proposal for a directive on preventing andcombating trafficking in human beings. Moreover, according to the Secretary of State, inorder to counter illegal immigration, Frontex had to be reinforced.Mr Olivier CHASTEL also stated that, as it was not certain that the proposals by the HighRepresentative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on the European External ActionService would be immediately agreed upon by the European Parliament, in the meantime, MsCatherine ASHTON had been assured of the support of the Belgian Foreign Service.The Secretary of State affirmed that Ecofin would play an important role in the supervisionof the financial sector and that, in the light of the existing resistance; these efforts would haveto be considerable. Bearing in mind that the Europe 2020 Strategy and its implementation1

instruments had been defined, Mr CHASTEL stated that it was up to the individual MemberStates now to implement their specific measures. Moreover, he preferred to wait for theresults of the “Van Rompuy task force” before commenting on them.In the context of the European Neighbourhood Policy, any change of visa policy would haveto take into account the current regulation. Mr CHASTEL added that the EU visa policy fellwithin the remits of the High Representative and of the European Commissioner forEnlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy. The Belgian Presidency preferred not tomention the Middle East in order not to trample on the High Representative’s competences.The organisation of a Transatlantic and/or Mediterranean Summit, on the other hand, was leftfor the discretion of the President of the European Council. The Secretary of State stated thatspecific problems and difficulties in defining the goals made it impossible to organise an EU-Africa summit in the near future.In the context of the enlargement of the European Union, Mr CHASTEL encouraged Turkeyto adapt the requisite legislation before the upcoming parliamentary recess if the candidatecountry wished new negotiation chapters to be opened. The Secretary of State also expressedhope that the problems between Greece and FYROM would soon be solved.Regarding the preparation for the Cancún Summit, the Secretary of State stressed the need ofstrong objectives together with a strategy to convince not only the main decision-makers butalso the developing countries and for the EU to continue to play key role in this policy fieldpreferably among major decision-makers who are leading negotiations and contributing toreaching a worldwide consensus.Mr CHASTEL explained that it was not within the Belgian Presidency’s remit to reverse theWEU’s decision of 31 March 2010.3. Relations between national Parliaments and the European Commission –guestspeaker: Mr Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge ofInter-Institutional Relations and AdministrationThis session of the meeting was chaired by Mr Herman DE CROO. The Chair opened thesession and gave the floor to Mr Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the EuropeanCommission.In his intervention, Mr Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ focused on the developments which took placesince his latest intervention at the XLIII COSAC meeting in Madrid on 1 June 2010 and onrelations between the European Commission and national Parliaments.Firstly, amongst the recent developments, the Vice-President of the Commission mentionedthe Framework Agreement between the European Commission and the European Parliament,which updated the former Agreement between the two institutions and put into effect the newprovisions of the Treaty of Lisbon. According to Mr ŠEFČOVIČ, the European Parliamentand the Commission had been very careful not to undermine the institutional balance, in thebelief that the good functioning of the Union needed a working cooperation of theinstitutions. Mr ŠEFČOVIČ stressed that the Agreement did not deal with the EuropeanExternal Action Service. The Framework Agreement allowed for programming of the Unionactivities, and established the possibility of the participation of Members of the European

Parliament as observers in international meetings where the Commission would be a part.The Framework Agreement will enter into force in August 2010.Mr Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ also commented on the agreement reached in May in Madrid on theEuropean External Action Service, where both expertise and accountability will be thedefining traits of the new service.As to the European Citizens´ Initiative, Mr ŠEFČOVIČ stressed the fact that the Council hadmade important progress in accommodating the different traditions of the Member States,and looked forward to the discussions in the European Parliament, expecting an agreementon this issue to be reached by the end of 2010.Mr ŠEFČOVIČ also highlighted the need for close cooperation between the European Union,the Member States and their national Parliaments in relation to fiscal consolidation andstructural reforms. The Europe 2020 Strategy will need the support of national Parliaments inrelation to both issues. COSAC may play an important role in the exchange of informationand good practices regarding these issues.In the second part of his intervention, on relations between the European Commission andnational Parliaments, Mr ŠEFČOVIČ underlined the Commission's Annual Report 2009 onrelations between the European Commission and national Parliaments, adopted on 2 June2010. The report will be translated soon and sent to national Parliaments. The relationshipbetween the European Commission and national Parliaments will be strengthened, bothdirectly and through the network of permanent representatives of national Parliaments inBrussels. In particular, the Commission will strive to clearly justify all legislative proposalswith regard to their compliance with the principle of subsidiarity.After a six months experience, the subsidiarity control mechanism established in the Treatyof Lisbon has worked smoothly, thanks to the direct communication between theCommission and national Parliaments. According to Mr ŠEFČOVIČ, no problems have beenreported. The Commission has received 41 opinions so far, and only 4 were negative. Thethresholds have not been reached, but the Commission will respond to all negative opinions.These answers are collegial and prior to their approval by the college have to go through thescrutiny of inter-service committees. In this context, Mr ŠEFČOVIČ stressed the relevance ofthe political dialogue, especially in those cases where the thresholds foreseen in the Treatyare not met. All opinions sent by national Parliaments to the European Commission are takeninto account in the pre-legislative negotiations on the initiatives in question.Mr Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ provided an oral answer to the contribution of the XLIII COSACmeeting held in Madrid, in addition to the letter of the Commission which will follow. As tothe point on climate change, he presented the Commission's goals, linked to the climate-energy package and the Europe 2020 Strategy. In relation to the EU's accession to theEuropean Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, theCommission welcomed the support of COSAC. As to the Framework Agreement, hereassured COSAC Members that the partnership between the European Parliament and theCommission was not aimed at weakening the Council, but at promoting inter-institutionalcollaboration. The concept of draft legislative act was defined by the Treaty and left no roomfor interpretation in this respect. Mr ŠEFČOVIČ ended his intervention with a reference tothe Commission's Work Programme, which could be discussed both within COSAC and with

each national Parliament in the presence of individual Commissioners, if there was such arequest.The intervention of Mr Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ was followed by a debate divided into two parts.In the first set of questions,inter alia,the following issues were raised: the Europe 2020Strategy and its budgetary implications, the role of national Parliaments in Europeaneconomic governance, the European Protection Order, Turkey's accession to the EU, fightagainst terrorism and the Framework Agreement between the European Commission and theEuropean Parliament. In his answers to these questions, Mr ŠEFČOVIČ asserted that moretime would be needed before the institutional balance foreseen in the Treaty of Lisbon couldbe achieved. The increased role of national Parliaments in the Treaty of Lisbon was definedas a crucial development, given the fact that European targets should be transformed intonational ones by national Parliaments, in order to avoid mere reference-making. As to thebudgetary issues, a new procedure would be established next year, for the next seven-yearbudgetary plan. The conflict regarding the European Protection Order between theCommission and the Spanish Presidency was considered by Mr ŠEFČOVIČ as a merelegalistic problem which should not cloud the fact that the goal of the Commission and of theSpanish Presidency was the same. The European Commission was committed to the Turkishaccession to the EU, although the Vice-President acknowledged that several issues were stillleft open.In the second set of questions, the Vice-President was asked about the prospects ofcooperation in the area of freedom, security and justice, the democratic deficit in the EU, theeffect of the contributions of national Parliaments on the work of the EU institutions, theconcept of draft legislative act, the institutional balance of the EU and Croatia's accession tothe EU. In his answers Mr ŠEFČOVIČ described the Stockholm program as very ambitious;thus the negotiations on the implementation of the Programme would have to take intoaccount the views of national Parliaments. As to the institutional balance, the aim should beto interlock the institutions, rather than to "interblock" them. The accession of Croatia wasdeemed to be advancing properly. Finally, after stating the fact that the Commission ispresent in all the Council meetings, Mr ŠEFČOVIČ expressed his intention to be present inthe meetings of the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament.