Europaudvalget 2015-16
EUU Alm.del Bilag 233
Offentligt
1585358_0001.png
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE PRESIDENTIAL TROIKA OF COSAC
Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, 29 November 2015
PRESENT AT THE MEETING
CHAIR: Mr Marc ANGEL, Chair of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Defence,
Cooperation and Immigration, Luxembourg
Chambre des Députés.
Mr Tuur ELZINGA, Chair of the Committee on European Affairs, Dutch
Eerste Kamer,
Mr Malik
AZMANI, Chair of the European Affairs Committee, Dutch
Tweede Kamer,
Ms Nellija
KLEINBERGA, Member of the European Affairs Committee, Latvian
Saeima;
Mr Ramón Luis
VALCÁRCEL SISO, Vice-President, European Parliament, and Ms Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Chair
of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, European Parliament.
AGENDA
1. Adoption of the agenda of the Presidential Troika meeting of COSAC
2. Approval of the draft programme of the LIV COSAC
3. Presentation of the 24th Bi-annual Report of COSAC
4. Debate on the draft contribution and on the draft conclusions of the LIV
COSAC
5. Co-financing and nomination of the Permanent Member of the COSAC
Secretariat for 2016 and 2017
6. Letters received by the Presidency
7. Any other business
PROCEEDINGS
1. Adoption of the agenda of the Presidential Troika meeting of COSAC
The meeting was chaired by Mr Marc ANGEL, Chair of the Committee on Foreign and European
Affairs, Defence, Cooperation and Immigration, Luxembourg
Chambre des Députés,
who
welcomed the delegations of the Presidential Troika of COSAC (hereinafter referred to as "the
Troika").
In the absence of any objection, the agenda of the meeting of the Troika was adopted without
amendment.
2. Approval of the draft programme of the LIV COSAC
Mr ANGEL gave a brief outline of the plenary agenda referring also to an informal lunch session on
the current negotiations on EU reform ahead of the referendum on UK membership hosted at the
request of the UK delegation.
In the absence of any objection, the draft programme of the meeting of the LIV COSAC was
approved without amendment.
1
 EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 233: Referat fra Trojka-møde og COSAC-møde i Luxembourg 29/11-1/12-15
3. Presentation of the 24th Bi-annual Report of COSAC
Mr ANGEL invited the Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat, Ms Christiana FRYDA, to
give a short presentation of the 24th Bi-annual Report of COSAC which was based on Parliaments'
replies to the related questionnaire circulated to delegations on 29 July 2015 with a deadline of 14
September 2015 for submitting replies.
Ms FRYDA briefly presented the report, providing details on its three chapters dealing with the
future of parliamentary scrutiny of EU affairs, a European Agenda on Migration and enlargement
policy.
The Chair reminded the participants that the Luxembourg Presidency had organised a meeting of
the working group of COSAC on strengthening the political dialogue by introducing a "green card"
and improving the reasoned opinion procedure ("yellow card") on 30 October 2015. In this context,
he explained that the Presidency suggested including in the draft conclusions and contribution some
elements based on the working group's discussions and on Parliaments' replies to the questionnaire,
as well as that the future Dutch Presidency present a follow-up on these.
The Chair referred to the "Enlargement package" recently adopted by the European Commission,
which, unlike previous reports, would cover four years. He expressed the wish that national
Parliaments' Foreign Affairs Committees would hold a debate on this new format of the
"Enlargement package".
4. Debate on the draft Contribution and Conclusions of the LIV COSAC
The Chair reminded the participants that the draft conclusions and contribution had been circulated
to delegations on 16 November 2015 with the deadline of 23 November 2015 for submitting
amendments. The amendments received had been included in a table by the Presidency secretariat
which would be adapted accordingly, and further amendments would be accepted until noon the
following day.
Mr Malik AZMANI, Dutch
Tweede Kamer,
on behalf of the Dutch delegation, thanked the
Presidency for its excellent work and expressed the Dutch Presidency's position that COSAC should
focus on processes of parliamentary exchange. He added that, as incoming Presidency, the Dutch
Presidency would not hamper discussions on substantial issues, but that the core of it would be the
"yellow" and "green" card system.
The Chair submitted a table of amendments to the draft conclusions and contribution, which
incorporated compromise proposals elaborated by the Presidency. Following a detailed examination
of each amendment proposed on each paragraph and of each compromise amendment proposed by
the Presidency, the Troika drafted a modified text of the conclusions and contribution to be
presented to the Chairpersons of COSAC the following day.
5. Co-financing and nomination of the Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat for
2016 and 2017
Mr ANGEL referred to Rule 9.5 of the Rules of Procedure of COSAC stipulating the terms of the
co-financing agreement regarding the cost of seconding the Permanent Member of the COSAC
Secretariat and of necessary technical costs for the Secretariat's office and the COSAC website. He
then informed that the current agreement on co-financing was expiring at the end of 2015 and that a
2
 EUU, Alm.del - 2015-16 - Bilag 233: Referat fra Trojka-møde og COSAC-møde i Luxembourg 29/11-1/12-15
letter was sent by the Presidency on 20 July 2015 to the Secretaries General of COSAC Parliaments
inviting Parliaments to sign a letter of intent for the next co-financing period of 2016-2017.
He announced that letters of intent had been received from 30 Chambers which exceeded the
required minimum number of national Parliaments for the commitment to be valid. The next day he
would ask for the remaining letters to be sent as soon as possible.
The Chair then proceeded with the nomination of the Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat
for 2016-2017 recalling Rule 9.3 of the Rules of Procedure. He explained that the term of the
current Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat, Ms Christiana FRYDA, was expiring at the
end of 2015 and reminded that the Luxembourg
Chambre des Députés
received a letter on 9 July
2015 by the House of Representatives of Cyprus recommending the renewal of the term of office of
Ms FRYDA. The Troika agreed and the nomination of Ms FRYDA was going to take place at the
meeting of the Chairpersons the following day.
6. Letters received by the Presidency
Mr ANGEL informed the members of the Troika about the following letters that the Presidency had
received:
A letter from Ms Iryna GERASHCHENKO, Chair of the Committee on European
Integration Ukrainian
Verkhova Rada,
expressing interest in participating in the LIV
COSAC meeting. In line with the Rules of Procedure of COSAC, after consultation with the
Troika, an invitation letter was addressed to the Ukrainian Parliament.
A letter from Lord BOSWELL of Ayhno, Chair of the European Union Committee of the
UK
House of Lords,
and Sir William CASH, Chair of the European Scrutiny Committee of
the UK
House of Commons,
requesting assistance in facilitating an informal discussion in
the margins of the LIV COSAC on the current negotiations on EU reform ahead of the
referendum on UK membership.
A letter from Mr Edmund WITTBRODT, former Chair of the EU Affairs Committee of the
Polish
Senat,
on his decision not to run for re-election.
A letter from Ms Tineke STRIK, former Chair of the Committee on European Affairs of the
Dutch
Eerste Kamer,
about the end of her term.
A letter from Ms Lolita ČIGĀNE about her inability to attend the LIV COSAC meeting and
about the results of the informal interparliamentary meeting on the Audio-visual Media
Service Directive, which had taken place in Riga on the 16 November 2015.
7. Any other business
No other business.
3