Europaudvalget 2022-23 (2. samling)
EUU Alm.del Bilag 527
Offentligt
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE LXIX COSAC
S
TOCKHOLM
, S
WEDEN
, 14 - 16 M
AY
2023
AGENDA
PROCEEDINGS
2
1. Opening of the meeting
2
Welcome speech by Dr Andreas NORLÉN, Speaker of the Riksdag
2
Opening remarks by
3
- Mr Hans WALLMARK, Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs of the Riksdag and Ms Matilda
ERNKRANS, Deputy Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs of the Riksdag
3
2. Procedural and other general matters
4
Approval of the Draft Programme of the Plenary Meeting of the LXIX COSAC
4
Results of the Meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC
4
Presentation of the 39th Bi-annual Report of COSAC
4
Letters received by the Presidency
5
Any other business
6
3. Keynote Video Message: H. E. Ms Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
6
4. Session I - The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU
8
Keynote Speaker: Ms Jessika ROSWALL, Minister for EU Affairs
8
First Speaker: Mr Salvatore DE MEO, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs,
European Parliament
10
5. Session II: 30 years of the Single Market
12
Keynote speakers:
12
Mr Othmar KARAS, First Vice-President of the European Parliament
12
Ms Kerstin JORNA, Director-General of Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry,
Entrepreneurship and SMEs
14
Continuation of Session II: 30 years of the Single Market
18
6. Meeting of the COSAC Chairpersons - discussion on the Contribution and Conclusions of the
LXIX COSAC
22
7. Session III - Towards a green transition
23
Keynote Speaker 1: Ms Helén FRITZON, Member of the ENVI Committee, European
Parliament
23
Keynote Speaker 2: Mr Daniel MES, Member of Cabinet of Executive Vice-President
Timmermans, European Commission
24
Keynote Speaker 3: Mr Johan KUYLENSTIERNA, Director General, Formas - A Research
Council for Sustainable Development
26
8. Session IV - Ukraine
29
Keynote Speaker 1: Ms Ivanna KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE, Chair of the Committee on
Ukraine’s integration into the EU, Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada
30
Keynote speaker 2: Anders AHNLID, Chair of the Council’s Ad Hoc Working Party on Frozen
and Immobilised Assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction
30
Keynote speaker 3: Mr Jean-Erik DE ZAGON, Head of European Investment Bank
Representation to Ukraine
31
9. Closing session: adoption of the Contribution and Conclusions of the LXIX COSAC
34
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PROCEEDINGS
IN THE CHAIR: Mr Hans WALLMARK, Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs of the
Riksdag and Ms Matilda ERNKRANS, Deputy Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs
of the Riksdag.
1. O
PENING OF THE MEETING
Welcome speech by Dr Andreas NORLÉN, Speaker of the
Riksdag
Mr NORLÉN welcomed all delegations to the Swedish
Riksdag
and the LXIX COSAC
Plenary meeting in Stockholm. He recalled that the
Riksdag
so far had hosted six of the
eight interparliamentary meetings organised during the parliamentary dimension of the
Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, noting that one meeting had been
organised online (on Energy), and the one on Economic Governance had been
conducted in cooperation with the European Parliament in Brussels. Mr NORLÉN noted
that, after the COSAC Plenary meeting had been concluded, only one interparliamentary
conference remained to be organised in the
Riksdag
before the Spanish
Cortes
Generales
took over the responsibility for the parliamentary dimension of the
Presidency of the Council of the EU as of 1 of July.
Mr NORLÉN made a short introduction of the
Riksdag
and the Plenary chamber,
explaining that all 349 elected members of Parliament had assigned seats distributed
according to the constituency rather than the party affiliation, which was common in
many other countries. He explained that Sweden was divided into 29 electoral
constituencies, and had a proportional electoral system. He further noted that EU
matters were mainly dealt with by the 15 specialised parliamentary committees, which
also included the subsidiarity checks and the issuing of reasoned opinions.
Mr NORLÉN stated that the
Riksdag
was an active Parliament in EU matters,
highlighting the more than 1200 subsidiarity reviews of EU proposals the Swedish
Parliament had issued since the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force in 2009. He
explained that the
Riksdag
routinely carried out subsidiarity reviews of EU proposals
where the Union did not have exclusive competences. In 2022, around 190 proposals
were scrutinised resulting in the issuing of 14 reasoned opinions on subsidiarity, which
were always transmitted to the EU institutions. He added that, for constitutional reasons,
it was more difficult for the
Riksdag
to take part in the political dialogue, which
explained why the subsidiarity reviews were such an important tool. Mr NORLÉN said
that every time the
Riksdag
adopted a reasoned opinion, a letter was sent to all fellow
Speakers of national Parliaments to draw their attention to the concerns raised, alluding
to the Treaty provisions stating that if a sufficient number of Parliaments raised
subsidiarity concerns the European Commission needed to formally respond. He further
expressed his wish to see a more frequent exchange among national Parliaments on
subsidiarity, and that he would welcome an increased number of subsidiarity reviews
from other Parliaments in the future.
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Mr NORLÈN then referred to the topics discussed during the XLII COSAC Plenary
meeting, held in 2009 at the
Riksdag:
the financial crises, the climate crisis, the EU
enlargement and neighbourhood policy, noting that even if some of the underlying
reasons had changed, all of these were very topical matters still that day.
Mr NORLÉN said that holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU was complex
and challenging, noting that Sweden had taken on this task at a difficult period of time
with a brutal war on its doorstep, an energy crisis, and high levels of inflation. He
recalled that little more than a year had passed since the lives of millions of Ukrainians
had dramatically changed. He emphasised that the date 24 of February 2022 would
forever be tainted by the unjustifiable violence by the Russian Federation aimed at
subjugating Ukraine as a country.
Mr NORLÉN expressed his great respect for the Ukrainian people for their courage,
resilience, and resistance, noting that probably very few could fully see and recognise
the sacrifices Ukraine had been forced to endure. He referred to the Conference of
Speakers of EU Parliaments held in Prague in April earlier that year which had
expressed strong support for Ukraine. He noted that the final session of the LXIX
COSAC Plenary would be an opportunity to further discuss the situation, and how the
support for Ukraine could be upheld and coordinated, as well as how national
Parliaments could contribute to an inclusive reconstruction process of their
neighbouring country.
Mr NORLÉN concluded by alluding to the other topics on the agenda of the LXIX
COSAC Plenary, namely the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council, the 30th
anniversary of the Single Market, and the green transition. He considered that
delegations would have two interesting days with discussions on important topics, and
once again warmly welcomed all delegations to the Swedish
Riksdag.
Opening remarks by
- Mr Hans WALLMARK, Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs of the
Riksdag and Ms Matilda ERNKRANS, Deputy Chair of the Committee on
EU Affairs of the Riksdag
Mr WALLMARK expressed his gratitude to the Speaker of the Swedish
Riksdag,
Mr
Andreas NORLÉN for his welcoming address. He further welcomed three new
colleagues from national Parliaments who were attending the COSAC Plenary for the
first time: Ms Liisa-Ly PAKOSTA, Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee of
the Estonian
Riigikogu,
Mr Colm BROPHY, Chair of the Committee on European
Union Affairs of the Irish
Houses of the Oireachtas,
and Ms Adéla ŠÍPOVÁ Vice Chair
of the Committee on EU Affairs of the
Senát
of the Czech Republic. He further
informed that Lord KINNOULL, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the
United Kingdom
House of Lords,
had been appointed to a new position and as a
consequence would not take part in coming COSAC meetings. Mr WALLMARK
expressed his personal gratitude to Lord KINNOULL for the good cooperation over the
years, and wished him all success with his new tasks.
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2. P
ROCEDURAL AND OTHER GENERAL MATTERS
Approval of the Draft Programme of the Plenary Meeting of the LXIX COSAC
Mr WALLMARK briefly introduced the draft programme of the Plenary Meeting of the
LXIX COSAC, previously distributed to delegations. The different sessions covered the
Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, the 30 years of the Single Market, the
green transition, and Ukraine. He highlighted that the two first sessions of the second
day of the meeting would be conducted in the presence of Her Royal Highness (H.R.H.)
Crown Princess Victoria. The programme was then approved.
Results of the Meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC
Mr WALLMARK informed delegations of the outcome of the Meeting of the
Presidential Troika of COSAC which had taken place the day before in the presence of
representatives of the Swedish
Riksdag,
of the Spanish
Cortes Generales,
of the Czech
Poslanecká sněmovna
and
Senát,
and of the European Parliament. The agenda included
a number of matters including the approval of the draft programme of the LXIX
COSAC Plenary meeting, the presentation of the 39
th
Bi-annual Report, and information
on letters received by the Presidency.
Mr WALLMARK also informed delegations that the Troika had discussed and agreed
on the draft Contribution and Conclusions of the Plenary Meeting of the LXIX COSAC,
noting that several amendments to the drafts were put forward by delegations within the
set deadline of 5 May and that the Presidency had distributed a table with those
amendments. Finally, he informed that revised compromise texts of the Contribution and
Conclusions had been circulated to delegations after the meeting of the Troika, which
were to be further discussed in the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC later the
same day with a view to formally approve them in Plenary at the end of the LXIX
COSAC Meeting.
Presentation of the 39th Bi-annual Report of COSAC
Mr WALLMARK referred to the
39th Bi-annual Report of COSAC,
drafted by the
COSAC Secretariat on the basis of replies to the related questionnaire circulated to
national Parliaments/Chambers on 14 February 2023, with a deadline on 16 March for
submitting the answers. Mr WALLMARK thanked the COSAC Secretariat for their
work and gave the floor to its Permanent Member, Mr Bruno DIAS PINHEIRO, to
present the Report.
In his presentation Mr DIAS PINHEIRO emphasised the fact that all
Parliaments/Chambers of the Member States, as well as 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 future work. He further
expressed his gratitude to the members of the COSAC Secretariat for their work with
the Report.
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He further recalled that the three chapters of the Report were dedicated to: 1. the role of
Parliaments/Chambers in the handling of the Fit for 55 package; 2. the role of
Parliaments/Chambers in the accelerated decision-making processes in response to
crises; 3. the best practices for information exchange between Parliaments, including the
use of IPEX.
The main results from the Report were summarised in a short
video
clip produced by the
Permanent Member and displayed at the end of his intervention.
Letters received by the Presidency
Mr WALLMARK recalled the following letters received by the Presidency requesting
invitations to attend the COSAC meetings that were received before the Chairpersons
meeting:
-
-
-
Mr 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 Charles KINNOULL, Chair of the European Union Committee, United
Kingdom (UK)
House of Lords;
Mr 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
1
Kuvendi i Kosovës.
-
-
-
He also mentioned that ahead of the LXIX COSAC meeting, letters requesting an
invitation to attend the Plenary were also received from Sir William CASH, UK
House
of Commons,
and from Brigitte BOCONE-PAGES, President of the
Conseil National
of
Monaco, and Régis BERGONZI, Chair of the respective Committee on Negotiations
with the European Union.
Mr WALLMARK 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 LXIX COSAC.
Finally, he also alluded to the letter sent to the Presidency with the Conclusions of the
meeting of the Committees on European Affairs of the Parliaments of the Visegrád
countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), held in Budapest
between 16–18 April 2023.
1
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.
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All the letters mentioned were made available on
IPEX.
Any other business
Mr WALLMARK informed on two additional procedural issues, the first being the
termination of the old COSAC website (www.cosac.eu). He said that all content on the
old website had been successfully migrated to IPEX and reminded delegations that a
paragraph on the termination of the old website would be included in the draft
Conclusions from COSAC, and that the COSAC Secretariat would implement this
decision in 2023/24.
Mr WALLMARK recalled that the co-financing of the current Permanent Member and
the office of the COSAC Secretariat ended on 31 December 2023 and that the Swedish
Presidency had had invited Parliaments to renew their commitment to the co-financing
agreement for the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025. He then
announced that 39 out of the 39 National Parliaments/Chambers had signed and sent
their letters of intent indicating that they are willing to participate in the co-financing for
the above stated period, emphasising the fact this procedure could be initiated and
concluded during the Swedish Presidency and therefore the co-financing of the
Permanent Member and the office of the COSAC Secretariat would continue.
3. K
EYNOTE
V
IDEO
M
ESSAGE
: H. E. M
S
U
RSULA VON DER
L
EYEN
, P
RESIDENT
OF THE
E
UROPEAN
C
OMMISSION
In a pre-recorded video message, the President of the European Commission, Ursula
VON DER LEYEN, expressed her gratitude for being able to address COSAC even if
she was not able to attend in person.
With war raging at the doorstep of the EU and competition rising on a global scale, she
argued it was essential that Europeans set the direction of their travel together. She said
that parliamentarians, as the democratic representatives of the European citizens, had
brought the hopes and aspirations of the people to the political discourse and
decision-making. That was also why she had tasked the College of Commissioners to
regularly meet with national Parliaments, and noted that since the beginning of the
current mandate, the Commission College had made more than 400 visits to Parliaments
in all Member States: more than two visits per week.
Ms VON DER LEYEN expressed her gratitude to the Swedish Presidency of the
Council, and recalled that when Sweden joined the EU in 1995 it was in another
watershed moment for the Union. She noted that in the almost 30 years since, the EU
had become stronger and larger, but that the last years had shown that the job was far
from being done. She continued by listing three current tasks of great importance for the
EU. Firstly, the need to re-think the European security order in the wake of the war in
Ukraine. Secondly, the global race for the clean and digital technologies of tomorrow,
which called for renewed focus on Europe’s global competitiveness. Thirdly, the need to
better protect European democracies. She noted that these tasks corresponded with the
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Priorities of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU; security, sustainable
competitiveness, and democracy.
Regarding the first task, she said that Russia tried to deny Ukraine its most basic rights:
the right to exist and the right to be free. She argued that this concerned all Europeans,
and not just the countries sharing borders with Russia. She said that the EU had, since
day one of the war, stepped up its support to Ukraine and that all over Europe doors had
been opened to welcome Ukrainians “fleeing
from Putin’s bombs”.
The EU had helped
Ukraine’s economy to operate, and the EU and its Member States continued to supply
the weapons and ammunition Ukraine needed to fight back. She recalled that the EU
had promised to support Ukraine “as
long as it takes”,
and Europe would keep its
promise.
As for the second task, she argued that the global economy was also at a watershed
moment, since the world's major economies were racing to develop the technologies of
tomorrow, including the best clean technology and the most advanced chips, and to
access critical raw materials. She said that the EU was part of this competition, and
noted that, with the Green Deal, the EU was the first to set the path to climate neutrality.
She noted that European companies were currently world leaders in clean tech research
and innovation, recalling that last year, for the first time, Europe generated more
electricity from wind and solar than from gas. To support, strengthen, and accelerate this
economic development and to support the clean tech industry, the Commission had
proposed the Net Zero Industry Act. She also noted that Europe’s supply chains for
critical raw materials had to be strengthened and secured, exemplifying by saying that
98% of the rare earth supply originated from China. This was not sustainable, she
argued, which also was why the Commission had proposed the Critical Raw Materials
Act, arguing that it was time to de-risk our value chains for a stronger and a more
resilient EU.
Lastly, she argued that new challenges to European democracies were evolving. Foreign
autocrats were targeting European countries, trying to influence public debates, not only
through social media walls, but also in the halls of universities, and in the lobbies of
institutions. She noted that Europeans should know if a university course or an alleged
independent study actually were funded by a foreign autocratic regime. She further
expressed a hope that all Europeans could join forces to better protect our democracies.
Ms VON DER LEYEN concluded by stating that the future of Europe was then being
written, and that Members of national Parliaments were the voice of the European
people, and for that reason, their contributions were more important than ever. She
finally remarked that Europe was “what
we all make out of it”
and expressed her hope of
a successful COSAC Plenary Meeting.
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4. S
ESSION
I - T
HE
S
WEDISH
P
RESIDENCY OF THE
C
OUNCIL OF THE
EU
Keynote Speaker: Ms Jessika ROSWALL, Minister for EU Affairs
In her introduction Ms ROSWALL expressed her appreciation for being invited to
address the COSAC Plenary Meeting. She then acknowledged the close cooperation
between the Swedish Presidency and the European Parliament. This good cooperation
was also present in the Presidency’s close dialogue with the
Riksdag,
while adding that
having strong support “from
home”
was needed in order to conduct a successful
Presidency in Brussels. Ms ROSWALL said that national Parliaments played a vital role
for the democratic process in the EU, and for that reason she was pleased to see so many
representatives of national Parliaments present in the
Riksdag
to discuss EU matters.
Ms ROSWALL noted that with 75 % of the Presidency already passed, progress had
been made to make Europe safer, greener, and freer.
The first priority was to continue providing support to Ukraine and putting pressure on
the Russian regime through sanctions. Ms ROSWALL argued that the recent adoption of
the 10th sanctions package was an important signal from the EU, emphasising that being
able to agree on ten sanctions packages in 12 months was an historic achievement for
the EU. She argued that sanctions were also hitting Russia harder than many expected,
and welcomed the Commission’s proposal for an 11th sanctions package focussing on
circumventions. She then referred to the need to harmonise the criminal definitions of
sanctions violations to properly implement these restrictive measures. The Swedish
Presidency aimed at reaching a general approach on this proposal at the Justice and
Home Affairs Council in June.
She further stated that the Swedish Presidency had tried to provide as much support as
possible to Ukraine: financial, political, humanitarian, and military, of which the
Council agreement on the joint procurement of ammunition was just one example. She
also alluded to two important tasks still ahead of the Presidency: to reach an agreement
on a judicial resolution on how to prosecute Russia’s crime of aggression; and to find
ways to use frozen Russian assets to help rebuild Ukraine, for which a Council Ad Hoc
Working Party had been set up. She also referred to the important agreement reached on
the establishment of an international centre in the Hague for the prosecution of war
crimes committed in Ukraine, and that it was vital to get the centre up and running.
Ms ROSWALL further said that the historic decision by the European Council to grant
Ukraine and Moldova status as candidate countries had placed the enlargement process
even higher on the EU’s agenda, and that both countries had also made remarkable
progress despite the ongoing war and destabilisation attempts. She also emphasised the
high priority given by the Presidency to the Western Balkans, as stability was important
for the region itself but also for the EU, especially in the current geopolitical context.
Ms ROSWALL noted that during the Presidency she had, together with the Swedish
minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Tobias BILLSTRÖM, visited all six countries in the
region.
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Ms ROSWALL then turned to the discussion on the future of the EU, noting that the EU
could consist of 35 Member States or more in the not so far future. In her view, this
called for a reflection on how the Union should work and be governed, which would
also be on the agenda for the informal meeting of Ministers for EU Affairs in Stockholm
in June.
She then turned to a few of the 350 legislative files on the Council’s agenda during the
current semester, emphasising firstly that the migration policy was a key issue in
European politics and also a priority for the Swedish Government. With that regard, she
said that the Presidency aimed at making as much progress as possible on the Pact on
Migration and Asylum, noting that negotiations had been conducted on all levels
including in the European Council, and leaders would return to the issue again in June.
In parallel to the negotiations in the Council, talks had been held with the European
Parliament, and Ms ROSWALL welcomed the fact that the Parliament recently had
reached a position on the matter.
On energy and climate, she noted that several important components of the Fit for 55
package had been negotiated under the Swedish leadership and were very close to being
finalised, noting that it would be a major success both for the EU and for the climate to
have the Package in place. Regarding energy, she alluded to good progress made on
several important files, including some negotiations successfully concluded.
She then turned to competitiveness and growth, highlighting that strengthening this area
was crucial in the current geopolitical situation. She noted that Sweden had asked for a
reference in the European Council Conclusions last December inviting the Commission
to put forward a strategy on how to boost the EU’s long-term competitiveness and
productivity. This Strategy had now been presented and the last European Council
tasked the Commission and the Council to take this work forward.
On trade, Ms ROSWALL said that the process of concluding agreements with New
Zealand and Australia had been successful. She also highlighted the upcoming EU-US
Trade and Technology Council, that would take place in the Swedish city of Luleå later
that month, which was an important forum to coordinate approaches to key global trade,
economic, and technology issues.
She also noted that substantial work had been conducted during the Swedish Presidency
to provide input to the reform of the EU’s economic governance framework, and that the
Presidency would now start negotiations in the Council based on the legislative proposal
tabled by the Commission.
Finally, Ms ROSWALL underscored the Presidency’s focus on upholding democratic
values and fostering the rule of law, e.g. by starting the second round of rule of law
dialogues in the Council. She noted that at the upcoming General Affairs Council
meeting, the Article 7 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) hearings with Poland
and Hungary were to take place, and she also acknowledged the close cooperation with
the European Parliament on these matters.
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In her closing remarks, Ms ROSWALL said the Presidency’s busiest period was
currently taking place and that it was working day and night to deliver a safer, greener
and more secure Europe.
First Speaker: Mr Salvatore DE MEO, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional
Affairs, European Parliament
Mr DE MEO commended the Presidency for its work to support Ukraine as well as its
efforts to create conditions for peace which could be endorsed by Ukraine. As chair of
the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament he argued that the
EU could only tackle these challenges with the proper set of rules to manage its internal
affairs. He thanked the Presidency for its commitment in this area, including its
determination to implement the Conclusions from Conference of the Future of Europe
(CoFE).
Mr DE MEO then turned to the current constitutional agenda of the EU and the follow
up to the CoFE, reminding of its Conclusions, in which citizens had asked for more
Europe, but also for a different, more efficient, and more tangible Europe. Some
proposals from the CoFE, such as enhancing the rule of law provisions, or making EU
decision-making more efficient, could be implemented within the current Treaty
framework, he argued. However other proposals required modifications of the Treaties.
He underlined the importance, noted by the CoFE, that every EU institution needed to
play its role attributed to it by the Treaties.
Mr DE MEO said that, under the Swedish Presidency, the Council had worked on a
number of measures which would enable it to directly implement some of the proposals
emanating from the CoFE. In particular, the proposal for qualified majority voting to be
introduced in the Foreign Policy and Security area, but also how
passerelle
clauses
could be used more effectively and more frequently, he said.
The European Parliament also had been very engaged in promoting the possibility of
Treaty change, having adopted a Resolution, by an overwhelming majority, calling for a
Convention for the revision of the Treaties under Article 48 of the TEU. In this
resolution, the European Parliament noted the following priorities: changing the voting
rules from unanimity to qualified majority in the field of Foreign Policy; strengthening
the procedures for the protection of the values the EU was founded on (Article 7 TEU);
giving the European Parliament a proper right of legislative initiative and full
co-decision rights on the EU budget; and adapting the competences attributed to the
Union in the Treaties, in particular in the field of health. He noted that this Resolution
had been forwarded to the Council, and he hoped that the Swedish Presidency would
initiate the procedures needed for a Convention to eventually be convened, as it was
something citizens had pleaded for.
Mr DE MEO further noted that the next European Parliament elections - scheduled for
June 2024 - would be a watershed moment for the EU, and that important proposals had
been presented to ensure that a strong, robust, and credible Parliament emerged from the
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elections. He noted however that more was needed to strengthen the rules governing the
elections, ensure proper cross-border electoral campaigns, prevent foreign interference,
and meet the genuine democratic standards which the EU was founded on. In this
context, he was grateful to the Swedish Presidency for all their work on these complex
topics and for their cooperation with the European Parliament on the proposals for a
new European electoral law; the revision of the regulation on European Political Parties
and European Political Foundations; and on the proposal for a regulation on the
transparency and targeting of political advertising.
In his conclusion, Mr DE MEO congratulated the Swedish Presidency for their decisive
role in shaping the negotiation framework for the EU's accession to the European
Convention on Human Rights, and said it was his personal hope that the EU would
shortly accede to this important Council of Europe convention. Mr DE MEO pointed to
the crucial moment in the history of Europe and the need to show European citizens the
strength of the European Union, of our national Parliaments and of our democracies.
During the ensuing debate, 34 speakers took the floor. A great variety of themes and
policy areas were present in the debate of which the most frequent are accounted for
here.
Overall, there was broad support for the
priorities of the Swedish Presidency,
including, amongst others, from Mr Kasper SAND KJÆR, Danish
Folketing,
Mr
Richárd HÖRCKSIK, Hungarian
Országgyűlés,
Mr Raoul BOUCKE, Dutch
Tweede
Kamer,
Mr Marco PAVIĆ, Croatian
Hrvatski sabor,
Mr Stefan MUȘOIU, Romanian
Camera Deputaţilor,
and Ms Rrezarta KRASNIQI, Kosovo
2
Kuvendi i Kosovës.
Various aspects of the
EU’s response to Russia’s war of aggression
were also
prominent themes in the debate. Amongst others raised by Mr Andris SPRŪDS Latvian
Saeima,
Mr Jean-François RAPIN, French
Sénat,
Ms Davina SAMMUT HILI, Cyprus
Vouli ton Antiprosopon,
and Mr Sylwester TUŁAJEW, Polish
Sejm.
Several delegates raised the issue of
migration
including Mr Stefano CANDIANI,
Italian
Camera dei Deputati,
Mr SAND KJÆR, and Ms Radvilė
MORKŪNAITĖ-MIKULĖNIENĖ, Lithuanian
Seimas.
In the context of the changing geopolitical situation several delegates expressed support
to
Sweden’s application for membership to NATO
including Mr Arminas LYDIKA,
Lithuanian
Seimas,
Mr Luís CAPOULAS SANTOS, Portuguese
Assembleia da
República
and Mr RAPIN.
Trade
and the need to conclude ongoing free trade negotiations with e.g New Zealand
and Mercosur was raised by Mr Rihards KOLS, Latvian
Saeima.
2
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.
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Another frequent theme in the debate was need to defend and strengthen our
democracies and foster the rule of law,
these issues were raised by, amongst others,
Ms Evin INCIR,
European Parliament,
Mr Ruairí Ó MURCHÚ, Irish
Houses of the
Oireachtas: Dáil Eireann,
Mr BOUCKE, and Mr PAVIĆ.
The importance of the
green transition
and energy issues was raised by Ms Maria
HUBER, Austrian
Bundesrat,
Mr CAPOULAS SANTOS, Mr Rubén MORENO,
Spanish
Cortes Generales
and Mr RAPIN.
Many delegates discussed
EU enlargement policy
and the need to make tangible
progress including Mr Georgios KYRTSOS,
European Parliament,
Mr HÖRCKSIK, Mr
Anton HOFREITER, German
Bundestag,
Ms Maka BOTCHORISHVILI, Georgia
Sakartvelos p'arlament'I,
and Mr Bojan GLAVAŠEVIĆ, Croatian
Hrvatski sabor.
The
Recovery and Resilience Facility,
as well as the ongoing review of the
Stability
and Growth Pact,
were referred to by Ms Elena MURELLI, Italian
Senato della
Repubblica
who warned of excessive inflexibility in these frameworks which could
hinder needed investments.
5. S
ESSION
II: 30
YEARS OF THE
S
INGLE
M
ARKET
Mr Hans WALLMARK, Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs of the Swedish
Riksdag
opened the session by introducing the topic and two keynote speakers.
Keynote speakers:
Mr Othmar KARAS, First Vice-President of the European Parliament
Mr KARAS began his intervention by alluding to the creation of the internal market
back in 1993 by the Maastricht Treaty, noting that even if it was the longest standing
project in the EU it should not be taken for granted and its benefits should be
maximised. He described it as a very valuable contribution to the EU, not only as a
centrepiece of European integration and European unity, but also as the key to peace,
stability and prosperity in the EU.
He then alluded to the next European Parliament’s elections where a very large number
of people (450 million) would participate: this was also the number of people that
belonged to the internal market, and a figure higher than the population of North
America. He noted that, while this number had to be put in perspective, given the 10
billion global population, the internal market was a tool that enhanced the EU’s strength
in global competition.
Mr KARAS said it represented the largest integrated internal market in the world and
emphasised the need to focus on the internal market´s significance. He also underlined
that it was responsible for the creation of 660 000 jobs in the last year, highlighting the
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fact that 25 % of the overall economic performance of the EU was directly attributed to
its existence. He gave several examples, namely that it ensured healthy competition,
stronger economy and industry, better selection of quality goods available at more
affordable prices, but it also made it much more simple to travel, to live, to study, and to
work in the EU. Furthermore, Mr KARAS identified other important achievements of
the Single Market such as more social justice and cohesion, the Erasmus program,
mutual recognition of diplomas, the elimination of roaming charges, the single payment
areas (SIPA) or the elimination of geo blocking. He gave the example of his own
country, Austria, as a country placed in the heart of Europe which benefited immensely
from the Single Market, since Austria ́s exports to the EU had more than tripled and it
produced 2/3 of its economic revenue from the internal market within the EU.
Mr KARAS noted however that the internal market was not yet completed and that the
EU had to act in order to make the most of its remaining huge potential.
He mentioned the various crises the internal market had faced in recent years (Brexit,
the pandemic, inflation, energy crisis and the brutal Russian war of aggression against
Ukraine), noting that they had made the EU stronger internally. Despite some EU wide
initiatives (energy union, security union, defence union, digital, health or social union),
Mr KARAS noted that there was a lot of unused potential (e.g. capital markets, banking
union) which meant costs and barriers to the Single Market.
On energy, technology and climate, he considered that more needed to be done, since
the EU still imported too much energy. Mr KARAS also pointed out that the EU risked
losing its place in the global market: while 30 years ago, 25 % of the global GDP was
generated in Europe, by 2040 the comparable figure would become 11 %, due to
competition from China, United States and India. He considered that this trend could be
mitigated by enlarging and deepening the internal market. Therefore, in order to become
a genuinely global player in terms of new green technologies, there was a clear need for
independence in competition and trade policies, also as an answer to the Inflation
Reduction Act of the United States. For that, the EU needed to cut costs, enhance
efficiency and maintain and improve its global competitiveness, mentioning
conservative estimates made by the think-tank of the European Parliament pointing to
an unfulfilled potential of the Single Market to 829 billion euros per year.
Finally, Mr KARAS addressed the potential that the EU could generate by implementing
the Green Deal, NextGenerationEU, REPowerEU, proposals on digital markets, digital
services, EU industrial strategy, Single Market Emergency Instrument, European Chips
Act, Critical Raw Materials Act, on Artificial Intelligence and on Cyber Resilience. Mr
KARAS concluded his speech by reiterating that the 30 years of the Single Market had
been very successful, even if a lot of work laid ahead in order to obtain even greater
achievements in the decades to come.
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Ms Kerstin JORNA, Director-General of Directorate-General for Internal Market,
Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs
Ms JORNA welcomed the discussion as a great opportunity to celebrate the
achievements of the Single Market and at the same time to reaffirm the shared eagerness
for democratic scrutiny and cooperation on this matter. She underlined that the Single
Market was a shared European value and that it had been as relevant in the times of
pandemic and war as it was 30 years ago.
She then presented her four perspectives of its relevance today: firstly “Single
Market
protects us“;
secondly, ”Single
Market enables us”;
thirdly ”Single
Market makes our
voice heard“;
and fourthly ”our
Single Market“.
With regard to the “Single
Market protects us”
approach, she pointed to its tangible
benefits brought to the EU. It meant more opportunities for people with regard to travel,
work or access to better and cheaper products, more opportunities for business to make
cross border trade and investment and it also brought more competitiveness to the EU.
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, she recalled the EU´s ability to ramp up the
vaccine production that rose from 20 to 300 million doses within six months and made
the EU the world leader in mRNA vaccines.
Concerning the perspective “the
Single Market enables us“,
Ms JORNA considered this
had been made clear also with the pandemic, a crisis that has shown how a well
functioning Single Market and a strong European industry were two sides of the same
coin. In this context she welcomed the findings of the 39th Bi-annual Report presented
earlier at COSAC Plenary Meeting.
The European industry was faced with the biggest challenge ever with the green and
digital transition, Ms JORNA said. Therefore, and in order to successfully decarbonize
the European industry, the EU needed to master net zero technologies, acknowledging
that the net zero market was growing fast and unleashing its great economic potential
and opportunities for jobs and growth (it was set to triple by 2030, with an annual worth
of around 600 billion euros).
She stressed that the EU’s partners and competitors (USA, China, India, Japan) were
deploying ambitious, even aggressive, measures to secure significant parts of this
market, and that a “clean
tech race”
was in full swing.
She stated that no Member State could face this alone and that building new synergies
was necessary, noting some encouraging new forms of cooperation arising in many
areas (e.g. the hydrogen valleys initiative, that brought several regions together on
hydrogen production, on transportation and on the range of cutting edge applications for
example chemical industry or steel industry).
Industrial alliances was another example mentioned by Ms JORNA, highlighting that
since the launch of a very successful battery alliance in 2018, the EU now had the
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hydrogen alliance, raw materials, semiconductors and more recently solar voltaic tanks
alliances. In these cases, industries, innovation institutes, small companies, regions,
Member States and the EU were working together and focussing on the full supply
chain.
Ms JORNA also underlined some of the most important proposals put forward by the
European Commission, namely the European Chips Act, the Net Zero Industry Act, and
the Critical Raw Material Act. She referred to them as anchors to the green transition,
while emphasising they represented a new type of legislation in which four elements
were always needed in order to get the investment: access to land, finance, skills and
market.
On the third perspective ”the
Single Market makes our voice heard”,
Ms JORNA stated
that in the current context of growing insecurity, the Single Market had also become a
geopolitical tool. In fact, and with regard to Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine,
there was for instance a mobilisation of industrial capacity, and acceleration of
ammunition production in solidarity with Ukraine. This showed that the Single Market
had become an essential lever for European solidarity and cooperation. She mentioned
as an example the special program for Ukrainian SME´s and young entrepreneurs
through which they benefited from the EU's Single Market.
Finally, and on the last perspective “our
Single Market”,
Ms JORNAconsidered that the
Single Market went beyond the simple meaning of four freedoms and it could be viewed
also as a policy compass, a political catalyst and as a EU joint asset. She underlined the
importance of respecting the rules of market and customs surveillance. Ms JORNA
concluded by mentioning the need to correctly transpose EU legislation at the national
level, noting that a loophole in any of the Member States meant a barrier for all the
companies. She furthermore presented the Single Market enforcement task force that
addressed the concrete Single Market´s barriers across the EU, noting for instance that
800 barriers were identified in the regulation on professional qualifications, being that
almost half of these barriers were rolled back by the Member States.
During the ensuing debate, 26 speakers took the floor.
Almost all of them acknowledged and welcomed the
Single Market as a great
achievement of the EU
which has created new opportunities, brought innovation and
welfare to the whole EU. Although it was often reminded during the discussion that the
Single Market was
not completed yet
and there were many challenges ahead of the
Single Market such as energy crisis, green transition (Mr Rubén MORENO, Spanish
Cortes Generales,
Mr Vytautas GAPŠYS, Lithuanian
Seimas,
Ms Ellen SAMYN,
Belgian
Chambre des représentants/Kamer
van Volksvertegenwoordigers),
digital
transition and others.
A significant number of speakers argued that there should be immediate action towards
accession of Romania and Bulgaria into Schengen area
(Mr MORENO, Mr Ștefan
MUȘOIU, Romanian
Camera Deputaţilor,
Mr Gunther KRICHBAUM, German
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Bundestag,
Mr Andrzej GRZYB, Polish
Sejm,
Mr Vasile DÎNCU, Romanian
Senat,
Mr
Marko PAVIĆ, Croatian
Hrvatski sabor,
Mr Anton HOFREITER, German
Bundestag,
Ms Cristina Mădălina PRUNĂ, Romanian
Camera Deputaţilor).
Many Members addressed the need of eliminating
red tape and bureaucracy
in
legislation in order to simplify the life of companies and enhance the functioning of the
Single Market (Mr Christian BUCHMANN, Austrian
Bundesrat,
Mr GAPŠYS, Mr
KRICHBAUM, Mr Andris SPRŪDS, Latvian
Saeima,
Ms PRUNĂ). Furthermore,
many reiterated the need of
strengthening the Single Market
by making it more
resilient and prepared for collective responses to future crises (Mr Pierre-Henri
DUMONT, French
Assemblée Nationale),
while at the same time acknowledging that
the Single Market had succeeded and proved to be an important tool in times of various
crises in recent years (Mr BUCHMANN, Mr Ruud KOOLE, Dutch
Eerste Kamer,
Mr
Georgios KYRTSOS, European Parliament, Mr Didier MARIE, French
Sénat,
Ms
PRUNĂ). Ms SAMYN mentioned specific areas as critical to the Single Market, such as
the medical and energy sectors.
During the discussion an urgent call for
securement and diversification of the supply
chain
echoed (Mr GAPŠYS, Mr Ruairí Ó MURCHÚ, Irish
Houses of Oireachtas).
Some of the speakers urged for
strategic autonomy of the EU
and, in that regard,
welcomed the European Chips Act or the Critical Raw Material Act legislation (Mr
DUMONT, Mr GRZYB, Mr PAVIĆ, Mr MARIE, Mr Ó MURCHÚ).
Members also warned against
replacing dependence on Russia by dependence on
China,
and at the same time urged the EU to be aware of the fact it was
lagging behind
China and the United States
(Ms PRUNĂ, Mr KYRTSOS). Mr José María SANCHEZ
GARCIA, Spanish
Cortes Generales
added that the President of the United States, Joe
BIDEN, had accepted the position of the previous American President, Donald TRUMP,
with regard to protectionism, referring to the Inflation Reduction Act.
Several speakers underlined the importance of
skills on the Single Market,
highlighting that all barriers in recognition of diplomas and skills must be removed and
recalled 2023 as the European Year of Skills (Mr BUCHMANN, Mr DUMONT, Mr
KRICHBAUM, Mr SPRŪDS, Ms Susana CORREIA, Portuguese
Assembleia da
República).
Mr KRICHBAUM elaborated on the topic of
trade agreements
and urged for more
courageous and ambitious arrangements, hoping for a breakthrough on the EU Mercosur
deal soon.
Ms Hanna KOSONEN, Finnish
Eduskunta
and Mr GRZYB touched upon the topic of
artificial intelligence.
Ms KOSONEN pledged for artificial intelligence regulation,
when she stated that people lived in danger when not using the artificial intelligence
because of its great possible implications to democracy, urging the EU to be the leader
on this.
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Mr Péter BALASSA, Hungarian
Országgyűlés
stated in his intervention that
harmonisation of prices across the Single Market was more or less achieved throughout
the EU, but the completion of the Single Market concerning the same
level of wages
across the continent must not be forgotten.
Ms Isabella DE MONTE, Italian
Camera dei Deputati,
pledged for more robust rules, as
better regulation was essential to
address unfair competition.
She urged to ensure that
the transition of the State Aid regulation would not overburden the less strong
economies.
Mr Andrius KUBILIUS, European Parliament, noted the success of the Single Market
using the example of his own country, Lithuania. He recalled Lithuania´s EU accession
negotiation process back in 1993, when the country was economically poor back then
(GDP per capita at 32 % of the EU average). Since the accession to the EU, the country
had moved up to 92 % of the EU average, which meant on a global scale the level of
Japan. In 2033, he added, Lithuania should be at Swedish level, on 120 % EU average.
He pledged to ensure Ukraine and Moldova had the same opportunity and concluded by
saying that the integration to the Single Market was the most
powerful geopolitical
instrument
to spread growth, stability and prosperity across the whole European
continent.
Ms Elena MURELLI, Italian
Senato della Repubblica
mentioned in her intervention the
current legislative proposals including the
Fit for 55
package as a future burden to the
industry, families and public sector, therefore, she said it goals should be kept only to a
minimum, she also shared her view on the disproportionality of the Packaging and
packaging waste regulation proposal.
Mr Constantinos EFSTHATHIOU, Cyprus
Vouli ton Antiprosopon
argued that Cyprus
could not
benefit
freely of
all four freedoms
of the Single Market, due to what he
considered to be a
Turkish invasion.
Mr DÎNCU linked
positive migration
and the internal market in his intervention,
mentioning also the injustice of Romania not acceding to the Schengen area, urging the
Spanish presidency to take things forward in the right direction.
In her final remarks Ms JORNA thanked all participants for the interesting and
consensual debate and took the opportunity to reflect on the tasks for the future. She
repeated her four points perspective for the business case, concretely: access to land,
finance, skills and markets. Regarding access to land she reiterated the need for
shortening the permitting process from the Member State’s side. She noted there was
also funding available to accompany the transition to a more effective process. On
access to finance she mentioned the possibility for the future to align more closely the
EU budget with the national budgets. In this context, she noted that the European
Commission had changed the State Aid rules, also in order to have more predictable
financing for companies. Concerning access to skills, Ms JORNA emphasised that the
skills themselves were more important than the qualifications, mentioning the
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installation of the solar panels as an example. Lastly, on access to markets, while of
course the Single Market rules enabled access to market, she also mentioned the
mandatory sustainability and resilience elements in public procurement, already
incorporated in the Net Zero Industry Act.
In his final remarks Mr KARAS thanked all the participants for the fruitful debate,
admitting he was surprised by the unity in the debate. He noted that the success of the
Single Market had to be translated into individual countries and that there were lessons
to be learnt from the experiences. He urged all to search for shortcomings and for the
lessons learnt that were not yet experienced by the Single Market. He also underlined
the need for strengthening and enhancing the Single Market. He noted that there was
essentially a consensus on many points: on the need of removal of the obstacles; that all
Member States should be members of the Schengen area, when the necessary conditions
were met, and noted that the countries that were blocking this should remove these
obstacles as soon as possible. He also stressed that the EU´s trade agreements needed to
be aligned with European values and law, and that all agreements currently listed needed
to be concluded still this year. In the context of the SMEs and municipalities he
mentioned that the European Parliament was very much in favour of implementation of
the proportionality principle. He also touched on the issue of red tape, bureaucracy,
supporting the European Commission proposal which would bring cutting of 25 % of
red tape in the EU legislation by June. Mr KARAS also stated there should be no gold
plating within the Member States. Lastly, he urged the Members to look at the Single
market also from its geopolitical context.
C
ONTINUATION OF
S
ESSION
II: 30
YEARS OF THE
S
INGLE
M
ARKET
Mr WALLMARK opened this interactive session by welcoming the moderator, Ms
Katarina ARESKOUG MASCARENHAS, Chair of the Board of the Centre for
European Studies, Lund University.
Ms ARESKOUG MASCARENHAS explained the special format of this session and
shared her thoughts on the Single Market as a foundation of EU cooperation, benefiting
both companies and citizens. The Single Market and its positive effect on the European
Union was an idea reiterated by the majority of speakers that took the floor in this
session. Ms ARESKOUG MASCARENHAS stated that, in times of war, we should
zoom out, and, quoting the Schuman Declaration (1950), she recalled that the original
aim of the European project was that “war
should not be merely unthinkable, but
materially impossible”.
In this line, she defended the enlargement of the Single Market
to Ukraine as a key step. She continued quoting Robert SCHUMAN, French Foreign
Affairs Minister at the time: “Europe
shall not be made all at once, or according to a
single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements which first create a de facto
solidarity”.
She added that the Single Market was a fantastic success, but which needed
to be constantly renovated and checked. The challenges faced by the Single Market
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were numerous, namely the need to reinforce the capital markets union, as well as the
weight of the services sector and the need for enforcement to be improved. In order to
achieve this, she considered that national administrations needed to remove obstacles to
the Single Market, and proposed the creation of national offices in the Member States
for that purpose.
The first keynote speaker, Ms Anna STELLINGER, Deputy Director General,
International and EU Affairs, Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, focused on three
questions. The first, the importance of the Single Market, “crown
jewel”
of European
integration, which was turning 30 in 2023, noting it was time for celebration but not for
complacency. She considered the focus should be on long term challenges to the Single
Market, and more attention had to be paid to a deepened and forward looking Single
Market agenda. Secondly, she referred to the concerns from a business perspective,
mostly the need to avoid competition to be distorted within the Single Market; and to be
careful not to put the Single Market in reverse. Ms STELLINGER stated in her third
point that the European Commission should be empowered to remove obstacles to the
Single Market, and to be broad based, both via a Regulation to guarantee healthy
competition in the Single Market and to create an innovation climate, and via the use of
a competitiveness check on every new Regulation proposed by the Commission.
The second keynote speaker, Ms Therese SVANSTRÖM, President of the Swedish
Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO), stressed the need for social partners to
be involved so that they feel secure enough to embrace the changes, especially in these
rapidly changing times, as nothing was more competitive than a strong Single Market
where social partners are involved. She then pledged for lifelong learning, and for
talking about it in a concrete way, acknowledging that some jobs will be lost, some will
be created, and most will be transformed. She proposed a specific objective of 60% of
adults in training. This, she said, would imply a new mindset, as university formation
will no longer be valid for the whole career and workers would have to go back to
university in the framework of a regular re-skilling programme, which should be
accessible, relevant and properly financed. She called for more cooperation to get all
perspectives on board, and for responsibility to be shared amongst the state, companies
and employees. She mentioned the forthcoming Recommendation on Social Dialogue,
and recalled the recent labour market reform in Sweden, the biggest in the last 30 years,
that made moves in the right direction, like increased protection to specific categories of
workers and increased employability of workers. Ms SVANSTRÖM concluded her
intervention with a reference to the need to reinforce the gender perspective, as the
lower involvement of women in the labour market was a matter of equal rights that
implied not only a discrimination, but a loss of human capital.
The moderator, Ms ARESKOUG MASCARENHAS, introduced the panel that would
comment on the answers to the questions and after that, she opened the quiz, which
consisted of six questions that were shown on the screens.
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2719628_0020.png
The first question inquired about the factor that increased competitiveness in the EU the
most, and the reply that got the most votes was option a) Strengthened resilience by
EU’s own productions (e.g. critical raw materials).
3
Mr Othmar KARAS, First
Vice-President of the European Parliament, commented on the result, noting that he
would have rather opted for a combination of more open trade, for example through
Foreign Trade Agreements and World Trade Organisation reform, and increased
autonomy, at the same time.
The second question asked what would be the key for the Single Market to be able to
strengthen competitiveness in the EU. The option with the majority of votes was the one
that proposed to strengthen SMEs through, for example, a more efficient Single Market,
simplification of regulations and good skills provision
4
. Mr Pere Joan PONS
SAMPIETRO, Member of the Joint Committee for the EU Affairs, Spanish
Cortes
Generales,
would have rather preferred as key the need to speed up the digital and green
transition, given the fact that the green transition would make a difference for the next
generations.
The third question of the quiz referred to how could the Single Market contribute to a
quicker digital and green transition, and the reply that received the most votes was the
one that opted for legally binding requirements for companies
5
. Mr Ondřej KOLÁŘ,
Vice-Chair of the EU Affairs Committee, Czech
Poslanecká sněmovna,
commented this
reply and he agreed with the result, saying it could not be presumed that citizens were
always responsible. He added that rules had to be compulsory in order to guarantee its
implementation.
The fourth question asked what would be the biggest and most important obstacle for
SMEs, and the reply that got an absolute majority was legal obstacles and administrative
processes
6
. This reply was commented by Mr PONS SAMPIETRO, who considered that
not only legal obstacles and administrative processes, but also a lack of good skills
provision would be an obstacle, and in any case, he made the case for a more federal
Europe in order to achieve a more efficient Single Market.
The fifth question asked how could the Single Market better safeguard good skills
provision, and the most voted reply was that it would be achieved via a combination of
3
The three possible replies to question 1 were: a) Strengthened resilience by EU’s own productions (e.g.
critical raw materials); b) More open trade, for example through FTAs and WTO reform; c) A
combination of the above.
4
The three possible replies to question 2 were: a) To speed up the digital and green transition, b) To
strengthen SMEs through, for example, a more efficient Single Market, simplification of regulations and
good skills provision, c) Other.
5
The three possible replies to question 3 were: a) Legally binding requirements for companies; b)
Voluntary requirements/standards/incentives; c) Other.
6
The three possible replies to question 4 were: a) Legal obstacles and administrative processes; b) A
lack of good skills provision; c) Other.
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2719628_0021.png
internal measures, for example increased recognition of professional qualifications
within the EU, and more skilled workers from third countries
7
. Mr KOLÁŘ, who
commented this result, agreed with it and stressed the need for an easier recognition of
diplomas within the EU, having suffered this problem himself after having moved to the
Czech Republic from Ireland.
The last question enquired how could national Parliaments best contribute to the
strengthening of the Single Market’s competitiveness and resilience. The overwhelming
majority (82%) replied this could be achieved through contacts at an early stage of
proposals with the Commission or national governments, as well as subsidiarity checks
8
.
Mr KARAS agreed with this result in his final comment.
During the ensuing debate, 11 speakers took the floor.
All of them praised the
positive results of the Single Market,
as cornerstone of
European integration. Different issues affecting the Single Market were mentioned, as
the
diverging energy prices
in Member States (Ms Boglárka ILLÉS, Hungarian
Országgyűlés),
or the need for the
regulation of artificial intelligence
(Mr Robert
TROY; Irish
Houses of the Oireachtas: Dáil Eireann).
Representatives from candidate
countries (Mr Zdenko ĆOSIĆ, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Parlamentarna skupština
and
Mr Mile LEFKOV, North Macedonian
Sobranie),
pleaded for their entry in the
European Union and considered
enlargement
to be a key topic that could have been
included in the agenda. Ms Fjolla UJKANI, Kosovo
9
Kuvendi i Kosovës,
pleaded for
candidate status to be offered to Kosovo, while Ms Maka BOTCHORISHVILI,
Georgian
Sakartvelos P'arlament'i,
added that Georgians expected their work towards
European integration to be assessed timely.
Ms KILLONEN, Finish
Eduskunta,
asked Mr KARAS about possible
new funding
instruments in cross border areas,
to which Mr KARAS replied that, even if the end
of the mandate of the European Parliament and European Commission should be
awaited before being able to answer, he would discuss this topic with the Budget
Committee members in the European Parliament.
Mr Vlad-Mircea PUFU, Romanian
Camera Deputaților,
stated that the Single Market
could work only on the basis of solidarity, and deemed as an injustice the fact that
Romania
had been prevented from joining
Schengen.
7
The three possible replies to question 5 were: a) Internal measures, for example increased recognition of
professional qualifications within the EU; b) More skilled workers from third countries; c) A combination
of the above.
8
The three possible replies to question 6 were: a) Through contact at an early stage of proposals with the
Commission or national governments, as well as subsidiarity checks; b) Through contacts with members
of the European Parliament and interparliamentary cooperation; c) Other.
9
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.
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Ms Zita PLEŠTINSKÁ, Slovakian
Národná rada,
evoked her former work as member
of the Internal Market Committee of the European Parliament and she recalled a very
favourable recent
tax reform
in favour of women with young children in Slovakia.
Once the debate on the quiz results finished, the moderator gave the floor back to both
keynote speakers. Ms SVANSTRÖM deemed that the quiz had shown that there were no
quick fixes to difficult issues, as it was the case of the Single Market. Challenges such
as the green transition and the digitalisation could be turned into opportunities for
Europe to compete globally, for which education remained a key tool.
Ms STELLINGER described the European Union as a balancing act, in which both
employers and employees should be included in the search for a common direction.
Besides good legislation on the Single Market, she emphasised that better
implementation was also needed.
Mr WALLMARK deemed that this session of the COSAC Plenary had been very
amusing, and closed the session.
6. M
EETING OF THE
COSAC C
HAIRPERSONS
-
DISCUSSION
C
ONTRIBUTION AND
C
ONCLUSIONS OF THE
LXIX COSAC
ON
THE
Mr WALLMARK informed the Chairpersons of the procedure regarding the adoption of
Contribution and Conclusions by the LXIX COSAC, recalling that the drafts of both
texts had been circulated to all delegations on 28 April. Since then, the Presidency had
received amendments from Parliaments/Chambers within the set deadline of 5 May and,
following the discussion during the Troika meeting on 14 May, delegations had received
a modified document, as well as the amendments tabled until the deadline of noon, that
day.
He also mentioned that the Swedish Presidency had tried to present a short and concise
text that would reflect the topics actually discussed at the COSAC meetings. He briefly
commented on the amendments received on the Contribution, referring that the
Presidency had tried to accommodate most of them, but trying to keep the text balanced
and susceptible of reaching consensus amongst delegations. Regarding to the draft
Conclusions, Mr WALLMARK informed that no amendments were received within the
deadline of 5 May, but that the European Parliament had asked for the insertion of a
reference to the Conclusions of the Presidency of the Conference of Speakers of the
European Union Parliaments held in Prague on 24-25 April 2023, in particular the
invitation to COSAC to propose an exchange of best practices and to reflect on possible
ways to strengthen modern parliamentarism. This suggestion was accommodated by the
Presidency.
Following some debate, in which delegations expressed their views on the different
amendments, the draft Conclusions and an amended text of the draft Contribution of the
LXIX COSAC were agreed by consensus, without any vote required.
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7. S
ESSION
III - T
OWARDS A GREEN TRANSITION
The session was conducted in the presence of H.R.H. Crown Princess Victoria.
Ms Matilda ERNKRANS, Deputy Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs of the
Riksdag
opened the session by welcoming the three keynote speakers.
Keynote Speaker 1: Ms Helén FRITZON, Member of the ENVI Committee,
European Parliament
Ms Helén FRITZON started her speech by welcoming all delegates in Sweden and
stating it was an honour and a pleasure to stand in the Swedish Parliament again and talk
about the most important issue of our time - the green transition. To illustrate that
importance she quoted the popular Swedish artist Mr Ted GÄRDESTAD and explained
that the climate and environmental crisis was about the limits of the only planet we live
on - and which world we should leave to our children and grandchildren. She noted that
Sweden and the Social Democrats had long been pioneers in climate and environmental
policy. As early as 1972, Mr Olof PALME, former Swedish Prime Minister, had invited
people to the first UN Environmental Conference in Stockholm to discuss
environmental problems. In the 1970s, the Swedish government had implemented a
major investment programme in district heating to break the dependence on oil. Ms
FRITZON explained that her country had managed to almost halve the country's
emissions in just over a decade - while being the most equal country in the world. She
further developed that in the 1990s, Mr Göran PERSSON , former Swedish Prime
Minister, had launched the idea of the green Swedish welfare state based on the idea of a
just transition where everyone was involved in creating a better, more sustainable
society.
Ms FRITZON also referred to Ms Anna LINDH, former Swedish Minister for the
Environment and later Foreign Minister, who had pushed for the EU's strategy to
combat acidification and for stricter chemicals legislation. Ms FRITZON then stated
that she could clearly see the legacy of Swedish social democratic policy in the EU's
flagship project, the European Green Deal, which was launched in 2019. The ambition
had been to take a holistic approach to climate change and environmental issues,
including non-toxic environment and biodiversity, food production and social justice. In
her opinion, these matters could not be separated, and therefore the transition policy
must be coherent. She noted that the basis of the European Green Deal was the historic
European Climate Law agreed on in 2021, with clear climate targets that determine that
the EU should be climate neutral by 2050, and that the emissions must be reduced by at
least 55 % by 2030. In order to do so, Ms FRITZON described that a comprehensive Fit
for 55 reform package had to be negotiated, consisting of a wide range of reforms and
new tools to reduce emissions and promote a fair transition that would strengthen
Europe's competitiveness.
Ms FRITZON further explained that in the Fit for 55 package, the EU's Emissions
Trading System (ETS) had been tightened so that the price of emissions would increase
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significantly already from 2024. The ambition levels of all countries to reduce emissions
by 2030 had been raised, and the targets for storing more carbon in forests and soil had
been increased. She then introduced further elements of the package: a Social Climate
Fund to support households and small businesses in the transition; climate tariffs at EU
level to put the same price on emissions for goods outside Europe, and using the EU's
collective strengths and Single Market to put pressure on the rest of the world to act.
She noted that the negotiations on all Fit for 55 legislation were being finalised and
emphasised it would then be up to Member States to deliver on what had been agreed on
the EU level.
Ms FRITZON concluded by highlighting a few other aspects of the green transition.
Firstly, she urged to start the work immediately as there were only seven years left until
2030, and postponement would only lead to increased costs and reduced
competitiveness. Secondly, she emphasised that gender equality and the green transition
must go hand in hand, as women took a lot of responsibility for the transition in their
daily lives, but were also more affected by its risks. Nonetheless, 75 % of new green
jobs globally by 2030 were expected to go to men. Therefore, it must be ensured that
more women are empowered to participate in the green transition. Thirdly, for the
transition to succeed it was crucial that it became the pathway to a fairer and more
democratic Europe which would require redistributive reforms and support for
households and businesses. Ms FRITZON closed by stating that there was a big and
important job ahead of the EU policymakers which should be dealt with together as a
united Europe, facing crises by increasing democracy, freedom and sustainability.
Keynote Speaker 2: Mr Daniel MES, Member of Cabinet of Executive
Vice-President Timmermans, European Commission
Mr Daniel MES opened his intervention by posing the question of how to achieve a
good transition to a climate neutral future knowing from our lives that transitions really
matter. He then referred to the Czech-Austrian composer Mr Gustav MAHLER who had
stated that a “secret
of a beautiful piece of music peace was in the transition, in its
rhythms”.
Similarly, a journalist Ms Robbie SHELL said that “if
you had big global
transitions, big challenges brought the best out of us as humanity, namely to make new
discoveries in science and innovations to master the change”.
Mr MES explained those parallels as transitions were essential for achieving the
European Green Deal and the climate action and stated the importance of citizens for
these changes. Mr MES also referred to Australian philosopher Mr Roman KRZNARIC
who sketched a dilemma in this context by suggesting that we all wanted to be good
ancestors and leave the world for those who come after, which would be at least as good
as the one we found. However, the problem was to focus purely on the long-term as
there were many things to worry about in the short-term which was rather natural for
human beings. To overcome such a dilemma Mr MES advocated for an assessment of
whether the goal of a sustainable future could be achieved by short-term success which
would lead to trusting that the approach was right and eventually long-term goals could
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be implemented. Three things could be relevant for that: the importance of targets to
trigger the transition, the limits of targets without a realistic plan to achieve them, and
giving a voice to everyone who was struggling or facing obstacles in making that
transition.
On the importance of targets, Mr MES noted that the direction was set in the European
Climate Law which created a legally binding obligation to reach climate neutrality
collectively by 2050. He stated that the EU was not only defining targets but setting the
legislation to achieve them. However, he considered that the targets had limits and the
adoption of the climate package some months earlier was only the beginning. The
implementation on a national level would be challenging and difficult choices would
have to be made, highlighting that the Social Climate Fund would play an important role
to help more vulnerable households.
Mr MES also referred to the business angle to the green transition, mentioning two
seemingly unrelated examples. First, and to illustrate how the perception that the green
transition was only available to the upper class was not accurate, he gave the example of
his own parents who lived in a social housing project, yet were able for instance to
afford solar panels earlier than him. Another example was a recent announcement for a
new Korean owned car battery factory to be built in Dunkirk, northern France, which
would bring some 20,000 jobs to the region. The connecting element between those two
examples was the network of businesses, the chain of companies that can work together
and bring those solutions that everyone can use. Without SMEs, Mr MES’ parents could
not have green innovations in their house as nobody could provide them. Similarly, the
Korean investor decided to invest and build a factory in France because the EU had a
long-term stable commitment towards green transition, but mainly because it had a
network of SMEs they could cooperate with. Mr MES therefore praised the value chain
of companies which could bring these affordable solutions to citizens.
Mr MES also mentioned the BlackRock founder Mr Larry FINK, who had predicted
that the next 1000 unicorns (companies that reach a valuation of 1 billion dollars
without being listed on the stock market) will be those in the climate technology
business. Mr MES related this to the fact that the EU had the Green Deal in place,
however, it should then focus on a business plan to make its targets happening which
involved cooperating with businesses who could facilitate that. The EU should not only
cooperate with such businesses but also make a friendly environment for them to ensure
access to resources and prevention of bureaucratic obstacles.
Mr MES also emphasised the importance of ensuring the proportionate distribution of
such businesses across the whole of the EU, and not only in leading countries such as
Sweden or the Netherlands. Toward the end of his intervention he also drew attention to
the importance of SMEs' access to decision-makers on the EU level as small and
medium companies often had solutions to problems which did not reach the right ears.
He used Sweden and the Netherlands as examples of leaders in cooperation with
innovative SMEs companies and connecting them with bigger businesses that were
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interested in their solutions. He considered that the EU should learn from Scandinavia
how to give SMEs a stronger voice. Mr MES concluded by congratulating Sweden on
its success in the green transition and expressed his hope it would keep inspiring the EU
in this matter in the future.
Keynote Speaker 3: Mr Johan KUYLENSTIERNA, Director General, Formas - A
Research Council for Sustainable Development
Mr Johan KUYLENSTIERNA, began by stating that the topic of this session was the
most exciting of all and referred to the current climate situation as a
“code red for
humanity",
in the words of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He also
mentioned that the World Economic Forum stressed very clearly in its latest Global Risk
Report
10
that 6 out of 10 major global challenges would be environmentally related in
the next ten years (climate, biodiversity, natural resources). He noted that the green
transition was happening around the whole world and that there was a need for system
shifts to lift the global population out of poverty and into a greener future. To illustrate,
he recalled impacts in Europe from droughts and floods, but also that the indirect
impacts on Europe from such problems elsewhere could be as severe. He warned that
even though such circumstances were short-term, in the long run a major shift could be
seen in terms of sea level rise, shifts in atmospheric circulation etc. that could bring
changes that would be difficult for modern society to cope with.
Mr KUYLENSTIERNA stated that the world was in the “Anthropocene” era, facing lots
of crises and challenges, for which a system approach was much needed. The Green
Deal was about going from fossil to non-fossil economies, but that leadership required
system shifts to deal with a green transition, since it was about going from linear to
circular economy, and to resource efficiency in times of crises. He further emphasised
that it was important to understand the link between resource efficiency and geopolitics
and security, something that the war in Ukraine had demonstrated. Despite these
challenges Mr KUYLENSTIERNA considered himself more optimistic than ever before
in his long career since, despite all the crises, what was happening at the EU level and
globally was a mindset change which was laying the foundations for the green transition
to occur. The top-down approach from the Green Deal entailed a broad framework not
just looking at the climate transition but also its whole socio-economic dimension,
making sure all people would be on board and experience a real change.
Mr KUYLENSTIERNA highlighted the importance of the bottom-up force emerging
from cities, and regions that really invested in the future, as a transforming trend for the
climate, but also many other challenges facing local communities. He also noted that the
corporate sector was moving from talking about climate and biodiversity as
environmental responsibilities to instead seeing these as market-driven business
opportunities for the future. He pointed out that there had also been new challenges
coming up in terms of raw materials. This was about circular economy and resource
efficiency, which also applied to bio-resources – forests, food security etc. He stated that
10
https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-risks-report-2023/
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national Parliaments had a critical role in that, as they were in the junction between the
EU and global policies, and the bottom up force of businesses and local communities.
Mr KUYLENSTIERNA announced three messages that he would like to share for the
discussion that day. The first one was about catalysing the transition, upscaling and
enabling change, explaining that the power and force were among local communities
and businesses. The question was whether the implementation could be speeded up by
catalysing change in economic, legal and social areas. The second message was about
the importance of multi-level governance, understanding how the EU level could be
connected all the way down to the local level and businesses in terms of
implementation. According to him, it was also about understanding the value chains and
value webs. Global trade had grown tenfold since the Stockholm Conference in 1972,
economy fourfold and population doubled. So the global trading system, the flows of
materials, were connecting companies, people and countries across the globe. And his
final message was related to the whole issue of skills and competences for the green
transition, since there could be a lot of new positions in the new green economy, but
people could not take them without proper training. The EU had been pushing this issue
of skills for the green transition really hard during the Swedish Presidency.
However, Mr KUYLENSTIERNA would like to see that effort becoming a long-term
goal. To conclude his intervention, he quoted the famous Danish chemist Mr Niels
BOHR, who allegedly stated that “predictions
are difficult, especially about the future”.
Mr KUYLENSTIERNA added that this landscape would bring surprises, but with the
right policies and the right decisions one could be possibly sure that we would also be
able to harness all the opportunities that the green transition would bring to us:
European competitiveness and driving the transition of the entire world.
During the ensuing debate, 25 speakers took the floor.
All speakers agreed that the green transition was absolutely essential to achieve a
greener future and thus supported it. At the same time it was said that the path to that
goal would not be easy but there was no other alternative. Mr Raoul BOUCKE, Dutch
Tweede Kamer,
further added that the current generation was the last one which could
tackle climate change but at the same time the first one that would suffer the
consequences.
A significant number of speakers mentioned
the social aspects of the green transition
and the importance of the Social Climate Fund.
They mostly argued the green
transition should not cause a burden on citizens and lead to energy poverty, as that
would hit the most vulnerable citizens of the EU. Moreover, speakers pointed out that
the cost of decarbonisation must not be put on citizens as it would raise the price of
energy for them (Mr Rubén MORENO, Spanish
Cortes Generales;
Mr Andrzej GRZYB
and Ms Anna KWIECIEŃ, both Polish
Sejm;
Mr Andris SPRŪDS, Latvian
Saeima;
Mr
Georgios KYRTSOS, European Parliament).
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Mr Marc DEMESMAEKER, Belgian
Chambre des représentants/Kamer van
volksvertegenwoordigers,
expressed his concern about the ETS system resulting in
higher prices. Mr Pietro LOREFICE, Italian
Senato della Repubblica
and Mr Firmino
MARQUES, Portuguese
Assembleia da República,
recalled the importance of solidarity,
both among different social groups and generations as well as countries. Ms
Cristina-Madalina PRUNA, Romanian
Camera Deputaţilor,
emphasised that living
standards should not deteriorate as a result of the green transition, as that would lead to
a lack of trust from European citizens.
Furthermore, speakers also argued
in favour of nuclear energy
(Mr Pere Joan PONS
SAMPIETRO, Spanish
Cortes Generales;
Mr Pieyre-Alexandre ANGLADE, French
Assemblée nationale).
Mr Tomasz NOWAK, Polish
Sejm,
emphasised the importance of
nuclear energy as a stabiliser during green transition. Ms KWIECIEŃ argued nuclear
energy should be included among the green energies. Mr Jean-François RAPIN, French
Sénat,
added that the EU ́s energy supply must be guaranteed and nuclear energy would
allow it to better safeguard its energy independence in Europe, especially in the context
of the war in Ukraine. Mr Rubén MORENO, Spanish
Cortes Generales,
stated that he
was not in favour of building new nuclear plants, noting however that it may be needed
to extend the life of the current ones.
There were also
calls for the EU to be a global leader in the green transition,
which
was mentioned for instance by Ms Maria HUBER, Austrian
Bundesrat.
Mr Pär
HOLMGREN, European Parliament, stressed that the EU was more ambitious than the
USA or China, however, at the same time it was far away from what was needed
according to science. He suggested that instead of reducing 55 % of greenhouse
emissions by 2030, the EU should aim at 70 % and climate neutrality should be
achieved by 2040, not 2050. Mr Marko PAVIĆ, Croatian
Hrvatski sabor,
drew attention
to the fact that the EU was responsible only for 8-9 % of the greenhouse emissions,
whereas countries such as China and India produce over 50 %.
Many speakers also informed about
the specific situation or progress made in their
home countries.
Mr PAVIĆ mentioned that Croatia had planned to become an energy
hub for south-east and central Europe by doubling their liquified natural gas capacity on
the islet of Krk. In addition, almost half of the electric energy of the country came from
hydro energy sources, 20 % came from wind and there were capacities for the solar
energy being built. Mr Aurelius VERYGA, Lithuanian
Seimas,
listed that a quarter of
energy of his country came from renewables and this should get to 80 % by 2050. Ms
Hanna KOSONEN, Finish
Eduskunta,
informed that Finnish businesses were prepared
for a faster transition and politicians were falling behind.
There was a significant support for
the respect of energy mix of each Member State
(Mr GRZYB; Mr Zoltán TESSELY, Hungarian
Országgyűlés;
Mr NOWAK and Ms
KWIECIEŃ). Ms Maria JUFEREVA-SKURATOVSKI, Estonian
Riigikogu,
added that
that had been outlined in the COSAC Contribution.
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The economic dimension of the climate crisis
was mentioned for instance by Ms
HUBER who argued that climate policy could be turned into an economic advantage
and it should be implemented in a way to offer the industrial opportunities we needed.
She added there was a need for green and clean products and that the EU was actually
already the market leader in that, as well as in technology and innovation and it should
stay that way.
Mr Stefano CANDIANI, Italian
Camera dei Deputati,
argued that
the long-term
objectives should be clear to all,
noting that, even if it would be costly to achieve
them, it had to be done. He added that the unique characteristics of each EU Member
State should be respected and that a one-size-fits-all approach should be avoided.
Ms Lucia TACER, Slovenian
Državni zbor,
raised
the issue of the need for better
connectivity of Europe by train,
recalling that last April the European Commission
registered a citizen’s initiative to facilitate a network of fast speed trains to connect the
EU capitals. She urged members of Parliaments to support this initiative so it could
proceed faster.
Among other topics raised was for instance
the risk of extinction
(Mr Anton
HOFREITER, German
Bundestag),
and
the need to secure energy and resource
independence from Russia and other problematic countries
such as China
(
Ms Ellen
SAMYN, Belgian
Chambre des représentants/Kamer van volksvertegenwoordigers;
Mr
BOUCKE).
After the debate, the floor was given to the keynote speakers for brief comments.
In her concluding remarks, Ms FRITZON drew two main conclusions from the debate.
First, the perspective should change from top-down to bottom-up. The green transition
must be local, national and international. Second, there was not a conflict between
sustainability and growth because for the future we must use the green transition to
achieve both and also gender equality. Mr MES added that the move to renewable
energy was actually a move to freedom and independence from problematic energy
suppliers. He also agreed that the issue of high energy prices in the EU should be
resolved quickly. Lastly, he emphasised that the green transition must be well
communicated to the EU citizens. Mr KUYLENSTIERNA argued that the green
transition was very much about social and economic development, EU leadership and
security aspects. The one thing he missed in the debate was the issue of skills and
competences needed in the process of the green transition.
8. S
ESSION
IV - U
KRAINE
Mr Hans WALLMARK, Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs of the Swedish
Riksdag
opened the session by introducing the topic and keynote speakers.
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Keynote Speaker 1: Ms Ivanna KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE, Chair of the
Committee on Ukraine’s integration into the EU, Ukrainian
Verkhovna Rada
In her opening speech, Ms KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE thanked the Swedish
Presidency for maintaining Ukraine on top of the EU’s agenda, and the EU and its
Member States for their support to the Ukrainian people who were fighting not only for
their countries but also for the values of the EU. She welcomed the humanitarian
support for Ukraine, the pressure placed on Russia through the sanctions adopted and
through the calls for accountability for the crimes committed. Ms
KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE highlighted the importance of military support, which
allowed the country to resist repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities. She noted that
the common objective had to be to put an end to the war that secured Ukrainian victory
and Russia’s defeat, as this country was seeking to destroy the post-Cold War
international order.
Furthermore Ms KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE called for all possible support for the
reconstruction, recovery and development of Ukraine, as this support was necessary to
rebuild peoples’ lives. She noted that 14 billion dollars were needed immediately to
cover basic needs, of which the Government of Ukraine would provide 3 billion, and the
remaining 11 billion should come from the international community. She outlined that
the overall reconstruction needs were estimated at 400 billion dollars and that the
Multi-agency Donor Coordination Platform would play an essential role in mobilising
international public and private investment, as well as securing local engagement.
Ms KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE closed her intervention by highlighting the importance
of the Ukraine Recovery Conference that would take place on 21-22 June 2023 in
London and stressed the need to maintain the reconstruction and reform processes in
parallel to allow Ukraine to transform itself and continue on the EU integration path.
Keynote speaker 2: Anders AHNLID, Chair of the Council’s Ad Hoc Working
Party on Frozen and Immobilised Assets to support Ukraine’s reconstruction
In his presentation, Mr AHNLID outlined the work initiated under the Swedish
Presidency on the use of frozen and immobilised assets to support Ukraine's
reconstruction, in line with the mandate from the European Council. He said that the Ad
Hoc Council Working Party was established in February and was pursuing a holistic
approach - carrying out legal, financial, economic and political assessments - to the
question of frozen and immobilised assets. The preparatory work could support concrete
future Council proposals and initiatives that should be in line with EU and international
law, according to Mr AHNLID.
Mr AHNLID explained the three different strands of work being carried out: first,
understanding the data on the value, ownership, type and location of the frozen and
immobilised assets. He said that it was estimated that 300 billion dollars in public assets
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were frozen and immobilised in G7 countries, while private assets of individuals
amounted to around 20 billion dollars. Second, assessing the feasibility and
appropriateness of different options regarding frozen and immobilised assets. While the
confiscation of private assets of individuals found guilty of crimes was feasible, the
options regarding public assets were more complicated given the principle of state
immunity. The third strand concerned international cooperation and coordination with
the work done by other G7 countries. Mr AHNLID closed by reiterating the objective of
seeking as many results as possible, calling on Member States to take responsibility, and
noted that he expected the Working Party to deliver tangible results before the Foreign
Affairs and European Council meetings in June.
Keynote speaker 3: Mr Jean-Erik DE ZAGON, Head of European Investment
Bank Representation to Ukraine
Mr DE ZAGON began his
presentation
by providing data on the estimated direct
damages caused by Russia’s attacks in Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion
in February 2022 which amounted to 115 billion dollars. He also said that reconstruction
needs were estimated to 411 billion dollars. This higher figure resulted from the more
modern and higher standards to be used in reconstruction. Immediate needs for the next
18 months were estimated to 14 billion dollars, of which the international community
should contribute with 11 billion dollars. He noted that the main priority for
reconstruction was public sector investment and the repair of critical infrastructure,
which would allow people to come back to Ukraine and crowd-in private investment. As
the main challenges, he pointed to Ukraine’s limited absorption capacity, as well as the
need to secure concessional financing in order to ensure debt sustainability.
Mr DE ZAGON outlined the main areas in which the European Investment Bank (EIB)
was active in Ukraine and the available support from the EU for the reconstruction work
in Ukraine. Since 2007, the EIB had invested 7 billion euros in Ukraine, with a focus on
social infrastructure. Since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022, 2.3 billion euros have
been dedicated to immediate relief to Ukraine, particularly targeting government
funding and repair of damaged infrastructure such as roads. In order to secure continued
support in the coming 18 months, and since the use of the European Fund for
Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+) sovereign lending guarantee was currently not
possible, the EIB had developed the EU for Ukraine (EU4U) Initiative. This included
100 million euros of the EIB’s own resources and the creation of the EU for Ukraine
Trust Fund, which was open for contributions from the European Commission, Member
States and like-minded countries.
Mr DE ZAGON explained that the EU4U initiative would allow the continuity of
important support projects, including 2 billion euros for the recovery of the public
sector. This included repairs and rebuilding of the transport infrastructure, such as
Solidarity Lanes to allow export and import goods and equipment from/to Ukraine,
repairs in the energy sector and support for infrastructure. EU4U also envisaged the
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economic resilience of the private sectors by supporting access to finance for SMEs,
with guarantees to larger corporations and investing in Ukrainian private equity funds.
During the ensuing debate, 23 speakers took the floor.
Almost all the speakers
called for continued EU support to Ukraine
until the
country’s victory and the reestablishment of Ukrainian control over all the territory
within its international borders. Mr Helmut BRANDSTÄTTER, Austrian
Nationalrat
and Mr Ondřej KOLÁŘ, Czech
Poslanecká sněmovna
also noted the importance of
concrete and visible shows of solidarity such as EU visits to Ukraine or establishing
contacts between local authorities in the EU and Ukraine.
Mr Rihards KOLS, Latvian
Saeima
condemned those undermining EU unity in support
of Ukraine and asked EU leaders to overcome their fears and provide Ukraine with
longer-term, comprehensive support. Mr Pieyre-Alexandre ANGLADE, French
Assemblée nationale
and Mr Marc DEMESMAEKER, Belgian
Sénat/Senaat
highlighted the
importance of stepping up military support
to Ukraine ahead of the
expected counter-offensive and called for the delivery of fighter jets.
In her intervention Ms Maria JUFEREVA-SKURATOVSKI, Estonian
Riigikogu
clearly
stated that it
pertained only to Ukraine to decide on any possible peace negotiations.
A message that was echoed by Mr Sylwester TUŁAJEW, Polish
Sejm.
Ms
JUFEREVA-SKURATOVSKI also called on the EU to lead efforts to bring the Russian
leadership to justice under a special tribunal, a call supported by other speakers taking
the floor like Mr Ruud KOOLE, Dutch
Eerste Kamer
and Mr Arber ADEMI, North
Macedonian
Sobranie.
The
call for accountability for Russian crimes committed in
Ukraine
was also made by Mr Claude KERN, French
Sénat
and Mr Gaëtan VAN
GOIDSENHOVEN, Belgian
Sénat/Senaat.
Mr DEMESMAEKER noted the need to explore how to
use Russian frozen and
immobilised assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine,
a message supported by Mr
KOLÁŘ. Mr DEMESMAEKER also stressed the importance of the 11th EU sanctions
package being prepared, and of closing the existing loopholes in the sanctions regime,
which was also mentioned by Mr Gunther KRICHBAUM, German
Bundestag
and Mr.
TUŁAJEW. Mr KRICHBAUM also raised the
issue of Ukrainian agricultural exports
to the EU
market and harming European farmers due to decreased agricultural prices.
Ms Ana-Maria CĂTĂUŢĂ, Romanian
Camera Deputaţilor
highlighted the
importance
and challenges of the reconstruction process in Ukraine,
which would need both
important financial commitments and reforms to be carried out by the Ukrainian
government. Ms CĂTĂUŢĂ also noted that the involvement of women was essential
for a successful reconstruction. This last message was also underlined by Ms Anna
LASSES, Swedish
Riksdag.
Ms Eva Maria HOLZLEITNER, Austrian
Nationalrat
denounced the
violence against women and children committed by Russian troops
in Ukraine
and the need to investigate these human rights violations, as well as to
defend the rights of all women across the EU.
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Numerous parliamentarians, including Radvilė MORKŪNAITĖ-MIKULĖNIENĖ,
Lithuanian
Seimas,
Mr ADEMI and Mr Michał KAMIŃSKI, Polish
Senat
noted that
Russia’s war of aggression
and actions were not directed only towards Ukraine, but
they
constituted a direct attack on the international order and against the EU
as a
project, and the values it represented.
At this juncture, Mr Logi EINARSSON, Icelandic
Alþingi
noted that the
Summit of
Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe
taking place on 16-17 May
in Reykjavik presented a historic opportunity to redefine the mission and purpose of this
organisation. He also noted that he expected that the outcomes of the summit would
include actions to support Ukraine.
Mr Andrius KUBILIUS, European Parliament, called for a broader and longer-term
discussion than military peace in Ukraine. He stressed the
need to look at the elements
which were necessary for Europe’s sustainable peace.
For Mr KUBILIUS this
required the democratisation of Russia and Belarus as well as securing
Ukraine’s
accession to the EU and to NATO,
which he called for as soon as possible. Ms
JUFEREVA-SKURATOVSKI and Mr ADEMI also called for Ukraine joining the EU
and NATO.
Ms Doina GHERMAN, Moldovan
Parlamentul Republicii
noted that Moldova was the
most vulnerable neighbour of Ukraine and was currently facing security, humanitarian,
economic and energy challenges, as well as increasing Russian propaganda and attempts
at destabilisation. She called for the
EU’s solidarity and support for Ukraine to be
extended also to Moldova.
Ms Maka BOTCHORISHVILI, Georgian
Sakartvelos p'arlament'I
expressed Georgia’s
solidarity with Ukraine as the country was also experiencing Russian occupation and
military presence, and the displacement of an important part of its population. Ms
BOTCHORISHVILI noted Georgia’s close cooperation with the EU and NATO despite
not being a member, and
called for EU candidate status to be provided to Georgia.
Mr Natan ALBAHARY, Serbian
Narodna skupština
noted that his party would continue
to push for a closer alignment of Serbia and the EU positions on Ukraine, and
asked the
EU to keep open the possibility for Serbia to join the EU.
On the subject of EU
enlargement,
Mr KOOLE noted his support for Ukraine and Moldova to join the EU if
all the criteria were met and therefore called for the EU to provide the necessary support
so this could happen as soon as possible. Mr Salvatore CAIATA, Italian
Camera dei
Deputati
and Mr TUŁAJEW also expressed their
support for advancing the EU’s
enlargement process with all candidate countries.
In his replies, Mr DE ZAGON emphasised that the war in Ukraine was not only about
territory but about value, stating that support for Ukraine was urgent in military terms
but also in regards to reconstruction.
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In his final intervention, Mr AHNLID reiterated that it was evident that there were large
amounts of frozen and immobilised assets that could be used for Ukraine’s
reconstruction, and called on members of national Parliaments to engage with their
national governments so that work in this area could be advanced.
In her replies Ms KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE thanked all for their statements - and
actions - in support of Ukraine and called for continued engagement and support until
Ukraine’s victory. She stated that Russia needed to be defeated, isolated and punished
for the aggression against Ukraine and that this was the only way for durable and
sustainable peace in Europe. Ms KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE acknowledged the
concern of EU farmers but stated that it was not possible to cut the lifeline that
agricultural exports represent for Ukraine and called for detailed discussions to find a
solution to this complex issue. She also noted that Ukraine was expecting the next
Commission report on Ukraine’s progress towards the benchmarks needed before
accession negotiations can start. Ms KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE concluded by
welcoming the unprecedented decision by COSAC Chairs to travel to Ukraine last
September and extending an invitation for further visits to the country.
In his closing remarks, Mr WALLMARK highlighted the importance of the work being
carried out by the EIB, and the Ad Hoc Council Working Party on frozen and
immobilised assets, and asked Ms KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE to convey to the
Ukrainian people and members of the Ukrainian
Verkhovna Rada
the solidarity and
commitment by the EU to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as was needed.
9. C
LOSING SESSION
:
THE
LXIX COSAC
ADOPTION OF THE
C
ONTRIBUTION
AND
C
ONCLUSIONS
OF
Mr Hans WALLMARK, Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs of the
Swedish
Riksdag,
concluded the meeting by emphasising the fruitful discussions held.
He then alluded to the texts of the Contribution and Conclusions of the LXIX COSAC
Meeting, distributed to all delegations, which were adopted by consensus with no
amendment presented during the Plenary, highlighting that no vote was required
throughout the entire procedure. The Chair gave the floor to Ms Susana SUMELZO,
Chair of the Joint Committee for EU Affairs of the Spanish
Cortes Generales,
as
incoming Presidency of COSAC in the second semester of 2023, who announced that
the meeting of the COSAC Chairpersons would take place on 9-10 July, and that the
LXX COSAC would be held on 24-26 September, both in Madrid.
Mr WALLMARK concluded the LXIX COSAC Plenary Meeting by extending his
thanks also to the staff who assisted in the organisation.
34