EUU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 259: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmøde og Trojka-møde 26-27/1-25 i Warszawa

Europaudvalget 2024-25
EUU Alm.del Bilag 259
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MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE CHAIRPERSONS OF COSAC

ARSAW

, P

OLAND

, 26 - 27 J

ANUARY

2025

Note:

A video recording of the full meeting is available via the webpage of the Parliamentary

Dimension of the Polish Presidency.

ROCEEDINGS

IN THE CHAIR: Mr Tomasz GRODZKI, Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee of

the Polish

Senat,

and Ms Agnieszka POMASKA, Chair of the Committee on EU Affairs of the

Polish

Sejm.

PENING

ESSION

Opening speech by Ms Małgorzata KIDAWA-BŁOŃSKA, Marshal of the Senate of

Poland

In her opening speech, Ms KIDAWA-BŁOŃSKA initially recalled the recent speech by the

Prime Minister of Poland, Mr Donald TUSK, in Strasbourg, in which he had stressed that

Europe is and will remain great. Europe is a good place to live in, defined by democracy and

the rule of law. She underlined that parliamentarians have a special responsibility for the future

of Europe. It is the duty of parliamentarians to listen, explain, and also to be bold about the

future of European policy. She went on to underline that Europe is only powerful when it

speaks with one voice, and only then it is capable of presenting its interests with solidarity.

Agency is the most valuable currency of policy, she added. The world today is fraught with

danger, which is why citizens expect decisive action for security, she continued. Peace is

coming to an end, and together we must be capable of making our defence industries and

militaries strong enough so that no one would even think of attacking Europe, she underlied.

She then pointed out that economic security is also particularly important at present,

emphasizing that Europe has all the tools to ensure that the 21st century is the century of a

strong Europe. She brought to attention that the Polish Presidency has security as its

overarching priority, across several sectors. She highlighted that security also involves

strengthening the Union's resilience to natural disasters, which is why the second part of the

meeting was dedicated to addressing the impact of climate change from the perspective of the

EU budget. She also reminded delegations that the Polish Presidency coincides with a new

legislative cycle and the preparations for the new Multiannual Financial Framework. Finally,

she stated that there is no time for weakness or lack of agency in the face of the dual challenge:

finding answers to global turbulence and gaining citizens' support for the bold plan to build a

secure Europe. It is a collective duty to reinforce Europe's greatness.

EUU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 259: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmøde og Trojka-møde 26-27/1-25 i Warszawa

ROCEDURAL ISSUES AND MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

Mr GRODZKI took the floor to briefly present the proposed agenda for the Chairpersons

meeting. He also noted that the draft agenda had been communicated to delegations in advance,

and uploaded to IPEX. The agenda was then adopted without any comments.

Mr GRODZKI went on to briefly present the outcome of the meeting of the presidential Troika

the preceding day. He then gave a brief presentation of the draft programme of the LXXIII

COSAC Plenary Meeting, to be held in Warsaw on 8-10 June 2025. The Prime Minister of

Poland, Mr Donald TUSK, had been invited as a keynote speaker for the first session of the

meeting concerning the implementation of the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council

of the European Union. During the second session titled ‘The European Commission and the

European Parliament work programmes in the new institutional cycle. Strategic Agenda of the

European Union’, Mr GONZÁLEZ PONS had agreed to deliver a keynote speech, and Mr

Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, Interinstitutional

Relations and Transparency, had also been invited to act as a keynote speaker during this

session. Invitations had furthermore been extended to Mr Adam SZŁAPKA, Polish Minister

for the European Union, Mr Andrzej DOMAŃSKI, Polish Minister for Finance, and Mr Piotr

SERAFIN, Commissioner for Budget, Anti-Fraud and Public Administration, to attend as

keynote speakers during the third session of the meeting on the new EU Multiannual Financial

Framework. Similarly, invitations had been extended to Mr Radosław SIKORSKI, Polish

Minister of Foreign Affairs, and to Ms Marta KOS, Commissioner for Enlargement, to

participate in the fourth session dealing with the enlargement policy of the European Union as

keynote speakers. Lastly, Mr Krzysztof GAWKOWSKI, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, the

Government Plenipotentiary for Cybersecurity, and a representative from the European

External Action Service, were envisaged to be keynote speakers for the fifth and last session

of the LXXIII COSAC on cyber-resilience and disinformation.

Thereafter Mr GRODZKI informed delegations that the first annual report on the activities of

the COSAC Secretariat was available on IPEX. The report had been developed as a joint

initiative between the Polish Presidency and the current Permanent Member of the COSAC

Secretariat, Mr Jakob SJÖVALL, with the aim of increasing the transparency of the work of

the Secretariat. This report is intended to be an annually recurring report.

Following this, the outline of the 43rd Bi-annual Report of COSAC was briefly described by

Mr GRODZKI. He noted that the questionnaire for the report would be sent out on 4 February,

with a deadline for replies set for 17 March. The document was then adopted without any

comments.

EUU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 259: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmøde og Trojka-møde 26-27/1-25 i Warszawa

Mr GRODZKI also informed delegations that letters had been sent to the Presidency from the

parliaments of Kosovo

, Norway and Switzerland, as well as from the UK House of Lords,

with requests to attend the Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC. After consulting with the

Troika, the Presidency had replied affirmatively to these letters. Mr GRODZKI also informed

the Troika that a letter had been received from the parliament of Georgia. This letter was sent

in reply to the letter previously sent by the Presidency, after consultation with the Troika, to

the parliament of Georgia expressing deep concern about the situation in Georgia and

explaining that the Presidency no longer supports the invitation to Georgia to participate in the

Meeting of the Chairpersons of COSAC.

Lastly, Mr GRODZKI also informed delegations that a request for co-financing of the COSAC

Secretariat for the period 2026-2027 would be sent out to delegations in accordance with

Article 9.5 of the Rules of Procedure of COSAC. The letter would be sent on 29 January, with

a request for Parliaments/Chambers willing to contribute to send a letter of intent by 12 May

the latest.

ESSION

I - P

RIORITIES OF THE

OLISH

RESIDENCY OF THE

OUNCIL OF THE

UROPEAN

NION

The session was chaired by Mr Tomasz GRODZKI, Chair of the European Union Affairs

Committee of the Senate of the Republic of Poland and Ms Agnieszka POMASKA Chair of

the European Union Affairs Committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland

The session began with a keynote speech by Mr Adam

SZŁAPKA

Minister for the European

Union Affairs of Poland.

In his speech, Mr SZŁAPKA outlined the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of

the European Union, which reflect Poland’s commitment to strengthen European security

across various dimensions, such as internal, external, information, economic, energy, food and

health. Mr SZŁAPKA underlined the significance of addressing all these aspects of security in

order to ensure a comprehensive approach to the challenges that the European Union was

currently facing. He also emphasized the paramount importance of collective responsibility for

Europe's security, highlighting the need to bolster support for Ukraine, strengthen sanctions

against Russia, and enhance the EU's defence capabilities. In his intervention, Mr SZŁAPKA

reminded all participants that Europe was still a dream for many countries and that the current

reality required continuous action and commitment. In addition, he underlined that this was the

reason why the motto chosen for the Polish Presidency of the EU Council was “Security,

Europe!”

This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the

ICJ opinion on Kosovo Declaration of Independence.

EUU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 259: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmøde og Trojka-møde 26-27/1-25 i Warszawa

During the following debate, 41 speakers took the floor.

In the debate, there was unanimous support for the Polish Presidency’s focus on security as the

central and cross cutting priority for the EU. Effectively promoting this would require political

leadership and unity within the EU. A majority of speakers referred to military security and the

need to reinforce the EU’s defence capabilities. This would require additional resources, which

some speakers linked to increasing the share of GDP that Member States devote to defence,

while others also mentioned initiatives such as an EU defence fund. Continued support to

Ukraine, as it resisted Russia’s war of aggression, was noted as essential for the EU’s security

in numerous interventions, while various speakers also highlighted the need to counter hybrid

threats including the recent attacks on submarine connectivity infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.

Disinformation and foreign interference were also identified as important threats to the EU,

with a number of speakers mentioning that these threats came not only from states such as

Russia, but also increasingly from powerful individuals such as Mr. Elon MUSK. The threat

represented by the election of a US President who openly challenged the multilateral order and

threatened NATO allies, as was the case with Denmark in relation to Greenland, was also

mentioned. Speakers mentioned that this would be a test of the EU’s resolve and unity in

guaranteeing its own security. Numerous interventions noted that strengthening the EU’s

economic competitiveness was also essential for the EU’s security. In relation to this, speakers

mentioned the need to reinforce the single market, facilitating access to common investments

and reducing the administrative burden for the private sector. Resilience and preparedness were

also identified as necessary elements for promoting the EU’s security across different sectoral

areas.

The following speakers took the floor during this debate:

Zoltán TESSELY (Hungarian

Országgyűlés),

Esteban GONZÁLEZ PONS (European

Parliament), Gabriela MORAWSKA-STANECKA (Polish

Sejm),

Giulio TERZI DI

SANT'AGATA (Italian

Senato della Repubblica),

Erik OTTOSON (Swedish

Riksdag),

Peter

DE ROOVER (Belgian

Kamer van volksvertegenwoordigers/Chambre des représentants),

Pieyre-Alexandre ANGLADE (French

Assemblée nationale),

Bastiaan VAN APELDOORN

(Dutch

Eerste Kamer),

Francisco José CONDE LÓPEZ (Spanish

Cortes Generales),

Rasa

BUDBERGYTE (Lithuanian

Seimas),

Anton HOFREITER (German

Bundestag),

Bojan

KEKEC (Slovenian

Državni svet),

Heikki AUTTO (Finnish

Eduskunta),

Maria-Gabriela

HORGA (Romanian

Senat),

Jelena MILOŠ (Croatian

Hrvatski sabor),

Peter HAUBNER

(Austrian

Nationalrat),

Janusz LEWANDOWSKI (European Parliament), Jean-François

RAPIN (French

Sénat),

Harris GEORGIADES (Cypriot

Vouli ton Antiprosopon),

Ján

FERENCÁK (Slovak

Národná rada),

Telmo FARIA (Portugal

Assembleia da República),

Vincent BLONDEL (Belgium

Senaat/Sénat),

Edward ZAMMIT LEWIS (Maltese

Kamra tad-

Deputati),

Dimitris KAIRIDIS (Greek

Vouli ton Ellinon),

Edmunds CEPURITIS (Latvian

Saeima),

Pere Joan PONS (Spanish

Cortes Generales),

Jasna VOJNIĆ (Croatian

Hrvatski

EUU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 259: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmøde og Trojka-møde 26-27/1-25 i Warszawa

sabor),

Caroline VAN DER PLAS (Dutch

Tweede Kamer),

Peeter TALI (Estonian

Riigikogu),

Dimitar GARDEV (Bulgarian

Narodno sabranie),

Mirela FURTUNĂ (Romanian

Camera

Deputaţilor),

Henrik MØLLER (Danish

Folketing),

Ivanna KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE

(Ukrainian

Verkovna Rada),

Jovan SUBOTIĆ (Montenegrin

Skupština Crne Gore),

Burhan

KAYATÜRK (Turkish

Büyük Millet Meclisi),

Akos UJHELI (Serbian

Narodna skupština),

Ina

COȘERU (Moldovan

Parlamentul Republicii),

Igor ZDRAVKOVSKI (North Macedonian

Sobranie),

Kreshnik ÇOLLAKU (Albanian

Kuvendi i Shqipërisë),

Lord Peter RICKETTS

(United Kingdom

House of Lords),

Christian TYBRING-GJEDDE (Norwegian

Storting).

ESSION

II - A

POLICY

BASED BUDGET OF THE

RESPONSIVELY TACKLING

THE CONSEQUENCES OF CLIMATE CHANGE

The second session was co-chaired by Ms Agnieszka POMASKA, Chair of the European

Union Affairs Committee of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland and Mr Tomasz GRODZKI,

Chair of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Senate of the Republic of Poland.

The keynote speech was given by Mr Janusz LEWANDOWSKI, Vice-Chair of the Committee

on Budgets of the European Parliament and former member of the European Commission

responsible for the budget (2009-2014). In his speech, Mr LEWANDOWSKI underlined the

importance of a policy based budget, especially in the context of severe natural disasters such

as floods, fire and drought. He pointed to the findings of the European Environmental Agency

that such extreme weather anomalies are to be expected in the future. He added that the main

responsibility lies with the Member States with the view to preparedness. Elaborating on the

challenges for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2028-2034 he identified a

500 billion euro gap in defence spending, and pointed to question marks regarding the future

of cohesion policy, enlargement, and the repayment of the loans financing NextGenerationEU.

Mr LEWANDOWSKI advocated a flexible post-2027 multiannual budget in order for the EU

to be able to respond more effectively to unforeseen natural disasters.

During the ensuing debate, 25 speakers took the floor.

Members stressed the importance of a future budget which continues to address both the effects

and causes of climate change, while also pointing to other important budgetary considerations,

such as the need to increase defence spending and the importance of continued efficient

cohesion policy. Many participants underlined that the next MFF should contain enough

flexibility to address major crises. Some chairpersons advocated for the strengthening of

civilian protection mechanisms and the reform at the Common Agriculture Policy.

The following speakers took the floor during this debate:

EUU, Alm.del - 2024-25 - Bilag 259: Referat fra COSAC-formandsmøde og Trojka-møde 26-27/1-25 i Warszawa

Zoltán TESSELY (Hungarian

Országgyűlés),

Sven SIMON (European Parliament), Jacek

WŁOSOWICZ (Polish

Senat),

Peter DE ROOVER (Belgian

Chambre des

représentants/Kamer van volksvertegenwoordigers),

Anton HOFREITER (German

Bundestag),

Caroline VAN DER PLAS (Dutch

Tweede Kamer),

Giulio TERZI DI

SANT'AGATA (Italian

Senato della Repubblica),

Jelena MILOŠ (Croatian

Sabor),

Francisco

José CONDE (Spanish

Cortes Generales),

Heikki AUTTO (Finnish

Eduskunta),

Jean-François

RAPIN (French

Senate),

Pere Joan PONS (Spanish

Cortes Generales),

Edward ZAMMIT

LEWIS (Maltese

Kamra tad-Deputati),

Pieyre-Alexandre ANGLADE (French

Assemblée

nationale),

Vincent BLONDEL (Belgian

Sénat/Senaat),

Matilda ERNKRANS (Swedish

Riksdag),

Rainer ROBRA (German

Bundesrat),

Peeter TALI (Estonian

Riigikogu),

Dimitris

KAIRIDIS (Greek

Vouli ton Ellinon),

Ivanna KLYMPUSH-TSINTSADZE (Ukrainan

Verkhovna Rada),

Burhan KAYATÜRK (Türkiye

Büyük Millet Meclisi),

Jovan SUBOTIĆ

(Montenegrin

Skupština Crne Gore),

Ina COȘERU (Moldovan

Parlamentul Republicii),

Aleksandra TOMIC (Serbian

Narodna skupština),

Jale Nur SÜLLÜ (Türkiye

Büyük Millet

Meclisi).

LOSING

ESSION

Mr GRODZKI expressed his thanks to delegations for having taken an active part in the

discussions. Concluding, he stated that Europe is a partner in the world, not a servant or a

poorer brother, and expressed the belief that historical experiences and current events will

mobilize Europe to face contemporary challenges. He emphasized the role of parliamentarians

in leading Europe towards an optimistic future. Ms POMASKA invited delegations to the

LXXIII COSAC in Warsaw on 8-10 June 2025.