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 PRESIDENTIAL TROIKA OF COSAC

ARSAW

, P

OLAND

, 26 J

ANUARY

2025

PRESENT AT THE MEETING

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;

Mr Zoltán TESSELY, Chair of the Committee on European Union Affairs of the Hungarian

Országgyűlés;

Ms Birgitte KLINTSKOV JERKEL, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Danish

Folketing,

and Mr Henrik MØLLER, Vice-Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the

Danish

Folketing;

Mr Esteban GONZÁLEZ PONS, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and Mr Sven

SIMON, Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament.

PROCEEDINGS

1. A

DOPTION OF THE DRAFT AGENDA OF THE

EETING OF THE

COSAC P

RESIDENTIAL

ROIKA

After welcoming the delegations of the Presidential Troika of COSAC (hereafter referred to as

“the Troika”) to Warsaw, Mr GRODZKI referred to

the agenda of the meeting,

which was

adopted without comments.

2. A

PPROVAL OF THE DRAFT PROGRAMME OF THE

EETING OF THE

COSAC C

HAIRPERSONS

Mr GRODZKI referred to the

draft programme of the Meeting of the COSAC Chairpersons

and outlined its main aspects. He noted that the draft programme had been circulated to

delegations in advance, and also uploaded to IPEX. The draft programme was approved

without comments.

3. D

ISCUSSION ON THE DRAFT PROGRAMME OF THE

LXXIII COSAC

Ms POMASKA then referred to the draft programme of the LXXIII COSAC to be held in

Warsaw on 8-10 June 2025. She explained that the Prime Minister of Poland, Mr Donald

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

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.

Mr TESSELY thanked for the information, and noted that the dates coincide with Pentecost.

Ms POMASKA replied that the Presidency was aware of this, but unfortunately, no other

possible dates for the LXXIII COSAC had been found that would not overlap with other

activities of the national parliaments or the European Parliament .

Mr GONZÁLEZ PONS similarly thanked the Presidency and suggested that Mr SIMON could

be included as a keynote speaker during one of the sessions. Ms POMASKA thanked him for

the suggestion and said that the Presidency will look into the matter.

4. A

PPROVAL OF THE

UTLINE OF THE

ANNUAL

EPORT OF

COSAC

Mr GRODZKI then made a brief presentation of the

Outline of the 43rd Bi-annual Report of

COSAC,

noting that the chapters correspond to selected themes that will be discussed during

the LXXIII COSAC. He remarked that the questionnaire will be sent out on 4 February, with

a deadline for delegations to reply by 17 March 2025. The document was approved without

comments.

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

5. L

ETTERS RECEIVED BY THE

RESIDENCY

Mr GRODZKI then proceeded to inform the Troika 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 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. All letters discussed during this point are available on

IPEX.

Mr TESSELY took the floor to express that he had been to Georgia during the recent

parliamentary elections as an observer. He expressed his regret at the actions of the Presidency,

noting that, in his understanding, these were not in line with the Rules of Procedure of COSAC

or the general principles of interparliamentary cooperation. He argued that in cases of political

disagreement, it is important to engage in dialogue, and that refusing the Georgian delegation

to participate goes against the democratic principle. He also underlined that the conduct of the

Presidency is targeting a country, whose territorial integrity is also violated by Russia. He

added that Georgia is a victim of Russian aggression, but at that time did not get the level of

solidarity Ukraine is enjoying now. He also noted that negotiations with another candidate

country had in the past been suspended, but that country is still being invited to the COSAC

meetings. He suggested that the Presidency reconsider the invitation to Georgia for the LXXIII

COSAC.

Mr GONZÁLEZ PONS also made a brief intervention, in which he noted that while no formal

decision had been taken so far in the European Parliament on this matter, the action of the

Polish Presidency regarding Georgia was in line with the concerns voiced in the European

Parliament’s resolution of 28 November 2024.

Mr GRODZKI replied that it was the Prime Minister of Georgia who had decided to freeze

negotiation talks, not the other way around. He underlined that the parliament of Georgia had

initially been invited to participate, but the decision of the Prime Minister led to the

cancellation. As for the participation of Georgia in the upcoming plenary meeting of the

LXXIII COSAC, all options were still on the table, and the decision would also be influenced

by what measures the European Parliament would eventually take. However, he underlined

that the pro-Russian stance of the current government in Georgia raised serious concerns.

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

Ms POMASKA remarked that the invitation could be used to legitimise the government of

Georgia, and that if the parliament of Georgia would send a delegation, only the government

party would be represented.

Ms KLINTSKOV JERKEL took the floor to explain that the issue had been debated in the

European Affairs Committee of the Danish

Folketing,

together with the concerns of the

Presidency. The Committee had noted that it is the Georgian government which had suspended

their participation in the enlargement process, which created uncertainty as regards their status

as candidate country, for all intents and purposes. Furthermore, she noted that traditionally, the

participation of candidate countries in COSAC had been intended as a way of aiding candidate

countries in their integration process into the EU, and if the negotiations were suspended this

purpose was consequently, to some degree, lost. She concluded with the statement that Georgia

could not be treated like the other candidate countries, which was why the Danish

Folketing

had supported the decision of the Presidency.

Mr GRODZKI finished by thanking for the interventions and underlining that the way of

reasoning expressed by Ms KLINTSKOV JERKEL reflected the convictions of the Presidency

as well.

6. A

NY OTHER BUSINESS

(

INCLUDING CO

FINANCING OF THE

ERMANENT

EMBER OF THE

COSAC S

ECRETARIAT

)

As a last point, Mr GRODZKI notified members of the Troika that a first annual report of the

Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat had been uploaded to IPEX. This was a joint

initiative between the Permanent Member and the Polish Presidency in order to increase the

transparency around the work of the Secretariat, and henceforth a report will be published each

January by the Permanent Member. Mr GRODZKI also informed the Troika that a letter

concerning the co-financing of the position of Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat

for the period 2026-2027 will be sent out to delegations on 29 January. It will, as per established

practice, ask Parliaments/Chambers to sign a letter of intent concerning the co-financing for

the period 2026-2027.