Press Release

COSAC working group on the national parliaments and the EU

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At its meeting on Tuesday 6 February in S�dert�lje, the so-called COSAC troika decided to establish a working group comprising representatives of the European Affairs Committees of the parliaments of the EU Member States and of the European Parliament. The working group, which will meet at the Riksdag on 9 April, will discuss the role of national parliaments in the European Union and how national parliaments can contribute to the debate on the EU's future. These issues belong to the areas addressed in the Treaty of Nice declaration on the future of the Union.

The troika also determined the agenda for the ordinary COSAC conference, which will be held on 20-22 May in Stockholm. In addition to the role of national parliaments in the EU, the agenda also includes the Swedish Presidency, EU enlargement and the environment. The Swedish Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for the Environment, as well as Environment Commissioner, Margot Wallstr�m, have all been asked to participate in the conference.

COSAC is a coordinating body for the European Affairs Committees of parliaments of the European Union and the European Parliament, which is empowered to make contributions to the EU institutions. Once every six months, a COSAC conference is organised in the country currently holding the EU presidency. The Riksdag Committee on European Union Affairs will therefore be the host of the ordinary COSAC meeting in Stockholm in May. The COSAC troika consists of representatives of the national parliaments' European Affairs Committees from the country holding the EU presidency, the preceding (France) and succeeding (Belgium) presidencies, and the European Parliament.

Further enquiries may be addressed to Hans Hegeland, Secretary of the Swedish Committee on European Union Affairs,
tel: +46 8 786 4270 or S�ren Lekberg, Chairman of the Swedish Committee on European Union Affairs, tel: +46 70 574 51 10.