CONTRIBUTION FROM THE PRESIDENCY
XXVIth COSAC, Madrid, May 12-14, 2002
1.����� COSAC wishes to reaffirm its support for the fight against terrorism and states its desire for greater cooperation between all countries on security and justice matters.
2.����� COSAC welcomes the convening of the European Convention, which commenced its work on 28 February of this year in Brussels. After the useful experience of the method followed to draft the Charter of Fundamental Rights, parliamentarians from the national parliaments and the European Parliament are playing a highly important role in the reform of the European Union and revision of the European treaties from the beginning, as called for by COSAC at its meetings in Stockholm and Brussels.
COSAC places special importance on the fact that the countries that are to join the European Union participate fully in the Convention.
3.����� On the basis of the spirit of the Lisbon European Council, COSAC is pleased to note the acceptance by the Barcelona European Council of the recommendations adopted in the XXIInd, XXIIIrd and XXIVth� COSAC meetings concerning the Union�s new strategic goal to transform its economy into a knowledge-based economy in the general framework of protection of the European social model.
4.����� In order to emphasis the parliamentary dimension of the European Convention, the parliamentary committees on European affairs should play an interface and coordination role at a national level with the parties involved in the Convention.
5.����� COSAC considers that it has a duty to monitor, step by step, the work of the Convention and that, to do this, an item concerning the monitoring of the work of the Convention needs to be included automatically on the agenda of every one of the next COSAC meetings. And, during the lifetime of the Convention, COSAC will forward documents and its record of proceedings to any working party on the role of national parliaments.
6.����� COSAC believes, in the light of the above, that once the work of the Convention has finished, it must be the fundamental basis of discussions at the IGC. Before the IGC is convened, COSAC should hold a meeting dealing with these points with a view to a contribution from COSAC.
7.����� COSAC welcomes the establishment of the Forum and the preparation of the Youth Convention, scheduled to be held on 9-14 July in Brussels.
It calls upon non-governmental organisations, interest groups and the social partners to form networks and make their voices heard in the Convention.
8.����� This meeting of COSAC calls upon the Presidential Troika, keeping in mind the mandate of the European Convention, to organise the preparatory work to draw up a detailed proposal for a more effective COSAC, focusing its activity more on the role of national parliaments.