At the invitation of France, the Swiss delegation to the EFTA/EU Parliamentary Committee participated in the plenary meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC), held in Paris from 3 to 5 March.

The COSAC plenary meeting was chaired by France, which holds the presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2022. In light of current events, the meeting was dominated by discussions on solidarity with Ukraine. The participants issued a joint statement in which they strongly condemned Russia's military attack on Ukraine and expressed their full support for respecting the international principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In his speech, the head of the Swiss delegation, Benedikt Würth, emphasised that Switzerland, as part of the European community of values, is committed to stability and security in Europe, not least through its support for the EU's extensive sanctions.

Other topics discussed at the conference, which was attended by some 200 parliamentarians from all over Europe, included an initial assessment of France's presidency of the Council of the EU, the recovery plan for Europe and measures to overcome the coronavirus crisis, as well as climate change and energy transition. Also on the agenda were the Conference on the Future of Europe and progress reports from the newly established COSAC working groups on the role of national parliaments in the European Union and on values and the rule of law.

Alongside the delegation head, Council of States member Benedikt Würth (The Centre, SG), Switzerland was also represented by the deputy head of delegation, Thomas Aeschi (SVP, ZG), as well as Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL) and Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH), all members of the National Council.

LXVII COSAC 'family photo' © parlue2022

LXVII COSAC 'family photo'
© parlue2022

COSAC meetings in the plenary hall of the French National Assembly © parlue2022

COSAC meetings in the plenary hall of the French National Assembly
© parlue2022