The 63rd meeting of the chairpersons of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of the Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) was held during Croatia’s EU Council presidency, the motto of which was ‘A strong Europe in a world of challenges’. Key topics of the Croatian presidency include developing a strategy for the balanced and sustainable development of the EU and its member states, increased socio-economic ties, the linking of infrastructure within the EU and security and immigration policy.
The debates at the conference focussed on security and immigration policy issues, in particular the protection of the EU’s external borders and the regulation of illegal migration, the expectations of candidate countries and the negotiations on the multi-annual financial framework. The conference also offered an opportunity to foster inter-parliamentary relations. The members of the Swiss delegation therefore made use of the occasion to hold bilateral discussions with delegations from the EU member states.
COSAC was founded in 1989 and since being formally recognised in the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997 has served as a platform for fostering inter-parliamentary dialogue. The Swiss delegation has attended the biannual meetings of the chairpersons of the parliamentary committees for Union affairs as an observer since 2015.
Group photo of COSAC chairs. Top row from left: Council of States Damian Müller and National Councillor Eric Nussbaumer, President of the EFTA/EU Delegation.