At the invitation of the Austrian presidency of the EU Council, a meeting will take place in Vienna from 18 to 20 November between the chairs of parliamentary committees for union affairs of parliaments of the European Union, candidate countries and third countries, in particular the EFTA/EEA States. Three members of the EFTA/EU Delegation will represent the Federal Assembly at the conference.

The conference will focus on the state of negotiations on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU. The conference will also address the state of play of Austria’s presidency of the EU Council, under the motto «A Europe that protects». Further debates are planned on «Climate policy and energy union», and on «A citizen-oriented and transparent European Union in the light of the forthcoming elections to the European Parliament».

The Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) was established in 1989 and since its formal recognition in the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1997, has served as a platform to intensify inter-parliamentary dialogue and represent members’ interests. Switzerland has been represented at the biannual meetings of the committees for union affairs since 2015. The delegation’s vice president, National Council member Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL), National Council members Kathy Riklin (CVP, ZH) and Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP/ZH) will be attending this 60th COSAC Chairpersons’ meeting.