1. The inaugural Meeting of the Chairpersons of the
European Union Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of the South with the
participation of Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, and Slovenia
was held in Nicosia on 24 and 25 January 2014 upon the invitation of the
Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs of the House
of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus.
2. Considering that the ongoing financial crisis
has had a severe impact on the Member States of the EU South and aware of the
consequent need to promote social cohesion, the Meeting decided to establish an
informal gathering of the Chairpersons of the Committees on European Union Affairs
of the Parliaments of the EU South. The purpose of this Meeting will be to
provide a forum for the discussion of topics and the exchange of views on
issues of common concern within the particular EU framework. The Meeting shall
contribute to the furthering of interparliamentary cooperation and the
enhancement of democratic legitimacy in EU decision-making, with special focus
on the Mediterranean area.
3. The Meeting shall be convened twice a year,
preceding each COSAC Chairpersons’ Meeting and shall be presided over by the
Parliament holding the Presidency of the Council of the EU. In the event that
the Presidency of the Council of the EU is held by a Parliament not
participating in the EU South Meeting, the meeting shall be organized and
presided over on a rotational basis. Before each meeting, the delegations shall
enter into a consultation on the preparation and finalisation of their
proposals.
4. The organising
Parliament shall propose issues of common interest for discussion, taking into
consideration the proposed COSAC agenda and any other topics forwarded by other
participating Parliaments. The organising Parliament shall strive to include in
its agenda topics that represent the concerns of the largest possible number of
participating Parliaments. Decisions during the meeting, as well as any
conclusions or other documents shall be adopted by consensus. The organising Parliament
invites candidate countries of the South, namely FYROM, Montenegro, Serbia and
Turkey to attend the meetings of the Parliaments of the EU South as observers.
5. The Meeting, furthermore, welcomes the 5th
Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU and its priorities and expresses the
firm belief that it will achieve further integration in the fields concerned.
