Comments of the Hellenic Parliament’s Committee for European Affairs regarding the working paper on the Enhancement of the Role of National Parliaments and the Reform of COSAC
The Committee for European Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament in its recent meeting of September 5th 2002, discussed the draft contribution for the COSAC meeting in Copenhagen , among other items concerning the role of National Parliaments.
The proposals of the Danish Presidency of the COSAC, were widely considered as positive and contributing to the ongoing dialogue, with useful ideas.
In the forthcoming meeting of Chairmen of E.U. Affairs Committees, Mr Vrettos’ intervention will be based on the Opinion of the Committee for European Affairs of the Hellenic Parliament, which was unanimously adopted on
“The Proposals of the Convention to the European Council should aim at:
- Enhancing the consultative and monitoring role of national Parliaments towards their Governments by the adoption of a function model concerning European issues, standing for all parliaments of member- states. In the model the jurisdictions of the plenary of the National Parliament, the parliamentary committees and the committee on European Affairs should be depicted. The existence of Parliaments of many speeds and differing democratic legitimacy in the European Union is unacceptable. Various ideas formulated at times, as well as the experience of certain Parliaments with intense European activity can be exploited within the framework of that proposal.
- The participation of the Speaker of the Parliament of the
- Reinforcing the consultative role of the COSAC in all areas of activity of the E.U., especially in those not included in the first pillar, and creating a permanent secretariat of technical nature, in order to enable the COSAC to coordinate the exchange of views between the national parliamentarians of the member-States.
- Establishing terms of cooperation between national Parliaments and the European Parliament, so as the exercise of their complementary role to become cohesive, transparent and effective.