The meeting of the Chairpersons of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) starts Sunday at the Romanian Parliament, being the first event organised by the Senate and the Deputies Chamber as part of the parliamentary dimension of the first rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union held by Romania.
The meeting, due to take place Sunday through Monday, brings together the chairpersons of the European Affairs Committees of the member states and of the candidate countries for EU membership, as well as representatives of the European Parliament and the European Commission.
The conference presents and clarifies the priorities of the Romanian Presidency, debates the BI-annual Report of COSAC, prepares the plenary session of COSAC and hosts a panel that will debate European convergence and cohesion, according to www.parl2019ro.eu.
The meeting of COSAC Chairpersons is preceded by a meeting of the presidential troika composed of the delegations representing the national parliaments of the acting president (Romania), the former president (Austria) and the future president (Finland) as well as the European Parliament. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and agree on the agenda, participants, topics and other important aspects pertaining to the meeting.
COSAC was established in Paris, on the 16-17 November 1989 by the President of the French National Assembly. It has brought together, once every six months starting from 1989, the specialized bodies of national parliaments which deal with European affairs as well as representatives of the European Parliament and of the European Commission. Each conference is convened by the parliament of the country which holds the office of President of the Council of the European Union and is prepared in cooperation with the European Parliament and the other troika parliaments.
COSAC is not a decision-making body, rather, its role is one of consultation and parliamentary coordination, shaping its position through consensus.