Rules of Procedure of the Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees of Parliaments of the European Union
Date: 1999-10-12
Institutions: European Personnel Selection Office
Subjects: EU Member State, EU body, European Union, Presidency of the Council of the EU, conference proceedings

24.6.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 175/1

I

(Information)

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

RULES OF PROCEDURE OF THE CONFERENCE OF COMMUNITY AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEES
OF PARLIAMENTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

(2000/C 175/01)

These Rules of Procedure are designed to facilitate and improve
the Conference of Community and European
the work of
Affairs Committees of Parliaments of
the European Union,
hereinafter referred to as COSAC, established in Paris 16 and
17 November 1989.

after consulting the Presidential Troika. The Presidential
the
Troika of COSAC consists of
preceding Presidency,
and the
European Parliament.

the next Presidency,

the Presidency,

COSAC enables a regular exchange of views, without preju-
dicing the competencies of the parliamentary bodies of the
European Union. The Protocol on the Role of National
Parliaments in the European Union to the Amsterdam Treaty
the Treaties
amending the Treaty on the European Union,
establishing the European Communities and certain related
acts, empower COSAC to make any contribution it deems
appropriate for
the
European Union and to examine Union legislative activities,
proposals and initiatives. Contributions made by COSAC shall
in no way bind national parliaments or prejudge their position.

the institutions of

the attention of

These Rules of Procedure, adopted in the XXI COSAC of
Helsinki on 11 and 12 October 1999, replace the Rules elab-
orated on 6 and 7 May 1991 in the IV COSAC of Luxembourg,
adopted on 4 and 5 November 1991 in the V COSAC of The
Hague and modified on 9 and 10 May 1994 in the X COSAC
of Athens and on 24 and 25 June 1996 in the XIV COSAC of
Rom.

1. FREQUENCY AND DATES OF MEETINGS

1.1. Ordinary meetings

One ordinary meeting of COSAC shall be held during
each Presidency of the Council of the European Union
taking account of different parliamentary practices of
Member States, of election periods and of the dates of
public holidays in Member States. The date of the next
meeting shall be fixed and announced by the date of the
preceding meeting at the latest.

1.2. Extraordinary meetings

Extraordinary meetings of COSAC shall be held, if deemed
necessary, by an absolute majority of the Chairpersons of
the Community and European Affairs Committees of the
national parliaments and of the appropriate body of the
European Parliament.

1.4. Extraordinary meetings of the Chairpersons

the Chairpersons of

Extraordinary meetings of
the
Community and European Affairs Committees and the
the European Parliament shall be
appropriate body of
held, if proposed, by the Presidency, after consulting the
Presidential Troika, or, if deemed necessary, by an absolute
majority of
the Community and
European Affairs Committees of the National Parliaments
and of the appropriate body of the European Parliament.

the Chairpersons of

1.5. Working groups

the Community

COSAC may decide to set up a working group to study a
particular issue linked with the activities of the European
Union. Such a working group shall also be set up,
if
deemed necessary, by an absolute majority of the Chair-
persons of
and European Affairs
Committees of the national parliaments and of the appro-
priate body of the European Parliament. The Chairperson
of the Community and European Affairs Committee of the
Parliament of the Member State holding the Presidency
shall act as the Chairperson of the working group. The
Secretariat of the Parliament of the Member State holding
the Presidency shall provide the secretariat
the
working group.

for

2. PLACE OF MEETINGS

Meetings shall take place in the Member State holding the
Presidency. Extraordinary meetings, meetings of
the Chair-
persons and of Working Groups may be held elsewhere.

3. DURATION OF MEETINGS

The duration of ordinary and extraordinary meetings of
COSAC shall be one and a half days.

4. COMPOSITION

1.3. Preparatory meetings of the Chairpersons

4.1. Ordinary and extraordinary meetings

the Chairpersons of

A preparatory meeting of
the
Community and European Affairs Committees and of
the representative of the European Parliament shall be
held prior to meetings of COSAC,
if proposed by the
Parliament of the Member State holding the Presidency,

six members of

shall be represented by a
Each national parliament
maximum of
its Community and
European Affairs Committee(s). The European Parliament
shall be represented by six Members. Each Parliament shall
determine the composition of its own delegation.

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4.2. Observers
countries

from the

parliaments

of

applicant

Three observers from the parliaments of each applicant
country shall be invited to ordinary meetings, and may be
the
invited to extraordinary meetings, provided that
European Union has officially opened discussions and/or
negotiations
country
concerned and that the parliament concerned has made
to participate in COSAC. These
an official
observers shall have the right to participate in debates
on specific items on the agenda determined by the
meeting.

accession with the

aimed at

request

4.3. Other observers, specialists and special guests

The Presidency shall
invite observers form the General
Secretariat of the Council of the European Union and
the European Commission, and it may invite observers
from the
the
European Union, and, after consulting the Presidential
Troika, specialists and special guests.

the Member States of

embassies of

4.4. Public access to meetings

Meetings of COSAC shall be public, unless otherwise
determined.

5. CONVOCATION

Ordinary meetings and meetings of the Chairpersons and of
working groups shall be convened by the Secretariat of the
Parliament of the Member State holding the Presidency.

Extraordinary meetings shall be convened by the Secretariat of
the Parliament of the Member State where the meeting takes
place.

6. DESIGNATION OF MEETINGS

The designation of ordinary and extraordinary meetings shall
be (cid:145)Conference of
the Community and European Affairs
Committees (of the European Union’s national parliaments of
the Member States and the European Parliament) (cid:151) COSAC(cid:146),
with the name preceded by the number of the meeting in
sequence, followed by the date and place of the meeting.

7. AGENDA

7.1. Before the last ordinary meeting of each year

the end of

the
indicate the subjects they propose be
delegations shall
shall be
dealt with the following year. This matter
discussed at
the meeting. The Presidential
Troika, paying due account to the provisions of Part II
of the Protocol to the Amsterdam Treaty on the Role of
National Parliaments in the European Union, proposes, at
the beginning of each Presidency, one or several subjects
drawn from the working programme of the Council of the
European Union,
the European Parliament, and the
European Commission, or from proposals made during
the meeting referred to above.

7.2. A draft agenda shall be drawn up by the Chairperson of
the European Community and Affairs Committee of the
host parliament, after consulting Chairpersons of
the
Community and European Affairs Committees and the
the European Parliament. National
representative of
delegations may propose
a
specific item is put on the agenda.

to the Presidency that

7.3. The meeting itself shall decide on its final agenda.

8. PREPARATION OF MEETINGS

8.1. The national delegations may send documents relating to
the host

items on the agenda to the secretariat of
parliament.

8.2. The national delegation of the Member State holding the
Presidency may draw up discussion documents for the
conference.

9. LANGUAGES

9.1. Each delegation is

translating
document which it submits into English or French.

responsible

for

any

9.2. Participating

parliaments will

receive

documents
responsible for translation into its national language.

in English or French. Each parliament

conference
is

9.3. Simultaneous translation into the official languages of the

EU is provided in the meetings.

9.4. The contributions of COSAC are drawn up in a single
original in English and French, each of these texts being
equally authentic.

10. COSAC CONTRIBUTIONS

10.1. COSAC may address contributions to the institutions of
the European Union pursuant to the Amsterdam Treaty
Protocol on the Role of National Parliaments in the
European Union.

10.2. Each

that

propose

national

delegation may

a
contribution be adopted by COSAC. A draft contribution
shall be drawn up if proposed by the Presidency, after
consulting the Presidential Troika, or if deemed necessary
the
the Chairpersons of
by an absolute majority of
Community and European Affairs Committees of
the
national parliaments and of
the appropriate body of
the European Parliament, or if decided in a meeting of
COSAC.

10.3. The draft of a contribution shall be communicated to the
delegations in good time before the relevant meeting of
COSAC to give them a reasonable period for scrutiny
and remarks.

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10.4. The final draft of a contribution shall be prepared at the
preparatory meeting of the Chairpersons preceding the
relevant meeting of COSAC. It shall embrace the obser-
vations and remarks by all delegations, including possible
declarations concerning the vote.

13. RECIPIENTS OF COMMUNIQU(cid:201)S

CommuniquØs shall be sent to the parliaments of the Member
States and the European Parliament, to the Council of
the
European Union, and to the European Commission by the
secretariat of the host parliament.

10.5. Adoption of

the
between the delegations present
Abstentions by delegations
adoption of the contribution.

contribution requires unanimity
the meeting.
at
the

shall not prevent

11. ROLE OF THE PRESIDENCY

11.1. The Community and European Affairs Committee of the
Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of
the European Union shall hold the Presidency of COSAC
during that Presidency.

11.2. The Secretariat of the host parliament shall prepare the

documents for the meeting.

11.3. The Chairperson of
Affairs Committee of
the debate.

the Community and European
the host parliament shall open

11.4. The Chairperson of

the Community and European
Affairs Committee of the host parliament shall propose
a timetable for the meeting and the length of speeches
which shall be
the meeting
determines otherwise.

four minutes, unless

14. REVISION OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE

14.1. Proposals for a revision of the Rules of Procedure must
be sent, in writing, from one or several delegations of
one or several parliaments to all national parliaments of
the Member States and to the European Parliament, at
least one month before the meeting of COSAC.

14.2. Proposals for a revision of the rules should be put on the
the first meeting of COSAC following the

agenda of
presentation of the proposal.

14.3. Adoption of the proposal requires unanimity between
the delegations present at the meeting. Abstentions by
delegations
the
proposal.

shall not prevent

the adoption of

11.5. The Secretariat of the host parliament shall draw up brief

minutes of the meeting.

11.6. The Chairperson of

the Community and European
Affairs Committee of the host parliament shall present
the debate’s conclusions, as drawn up by the Presidential
Troika.

11.7. The secretariat of the parliament holding the Presidency
shall provide the secretariat for the activities of COSAC
during its term. The secretariats of national parliaments
and of the European Parliament shall provide assistance.

12. DEBATE CONCLUSION

If the meeting decides to issue a communiquØ, a draft, annexed
with possible contributions adopted, shall be drawn up by the
Presidential Troika.

15. ENTRY INTO FORCE

These Rules of Procedure shall enter into force on 11 January
2000. They are drawn up in a single original in English and
French, each of these texts being equally authentic.

The text of these Rules of Procedure shall, for the authenti-
cation thereof, be drawn up in Danish, Dutch, Finnish,
German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. The
translations shall be agreed between the national parliaments
using those languages and the European Parliament.
In any
question relating to the interpretation of these Rules only the
English and French versions shall have official status.

Declaration by the European Parliament on Rule 10.5 of the Rules of Procedure

The European Parliament shall abstain in any vote on a contribution which is also addressed to it.

ANNEX