Plenary Meeting of the LX COSAC
18-20 November 2018, Vienna
Contribution of the LX COSAC

1. SECURITY AND THE FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL MIGRATION
1.1. COSAC recalls the need for a comprehensive and unified EU approach to migration, which
ensures coherence between internal and external policies, encompasses all migration routes
and is based on the principles and values on which the EU is built. Thus, it is necessary to
focus on a legal, safe and orderly migration policy, with due respect for asylum rights and the
non-refoulement principle. A long-term and effective response to the human, social and
political challenges of irregular migration and forced displacement demands enhanced
cooperation with the countries of origin and transit and third countries hosting refugees,
beneficiaries of international protection or asylum seekers as part of a broader partnership in
order to tackle the root causes of these phenomena, and break the business model of
smugglers and traffickers. COSAC also stresses the need for a reformed Common European
Asylum System, including a fully-fledged EU Asylum Agency, that is based on a fair balance
between responsibility and solidarity and encourages the implementation of paragraphs 5 and
6 of 28 June 2018 European Council conclusions.
1.2. COSAC considers that greater efforts must be made to protect the EU’s external borders,
with the goal of preventing irregular entry into the EU, tackling human trafficking and smuggling
and preventing loss of life at sea. COSAC recognises the importance of Schengen and its
reform, including advancement of the Schengen enlargement process provided that all criteria
are met, in protection of the EU’s external borders. It also underlines the necessity to
significantly step up the effective return of irregular migrants in line with fundamental principles
of international and EU law. In line with the October European Council Conclusions, COSAC
holds that existing readmission agreements should be fully implemented, in a nondiscriminatory way towards all EU Member States, and new formal readmission agreements

concluded, while creating and applying the necessary leverage by using all relevant EU
policies, instruments and tools. Additional efforts are needed to fully implement the EU-Turkey
Statement vis-à-vis all EU member states.
1.3 COSAC welcomes the Commission’s proposals on the Return Directive, the Asylum
Agency and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency1, ensuring the most efficient use
of resources and developing common minimum standards of external border surveillance, with
due respect for the responsibility and the competences of the Member States and ensuring an
effective parliamentary control. At the same time COSAC invites all concerned parties to take
forward the discussions with a view to reaching an agreement on the reform of the Dublin
Regulation that will ensure a fairer approach with more effective burden-sharing. COSAC
underlines the need to find a speedy solution for the Common European Asylum System and
invites the Council to continue work with a view to concluding as soon as possible.
1.4. COSAC recalls that the EU heads of state or government gathered at an informal meeting
in Salzburg on 19-20 September 2018 to discuss important matters of internal security, took
stock of progress achieved, and agreed, inter alia, to step up the fight against all forms of
cyber-crime, manipulation and disinformation. In this regard, COSAC calls for measures to
combat cyber and cyber-enabled illegal and malicious activities and build strong cybersecurity
with respect for fundamental rights particularly concerning the protection of privacy. Work on
all recent Commission proposals should be concluded before the end of the legislative cycle.
1.5. COSAC stresses the importance of measures aimed at strengthening the capacity to
prevent and respond effectively to radicalisation and terrorism. It supports recent steps to
improve the interoperability of information systems and databases as well as to strengthen the
Union’s crisis management capacity and the coherence and effectiveness of the EU and
national crisis response mechanisms.

2. SECURING PROSPERITY AND COMPETITIVENESS THROUGH DIGITALISATION
2.1. COSAC emphasises that, in order to sustainably secure its the EU’s prosperity and
competitiveness, its regulatory framework should develop in accordance with fast
technological advancements. It is essential that the EU consistently avoid overregulation and
make progress in the fields of innovation and digitalisation.

1

COM(2018) 634 final, COM(2018) 633 final et COM(2018) 631 final.

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2.2. COSAC invites the co-legislators to take work swiftly forward on the proposals on digital
taxation and on the latest data package, published by the Commission in April 2018, as well
as to deliver on the remaining legislative proposals concerning the Digital Single Market,
including the e-privacy proposal, which is the last instrument necessary to achieve the update
of the EU data protection legal framework before the end of the current legislative cycle. In line
with the position of the European Council, COSAC welcomes the ongoing work of the
European Institutions and Member States on a coordinated plan on artificial intelligence.
2.3. COSAC welcomes that the Commission's proposal for Horizon Europe continues wellestablished funding instruments but will also provide new impetus, be it with respect to the
European Innovation Council or developments towards a stronger mission orientation of
research and innovation. COSAC supports the development of key capacities of the Digital
Europe Programme such as high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity
and advanced digital skills as well as ensuring their wide use and accessibility across the
economy and society by businesses and the public sector alike. Moreover, respect of
fundamental rights, and particular the rights of private life and the protection of personal data
shall be ensured and duly embedded in the development of these initiatives.
2.4. COSAC is concerned that the persistent digital gender gap throughout the EU is
jeopardising progress in this area. Women are under-represented at all levels in the digital
sector in Europe. Although this sector is rapidly growing, creating hundreds of thousands of
new jobs every year, the share of women in this sector is decreasing. To counteract this
development, COSAC supports Commission initiatives aimed at combating stereotypes,
investing and enhancing digital competences, and facilitating women’s participation in digital
entrepreneurship and innovation.

3. WESTERN BALKANS / SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE AND EU NEIGHBOURHOOD
3.1. Together with the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU, COSAC reconfirms its
support and strengthened engagement for developing a concrete EU perspective with
measurable results for the Western Balkan / South Eastern European partners according to
their individual performance and based on shared values and principles, such as democracy,
rule of law, good governance, freedom of expression and independence of the media, respect
for human rights, reconciliation and good neighbourly relations, along with the fight against
corruption and organised crime.
3.2. COSAC welcomes the Joint Declaration on Regional Cooperation and Good Neighbourly
Relations, the Joint Declaration on Missing Persons and the Joint Declaration on War Crimes

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signed at the Western Balkans Summit in London on 10 July 2018 in the framework of the
Berlin Process, and the Sofia Priority Agenda adopted at the EU-Western Balkans Summit, in
Sofia, on 17 May 2018. COSAC supports the Austrian Presidency of the Council of the EU in
advancing the agenda.
3.3. COSAC stresses the need to provide appropriate funds for the potential new Member
states of the EU in the next Multiannual Financial Framework.
3.4. While acknowledging the progress made by the Western Balkan / South Eastern European
partners, COSAC reiterates that more efforts are needed to accelerate domestic reform
processes, including strengthening democratic institutions and public administration reform,
and achieve irreversible and sustainable results. COSAC underlines that continued steady
efforts are also needed to tackle outstanding bilateral disputes in the region, including border
disputes, increasing in this way stability and prosperity in the region. COSAC welcomes
positive developments in the region, especially the historic agreement between the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Greece in the long-standing name dispute.
3.5. COSAC calls on the Western Balkan / South Eastern European partners to strengthen
their resilience to destabilising foreign interferences and disinformation and to lock in their
strategic choices by fully aligning with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy.
3.6. To underline the importance of all neighbouring countries COSAC recognises the
importance of the Eastern Partnership and emphasizes the fact that the success of the Eastern
Partnership could only be achieved by joint efforts of all EU institutions, EU Member states and
the Eastern Partner states themselves. COSAC reiterates the need to uphold the sanctions
against Russia until the Minsk agreements are fully implemented.
3.7. PESCO as an integral part of the Common Security and Defence Policy aims at
contributing to stability and security in the geographical Context of the European Union.
COSAC values this cooperation as an instrument to strengthen the European defence.

4. BREXIT – CURRENT STATE
4.1. COSAC acknowledges that the EU27 leaders reaffirmed at the European Council (Art. 50)
meeting on 17 October 2018 their full confidence in Michel Barnier as the Union Chief
Negotiator and their determination to stay united. COSAC stresses that the integrity of the
internal market and the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice of the European Union on internal
market principles has to be preserved.

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4.2. COSAC stresses that the Good Friday Agreement must be protected unconditionally by
any negotiation result to provide citizens with a sustainable solution. COSAC emphasizes the
need for solidarity towards Ireland.
4.3. COSAC welcomes the draft Withdrawal Agreement and encourages the Union Chief
Negotiator to continue his efforts to reach an agreement on the Political Declaration on the
future relationship.
4.4. COSAC stresses the importance of cooperation at interparliamentary level with the United
Kingdom after Brexit, and will examine the possible modalities for its own continued
cooperation with the UK once the Withdrawal Agreement is concluded and the framework for
future UK EU relations is known.

5. CLIMATE POLICY AND ENERGY UNION
5.1. COSAC reaffirms the commitment of the European Union and its Member States to swiftly
and fully implement the Paris Agreement and to continue to lead in the fight against climate
change, including through the adoption of pending legislative proposals at EU level. The
Agreement remains a cornerstone of global efforts to effectively tackle climate change on a
global level. In the light of the recent report from the IPCC, COSAC underlines the need of
limiting the global average temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels,
and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C.
5.2. COSAC welcomes the project of the Energy Union and all efforts aiming at a more secure
and sustainable energy policy. COSAC supports the comprehensive approach putting the
European Union at the forefront of the fight against climate change and increasing the
production of renewable energy. With a view to COP24 that will be held in Poland from 3 until
14 December 2018, COSAC hopes for the adoption of ambitious and comprehensive
implementing rules of the Paris Agreement.
5.3. COSAC considers that the project of the Energy Union can make a substantial contribution
to achieve the Paris Agreement’s goals. In particular, COSAC underlines that the promotion of
renewable energies contributes to reaching the goals set out in the Paris agreement. At the
same time the use of renewable energy diminishes the European Union’s dependency on
energy imports.
5.4. COSAC endorses measures that lead to a swift and comprehensive adoption of the Clean
Energy Package, especially all steps taken to create an internal market for electricity and to
improve the risk-preparedness of the European Union. Furthermore, COSAC welcomes the
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creation of a system for the governance of the Energy Union which integrates climate and
energy planning into a single framework as this would create a cooperation mechanism to
oversee the implementation of the 2030 EU climate and energy policy objectives.
5.5. COSAC notes that a number of Member States rely on a single energy supplier
challenging the European Union - the world’s biggest importer of energy. COSAC supports all
efforts to maximise the European Union's use of indigenous sources of energy in full
compliance with the climate targets and to secure energy supply and promotes the
diversification of energy sources. COSAC points out that measures taken to protect the
environment and increase the production of renewable energy are also contributing to the
European Union’s competitiveness. In this context, COSAC highlights the importance of
research and development. Furthermore, COSAC supports the promotion of new energy
technologies and innovative solutions.
5.6. Energy must remain affordable for citizens and businesses. While advocating plans
leading to the protection of the climate and the environment COSAC underlines that a
sustainable future for industry and business and fair competition must be ensured. Affordability
of energy and the competitiveness of European industry need to be kept in mind. The specific
needs of energy-intensive industries must be taken into account.
5.7. COSAC reiterates that the fight against climate change must remain one of the key
endeavours in the European Union’s environmental policy. At the same time, other causes of
pollution of the environment must not be neglected. In this context, COSAC notes that plastics
and especially microplastics contribute considerably to pollution, in particular of inland waters
and oceans. COSAC attaches importance to stepping up activities against plastic pollution and
to stopping the use of microplastics in various product groups. COSAC endorses measures
aimed at reducing plastic waste, especially single-use plastics.
5.8. COSAC welcomes the activities of the European Union’s LIFE programme which supports
climate action and environmental and nature conservation projects throughout the EU. COSAC
underlines the importance of such projects.

6. A TRANSPARENT EUROPEAN UNION CLOSER TO ITS CITIZENS IN LIGHT OF THE
UPCOMING ELECTIONS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
6.1. COSAC underlines the key role of the principle of subsidiarity in bringing the European
Union closer to its citizens. Decisions shall be taken as openly and as closely to the citizens
as possible.

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6.2. COSAC welcomes the Report of the Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and
“Doing Less More Efficiently” and the recent Communication from the European Commission
“The principles of subsidiarity and proportionality: Strengthening their role in the EU's
policymaking” and the included recommendations to make subsidiarity more active and visible.
6.3. COSAC emphasises that the due involvement of national Parliaments in policymaking and
legislative processes at European level is of major importance for ensuring a high degree of
transparency, efficiency and public acceptance. COSAC encourages the EU’s institutions and
national and regional Parliaments, regional and local authorities, and civil society to work
together in order to improve the exchange of ideas between Parliaments, authorities and
citizens across the European Union.
6.4. COSAC welcomes the European Commission’s proposals to enhance the communication
with regional and local authorities and to take into account their specificities in general
consultations. COSAC invites regional and local authorities to intensify their interaction with
the European Commission.
6.5. COSAC considers the Report of the Task Force on Subsidiarity, Proportionality and “Doing
Less More Efficiently” and the Communication from the European Commission “The principles
of subsidiarity and proportionality: Strengthening their role in the EU's policymaking” a good
basis for further discussions. Having in mind the view expressed by COSAC in the Conclusions
of the LVIII COSAC regarding the procedure for setting up the Task Force, COSAC stresses
the importance that the national Parliaments and the European Parliament are invited to
actively take part in these discussions. These discussions should cover, inter alia, the
extension of the eight week deadline for the submission of reasoned opinions within the
framework of the subsidiarity control mechanism by excluding recess periods from the counting
and exploring the introduction of a twelve week deadline, as well as the question of providing
national Parliaments with the additional opportunity to express their views about proportionality
and the legal basis of a proposed legislation in reasoned opinions, taking into account that
certain modifications can be achieved without Treaty changes. COSAC reiterates that it
appreciates the so called “green card” mechanism as an extension of the political dialogue
between the European Commission and the national Parliaments.
6.6. COSAC welcomes the efforts of the EU institutions towards more transparency. In this
context, COSAC acknowledges the Council’s pending efforts to review its legislative
transparency standards, and welcomes the calls for greater transparency from the European
Ombudsman and national Parliaments. COSAC will carefully follow the Council discussions,
invites the Council to report on any progress on these reflections in due time and reiterates the
conclusions as stated in paragraph 2.8. of the Contribution of the LVIII Plenary COSAC

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(Estonia) and in paragraph 2.6./2.7. of the Contribution of the LIX Plenary COSAC (Bulgaria).
With regard to the European Commission’s proposal for a mandatory transparency register,
COSAC calls on all stakeholders to address the issue in a constructive way.
6.7. COSAC stresses that the representation of the European Union’s citizens in the European
Parliament is based on free and fair elections. Political parties at European level serve as a
direct link between citizens and the political system, contributing to transparency and a better
understanding of the European Union’s decision-making processes.
6.8. In view of the upcoming European elections on 23–26 May 2019, COSAC appreciates the
EU Institutions' efforts to reinforce democratic resilience in Europe. Securing transparency in
online political advertising, fighting disinformation campaigns, improving the rules on European
political party funding and boosting cybersecurity are important measures to effectively counter
new types of threats to free and fair elections.
6.9. COSAC encourages all European citizens to actively participate in the upcoming
European elections. Furthermore, COSAC recalls that every citizen of the European Union has
the right to directly participate in the Union’s democratic life, among others, through the
European Citizens’ Initiative.

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