The Chairman of the National Assembly’s European Integration Committee Aleksandar Senic attended the meeting. The meeting was also attended by Latvian Parliament Speaker Ināra Mūrniece, Swedish Parliament Speaker Urban Ahlin, Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkēvičs and First Vice-President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans.
The two-day meeting focused on the priorities of the Presidency, economic and investment challenges, EU’s response to terrorist attacks and overall security, better regulation, priorities and challenges of the Eastern Partnership, as well as finding an adequate solution to the Ukraine crisis.
European Integration Committee Chairman Aleksandar Senic also took part in the third meeting of EU south European parliaments, held at the margins of the meeting of the chairpersons of parliamentary committees for union affairs of EU member states. The meeting dealt with migration, economic management with a special focus on boosting economic growth and improving employment policy, as well as security challenges in the region of south Europe. The participants emphasised the importance of the principle of solidarity and shared responsibility among the member states, stimulating investment and securing new jobs, as well as fighting terrorism. The participants of the meeting believe this would contribute to the creation of a safer, better integrated Europe which would continue to protect and respect fundamental freedoms and rights of all of its citizens, as well as the freedom of expression – the cornerstone of democracy. Migration policy has to develop toward education, economic growth and stimulation of competitiveness.
At the COSAC meeting, the participants were also presented the semi-annual report and the agenda for the plenary COSAC to be held 31 May - 2 June 2015.
The first part of the meeting focused on the priorities of the Presidency adapted to the EU set goals – an economically developed, competitive, digital and active Europe. Strengthening a united market was put in focus as well as the improvement of policies which lag behind standards, establishment of a European Union that should guarantee the energy security of its member states and improvement of the neighbourhood policy to the east and south so as to ensure the security on the EU borders. This is the general priority of all EU member states.
Though officially the enlargement policy is not one of the priorities of Latvia’s Presidency of the EU Council, the chairpersons and other high officials encouraged the candidate states to keep meeting the membership criteria stressing that this would be the guiding standard in the relations with the Western Balkan countries on their road to EU accession. They also said that the integration of this part of Europe contributes to peace and security as well as prosperity, and the principle of solidarity is key for the development of the enlargement policy, with the candidate countries’ dedication to overall reform.
The second part of the meeting focused on the perspectives and challenges of the Eastern Partnership and the Ukraine crisis. The participants all agreed that building trust, understanding and fostering cooperation among the states, especially neighbouring ones, is extremely important because security and safety of the neighbourhood mean peace in the European Union. The participants sent a clear message of solidarity to Ukraine for the crisis and conflicts in the east, pledged further assistance, but at the same time stressed how important it is for Ukraine to continue its internal reform and restructuring, and sought accountability in that sense.
European Integration Committee Chairman Aleksandar Senic had a series of meetings with the chairpersons during the two-day meeting in Riga. He met with the chairperson of the Latvian committee for union affairs, as well as Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro. He emphasised Serbia’s firm commitment to join the EU, its dedication to reform and legislative harmonisation with the EU acquis, as well as Serbia’s contribution to the EU initiatives, policies and missions available at this stage. The European Integration Committee Chairman hopes that the negotiations chapters with Serbia will open according to technical readiness. He informed the chairpersons that some of the chapters have been prepared administratively by the Serbian Government and the European Commission, hoping that these member states would support the two sides’ efforts and the opening of the prepared chapters in the first half of 2015.