Tallinn - Bojan Glavašević, Deputy Chairman of the European Affairs Committee, took part in the meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC).
The COSAC meeting is the last and the largest conference held within the framework of the parliamentary dimension of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The topics discussed include the future of the EU, bringing the European Union closer to its citizens, the Single Digital Market and the development of e-services, the Security Union and migration.
Some of the keynote speakers were President of the Republic of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid, President of the Riigikogu Eiki Nestor, the EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit Michel Barnier and European Commissioner for Security Union Julian King.
The participants of the meeting welcomed the increase in public support to the European Union, stressing nevertheless the necessity of taking further steps to consolidate the Union as successfully as possible following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from membership. They discussed the new Multi-Annual Financial Framework for the period after 2020, in view of Brexit and the fact that the share of the UK's contribution to the EU budget is 17 percent. The participants agree that the success of the European Union as a whole depends on the success of the Member States’ governments in implementing European policies and called for closer cooperation with citizens.
The COSAC meeting was concluded with the announcement of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the first half of 2018. Among other things, the priorities of the Presidency will include security policies and migration, enlargement policy and the relationship with the countries of the so-called Western Balkans, and the future of Europe with an emphasis on youth-oriented policies.