Copenhagen Parliamentary Guidelines

Copenhagen Parliamentary Guidelines for national Parliaments

Copenhagen - A working group of the chairmen of the European Affairs Committees of the 15 Member States, the ten coming Member States and the three applicant countries have decided to recommend that COSAC adopts the "Copenhagen Parliamentary Guidelines" (CPG). CPG are guidelines concerning how a national parliament can be more involved in EU affairs with emphasis on governmental scrutiny.

The decision was taken on Monday the 16th of December in Copenhagen after two working group meetings in November and December 2002. The working group was set up to deal with a reform of COSAC after the COSAC-meeting in Copenhagen on the 16th-18th of October 2002.

The Danish Presidency has during its presidency worked hard to reform COSAC and Danish Chairman of the European Affairs Committee, Mr. Claus Larsen-Jensen, is satisfied with the recommendations from the working group:
"It has been six very intense months working on a reform of COSAC. I am very pleased that we have now reached our aim, which is to involve national parliaments to a greater extent in national EU decisions, and thus ensure a firmer democratic foundation for future EU co-operation", Mr. Claus Larsen-Jensen said on Monday.

The working group also decided to recommend two other important changes that will make COSAC more effective. Firstly there was an agreement to establish permanent secretarial support for COSAC in the near future and to change COSAC's rules of procedure concerning majority decisions. Until now COSAC has only been able to decide by unanimity.

If COSAC in January 2003 adopts the recommendations, COSAC will be able to submit contributions on EU questions with two thirds majority of delegations which are present (at least 50 % of all members must accept). According to protocol no. 9 to the Amsterdam Treaty COSAC can make contributions to EU institutions but so far it has been of a very general nature. Majority decisions are expected to change that.

To avoid any misunderstandings, Mr. Larsen-Jensen underlined that the meeting declared the idea of a second chamber or a Congress as dead.

An extraordinary meeting of COSAC will be held in January 2003.

For further information, please contact:
Chairman Mr. Claus Larsen-Jensen, tel. + 45 3337 4033.