Plenary Meeting of the LVIII COSAC

Talinn, Het presidentieel paleis van Kadrior
date November 26, 2017 09:00 - November 28, 2017 17:00
city Tallinn, Estonia
accessibility public meeting
attending M. (Michel) Barnier i, J.B. (Julian) King i et al.
organisation Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) i

The Plenary Meeting of the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC) brings together the delegations of the European Union Affairs Committees of the national parliaments of the Member States. The COSAC Plenary Meeting is held bi-annually, once during each presidency period.

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At the meeting, each national parliament is represented by a maximum of six members. The European Parliament is also represented at the plenary by six members. Three members of the parliaments of each candidate country are invited to participate as observers. The doors are also open to MPs from Norway, Switzerland and Georgia.

Current issues of the European Union are discussed at the meetings. During the Estonian Presidency, development of the digital single market and the role of national parliaments are going to be discussed. The Prime Minister will give an overview of the state of play of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Other topics that will be discussed are not confirmed yet.

The European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu will hold the Presidency of COSAC during Estonia’s Presidency. The Plenary Meeting will be chaired by the Chairperson of the European Union Affairs Committee, and in their absence by the Deputy Chairperson.

The Conference will be held in Tallinn in November 2017, and the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu is responsible for its organisation.

Agenda

Sunday November 26 2017

15:00–19:00

Arrival of the delegations and registration for the meeting at the hotels

***

Meeting of the Presidential Troika of COSAC

17:00

Departure by bus from the hotels

17:30–19:00

Meeting of the Presidential Troika

Venue: Conference Hall of the Riigikogu, Lossi plats 1a, Tallinn

19:00

Departure by bus for the dinner

***

19:00

Departure by bus from the hotels to the dinner venue

19:30

Dinner hosted by Mr Toomas VITSUT, Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu

Venue: Seaplane Harbour, Vesilennuki 6, Tallinn

22:30

Return to the hotels by bus

Monday November 27 2017

Meetings of the political groups

7:45

Departure by bus from the hotels

8:30–9:30

Meetings of the political groups

Venue: Saku Suurhall, Paldiski maantee 104b, Tallinn

***

8:30

Departure by bus from the hotels to the conference venue

Venue: Saku Suurhall, Paldiski maantee 104b, Tallinn

9:30–9:45

Opening of the meeting

  • Welcome address by Mr Eiki NESTOR, President of the Riigikogu
  • Introductory remarks by Mr Toomas VITSUT, Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu
  • Adoption of the agenda for the Plenary Meeting of the LVIII COSAC

9:45–10:00

Procedural issues and miscellaneous matters

  • Information on the results of the Presidential Troika of COSAC
  • Presentation of the 28th Bi-annual Report of COSAC
  • Letters received by the Presidency
  • Procedural issues

10:00–11:30

Session I: The future of the European Union

Speakers:

    • H. 
      E. Mrs Kersti KALJULAID, President of the Republic of Estonia
  • Mr Michel BARNIER, EU Chief Negotiator for Brexit
  • Ms Danuta Maria HÜBNER, Chairperson of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament

Moderator:

  • Mr Toomas VITSUT, Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu

Debate

11:30–13:00

Family photo and lunch

13:00–14:30

Session II: Bringing European Union closer to its citizens – what are the best practices of the national parliaments?

Speakers:

  • Ms Katrin AUEL, Associate Professor, Head of the Research Group on European Integration, Institute for Advanced Studies
  • Mr Pieter OMTZIGT, Member of the European Affairs Committee, House of Representatives of the Netherlands
  • Mr Kristian VIGENIN, Chair of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds, National Assembly of Bulgaria

Moderator:

  • Ms Monika HAUKANÕMM, Member of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu

Debate

14:30–15:00

Coffee break

15:00–16:30

Session III: Digital Single Market – current developments of e-services

Speakers:

  • Mr Siim SIKKUT, Deputy Secretary General for Communications and State Information Systems, Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications
  • Mr Gunther KRICHBAUM, most recent Chairman of the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union, German Bundestag
  • Mr Jean BIZET, President of the European Affairs Committee, French Senat

Moderator:

  • Mr Kalle PALLING, Member of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu

Debate

16:30

Return to the hotels by bus

16:30–18:00

Meeting of COSAC Chairpersons

  • Appointment of the Permanent Member of the COSAC Secretariat
  • Debate on the Draft Contribution and Draft Conclusions of the LVIII COSAC

18:00

Return to the hotels by bus

19:00

Departure by bus from the hotels to the dinner venue

19:30

Dinner hosted by Mr Toomas VITSUT, Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu

Venue: Estonia Concert Hall, Estonia puiestee 4, Tallinn

23:00

Return to the hotels by bus

Tuesday November 28 2017

8:15

Departure by bus from the hotels to the conference venue

Venue: Saku Suurhall, Paldiski maantee 104b, Tallinn

9:00–10:15

Session IV: State of play – building an effective and sustainable Security Union

Speaker:

  • Mr Julian KING, European Commissioner for Security Union

Moderator:

  • Ms Marianne MIKKO, Member of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu

Debate

10:15–10:45

Coffee break

10:45–12:00

Session V: The external dimension of migration – preventing and combating irregular migration

Speakers:

  • Mr Simon MORDUE, Deputy Director General for Migration, Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs, European Commission
  • Mr Edward ZAMMIT LEWIS, Chairman of the Foreign and European Affairs Committee, House of Representatives of Malta
  • Ms Anne-Mari VIROLAINEN, Chair of the Grand Committee, Parliament of Finland

Moderator:

  • Mr Jaak MADISON, Vice-Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu

Debate

12:00–12:30

Adoption of the Contributions and Conclusions of the LVIII COSAC

12:30–12:45

Closing remarks by Mr Toomas VITSUT, Chairman of the European Union Affairs Committee of the Riigikogu

12:45–14.00

Lunch

14:00

Return to the hotels by bus. Departure of the delegations.

Location

Saku Suurhall, Paldiski mnt 104B, 13522

Tallinn

Speakers

 Kersti Kaljulaid

Kersti Kaljulaid

President of the Republic of Estonia

In 2016 Kersti Kaljulaid was elected President of the Republic of Estonia. Previously she served from 2004 to 2016 as a Member of the European Court of Auditors. Kersti Kaljulaid was the CFO and CEO of the Iru Power Plant of state-owned energy company Eesti Energia from 2002 to 2004. From 1999 to 2002, Kersti Kaljulaid was Prime Minister Mart Laar's Economic Advisor. Kersti Kaljulaid was a member of the Supervisory Board of the Estonian Genome Center from 2001 to 2004. She was also a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Tartu from 2009 to 2011 and the Council Chair of the University from 2012 to 2016.

Eiki Nestor

Eiki Nestor

President of the Riigikogu

As the President of the Riigikogu, the Parliament of Estonia, Eiki Nestor represents the Parliament and organises its work. He is the longest serving Member of the Riigikogu in the history of the Republic of Estonia. Twice he has held the post of a Minister – he was the Minister of Regional Affairs in 1994 and the Minister of Social Affairs in 1999. He is a member of the Social Democratic Party and has been the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party Faction in the Riigikogu.

Michel Barnier

Michel Barnier

Chief Negotiator of the Task Force for the Preparation and Conduct of the Negotiations with the United Kingdom under Article 50 TEU

Michel Barnier is Chief Negotiator for the Brexit. He has been a minister in several governments in France, as Minister of Environment (1993-1995), for European affairs (1995-1997) and for Foreign affairs (2004-2005). From 1999 to 2004, he was European Commissioner responsible for Regional policy and Institutional reform. In 2007, the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries. He was appointed European Commissioner for Internal market and Services in June 2009. Since March 2015, Michel Barnier was a Special Adviser to the President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker on matters of security and defense.

Danuta Maria Hübner

Danuta Maria Hübner

Chairperson of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament

Danuta Hübner, Poland's first-ever European Commissioner, is one of her country's foremost economists and policymakers and has played a key role in the enlargement of the EU. Since July 2009 Ms. Hübner is a Member of the European Parliament. Currently she is the Chair of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs as well as member of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Delegation for relations with the United States. She is also a member of the Brexit Steering Group in the European Parliament. In 2004 Professor Hübner was entrusted as European Commissioner with the trade, then the regional policy portfolio. Earlier her roles in Poland's Government have included Minister for European Affairs, Head of Office of the Committee for European Integration and Secretary of State for Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Deputy Minister for Industry and Trade and Minister Head of the Chancellery of the President of the Republic of Poland.

Katrin Auel

Katrin Auel

Associate Professor, Head of the Research Group on European Integration, Institute for Advanced Studies

Dr Katrin Auel is Associate Professor in Political Science and Head of the Research Group on ‘European Integration’ at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna. Her research focuses on Europeanisation, multilevel governance and, in particular, legislative studies with a specific interest in the role of national parliaments in the EU. She has published widely on these topics, most recently focusing on both parliamentary communication to citizens and media coverage of parliamentary involvement in EU affairs.

Pieter Omtzigt

Pieter Omtzigt

Member of the European Affairs Committee, House of Representatives of the Netherlands

Pieter Omtzigt is a Dutch politician. Since 2003 he is Member of the Dutch House of Representatives on behalf of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) – EPP affiliated. He was re-elected in 2017. His parliamentary activities mainly focus on pensions, taxation, migration policy, foreign and European affairs. He is also member of the Dutch parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe. Before starting his parliamentary career, Omtzigt was an academic researcher working for the University of Amsterdam and the University of Varese in Italy. He received his PhD in Economics from the European University Institute in Florence in 2003, with a dissertation entitled ‘Essays in Cointegration Analysis’.

Kristian Vigenin

Kristian Vigenin

Chair of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds, National Assembly of Bulgaria

Kristian Vigenin is Chair of the Committee on European affairs and Oversight of the European funds in the 44th National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria. Prior to assuming this position in May 2017, he has been Member of the 40th (2005-2007) and 43rd (2014-2017) National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria; Minister of Foreign Affairs (May 2013 - August 2014); Member of the European Parliament (January 2007 - May 2013). Between 2010 and 2013 he was a co-President of the EURONEST Parliamentary Assembly. As a parliamentarian, he has been actively involved in the OSCE PA: he was appointed Special Representative of OSCE PA for South Caucasus in February 2016 and Vice-President of the SDSP Group in OSCE PA in July 2016 and, in addition, he has been elected as Member of the Bureau of OSCE PA, Rapporteur of 1st Committee.

Siim Sikkut

Siim Sikkut

Deputy Secretary General for Communications and State Information Systems, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications

Siim Sikkut is the Government CIO of Estonia, also titled as Deputy Secretary General for IT and Telecom in Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications. His role is to set the strategy and policies, to launch and steer strategic initiatives for development of digital government and society in Estonia. Siim is one of the founders of Estonia’s groundbreaking e-Residency programme.

Gunther Krichbaum

Gunther Krichbaum

Chairman of the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union, German Bundestag

Gunther Krichbaum has been the Chairman of the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union in the German Bundestag since 2007 and is a substitute member of the Budget Committee. He has been a member of the Bundestag since 2002. He is member of the administrative council of the Fondation Robert Schuman in Paris and a member of the board of the European People´s Party (EPP). Gunther Krichbaum studied law in Tübingen, Lausanne, Geneva and Heidelberg. Prior to being elected to the Bundestag, he worked as a self-employed economic consultant.

Jean Bizet

Jean Bizet

Chairman of the Committee for European affairs of the French Senate

Member of the Les Républicains party, Jean Bizet has been elected and re-elected as Senator (Manche county) since July 1996. He has been a member of the committee on regional planning and sustainable development since February 2012 and elected chairman of the committee for European affairs from March 2010 to September 2011 and since October 2014.

Julian King

Julian King

European Commissioner for Security Union

Sir Julian King was appointed Commissioner for Security Union on the 19th September 2016. He joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1985. He has held various positions, including: UK Ambassador to France (2016); Director General Economic & Consular (2014); DG of the Northern Ireland Office London and Belfast (2011); UK Ambassador to Ireland (2009); EU Commission Chef de Cabinet to Commissioner for Trade (2008); UK Representative on EU Political and Security Committee, (2004). Sir Julian is a graduate of Oxford University. He was awarded the KCVO in 2014; CVO in 2011 and CMG in 2006.

Simon Mordue

Simon Mordue

Deputy Director-General for Migration, DG Migration and Home Affairs

Since December 2016, Simon Mordue has become Deputy Director General for Migration in DG HOME, overseeing the Directorates responsible for Migration and Protection, and Migration and Security Funds. He has previously worked as Director "Strategy and Turkey" in DG NEAR, Head of Cabinet for Štefan Füle, European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy and deputy Head of Cabinet to Vice President Verheugen covering inter alia the better regulation agenda.

Edward Zammit Lewis

Edward Zammit Lewis

Chairman of the Foreign and European Affairs Committee, House of Representatives of Malta

Hon. Dr. Edward Zammit Lewis, a lawyer by profession, is a member of the Maltese Social-democratic party. He was elected as a member of the Maltese Parliament in March 2013 and appointed as Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth until April 2014. He was subsequently appointed Minister for Tourism until June 2017. Dr Zammit Lewis was re-elected in June 2017 and appointed as Chair of the Foreign and European Affairs Committee.

Anne-Mari Virolainen

Anne-Mari Virolainen

Chair of the Grand Committee, Parliament of Finland

Anne-Mari Virolainen has been a Member of the Parliament of Finland since 2007 serving in a number of parliamentary committees and delegations, such as the Constitutional Law Committee as well as the Finnish delegations to the Nordic Council, the Council of Europe and IPU. In 2015, she was elected Chair of the Grand Committee focusing on EU affairs. In addition to her parliamentary activities, Ms Virolainen has held a number of positions of trust in local politics and NGO´s, principally focusing on the fields of health, welfare and youth affairs. She holds an MSc in Economics and Business Administration and has a professional background in IT and media sectors.

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Contacts

Külli Kapper

Külli Kapper

Responsible Organiser of the COSAC Chairpersons’ Meeting and COSAC Plenary Meeting / Adviser, Head of Secretariat to the European Union Affairs Committee

+372 631 6479 kylli.kapper@riigikogu.ee

Teele Taklaja

Teele Taklaja

Adviser, Secretariat to the European Union Affairs Committee

+372 631 6499 teele.taklaja@riigikogu.ee

Siiri Sillajõe

Siiri Sillajõe

Coordinator of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU

+372 631 6505 siiri.sillajoe@riigikogu.ee

Margit Muul

Margit Muul

Assistant to Coordinator of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Estonian Presidency of the Council of the EU

+372 631 6502 margit.muul@riigikogu.ee


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