Introduction
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT - PARLIAMENTARY DIMENSION OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
The House of Representatives participates in various ways in the parliamentary dimension of the European Union (EU), i.e. in events organized by the European Parliament and in Conferences, within the framework of the rotating six months Presidencies of the Council of the EU.
Events organised by the European Parliament
The European Parliament holds Joint Committee Meetings between Committees of the European Parliament with respective Committees of National Parliaments, with the aim of exchanging views on issues mainly related to the decision-making process in various areas of common interest. Joint Committee Meetings are held at the level of Chairmen or even Members of the relevant Committees.
At Interparliamentary Committee Meetings which are attended by extended delegations from National Parliaments of EU member states, issues of broader european interest are being discussed.
Website: www.europarl.europa.eu/webnp/cms/lang/en/pid/1
Conferences of the parliamentary dimension of the Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Within the framework of the parliamentary dimension of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, Conferences of the Chairpersons of Committees of the National Parliaments and of the European Parliament that are competent in matters under discussion, are held. The selection of topics for discussion and of the Committees that are invited to these Conferences, is based on the Priorities set by the respective Presidency. However, in the framework of the parliamentary dimension of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, the following three established Conferences meet every six months:
• Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs of Parliaments of the European Union (COSAC),
• Interparliamentary Conference for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP),
• Interparliamentary Conference on Stability, Economic Coordination and Governance in the European Union,
• Meeting of the Joint Parliamentary Scrutiny Group on Europol
Moreover, the EU Speakers Conference convenes every year and is preceded by the preparatory Meeting of the Secretaries-General of the EU Parliaments.
Websites: https://secure.ipex.eu/IPEXL-WEB/euspeakers/getspeakers.do