Conference of Community and European Affairs Committees (COSAC)

COSAC is an interparliamentary forum of cooperation between European Affairs Committees of national parliaments of the member states of the European Union (EU) and the European Parliament. It was established on the decision of the Conference of Speakers of national parliaments (Madrid, May 1989) that aimed at enhancing the role of national parliaments in the decision-making process of the EU. The relevant proposal was submitted by the then Speaker of the French National Assembly and the first COSAC plenary meeting was convened by the French National Assembly in Paris, in November 1989.    

COSAC aims mainly at the further enhancement of parliamentary control over European affairs at the national level, as well as at the exchange of best practices pertaining to the control of the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. This power was given to national parliaments with the annexation to the Treaty of Lisbon of the two Protocols on: -The role of national parliaments in the decision-making process and in the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.- The inclusion in the Treaty of Article 5, which confines the competences of the EU and foresees that these are exercised in compliance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. 

The House of Representatives participates in COSAC with 6 of its Members. The current delegation is comprised of the Chairman of the House Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs, Mr Harris Georgiades (DISY) and the Members of the Committee, Mrs Marina Nikolaou (AKEL-Left-New Forces), Mrs Christiana Erotokritou (DIKO), Mr Christos Christou (ELAM), Mr Costis Efstathiou (KS EDEK) and Mr Marios Karoyan (DIPA). 

COSAC Conferences are held every semester in the country presiding the Council of the EU and are prepared by the COSAC Chairpersons Meetings, which precede every Conference.  

Three-member delegations of the relevant committees of the parliaments of candidate and acceding countries also attend, upon invitation, the COSAC Conferences.  

Website
https://secure.ipex.eu/IPEXL-WEB/conference/getconference.do?type=082dbcc564afa0210164b2da9f5102f8