PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TO ATTEND CONFERENCE OF THE EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN STOCKHOLM

A Parliamentary delegation led by the Hon John Vella MP, and including the Hon Michael Frendo, MP, and the Hon George Vella, MP, will be attending the XXIVth COSAC - Conference of European Affairs Committees of the National Parliaments of the European Union, the European Parliament and the Parliaments of the Applicant States.

The conference which is to be held in Stockholm between the 20th and 22nd May 2001, will be opened by the Prime Minister of Sweden, Mr G'?ran Persson.

The topics on the agenda are:

· "Enlargement" introduced by Mrs Anna Lindh, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden;
· "The role of national parliaments";
· "Environment" introduced by Mrs Margot Wallstr'?m, Member of the European Commission with responsibility for Environment, and Mr Kjell Larsson, Minister for the Environment.

COSAC was set up following an agreement reached in 1989 between Presidents of the Parliaments of the Member States of the European Communites on the need to strengthen the role of national parliaments in the Community process through the cooperation of the committees in charge of European Affairs within their parliaments.

Meetings of COSAC are held on a twice yearly basis on the invitation of the Parliament of the Member State holding the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. These meetings have evolved into a dialogue with the President of the Council, ministers of the Presidency and members of the Commission, followed by a debate on current European issues.

The collective action of the parliaments through COSAC has been acknowledged in the Protocol of the Treaty of Amsterdam on the role of national Parliaments, in accordance with the conclusions adopted by the 15th COSAC which met in Dublin in October 1996.