Brussels, 15/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - In a press release published on 14 November, Danish Social-Democrat Claus Larsen-Jensen, who chaired the 27th meeting of COSAC (also see EUROPE of 12 October, p.4 and 8 November, p.5), considers that there is "real political will to reform" the body that brings together representatives from national parliaments and the European Parliament. He also stresses that the meeting (16-18 October 2002) demonstrated that "the idea of a second chamber or a congress is dead".
The press release states that it had been decided to instruct a working group to examine COSAC's rules of procedure, as well as the possibility of providing it with a secretariat. This group, which will meet in Copenhagen on 17 and 18 November, as well as in December, should also: - seek a "more comprehensible name" for COSAC: - study the possibility of involving sectoral parliamentary committees; - examine the drawing up of a code of conduct for parliamentary control of government activities within the Council (suggestion contained in the report of the European Convention's working group on the role of national parliaments); - discuss the control of subsidiarity and a new strategy for administrative co-operation. The working group will comprise the heads of delegations or parliamentary committees responsible for European affairs, as well as EP representatives. Representatives from candidate countries are invited as observers.
A COSAC extraordinary meeting could be held in January 2003.