The Conference of Speakers of the Parliaments of the Member States of the European Union (EU), which was attended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs Anita Demetriou, concluded today in Prague.
In her intervention during the discussion on the role of the EU in the context of global cooperation of democracies, in connection with the issue of the dependence of EU Member States on totalitarian regimes (disinformation, security of supply chains, strategic autonomy), the President noted that since the beginning of the war in Ukraine fourteen months ago, the words "autonomy", "disinformation", "security", "energy" and "democracy" have dominated the political dialogue in the EU and have taken on unpredictable dimensions.
The President noted that, following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it became clear that the issue of energy security is now a strong incentive for the EU to strategically promote its autonomy in this area and achieve its independence from conventional energy sources. Ms Demetriou referred to the crucial role that Cyprus, together with Greece, can play in ensuring sufficient energy reserves, through the development of cooperation mechanisms with countries such as Israel and Egypt, in order to transport energy, including liquefied natural gas to continental Europe.
On the aspect of strategic autonomy in the field of security, the President of the Parliament noted that it is imperative to find ways to implement the EU's goal of energy security, which is a key objective of the European Union. The legitimisation of acts contrary to international law increases the spread of false news and misinformation, with unforeseen consequences for the division between Member States. Ms Demetriou agreed with the President of the European Parliament, Ms Roberta Metsola, on the need to show strong leadership in this direction.
It is for all these reasons, the President noted, that the EU must continue to develop its toolbox for the protection of democracy, including the implementation of the rule of law mechanism, the conclusion of the Digital Services Package and the Directive on strategic lawsuits against public participation, as well as continued cooperation between national and EU institutions to make it absolutely clear to the international community that the Union operates on the basis of democratic principles.
Finally, Ms Demetriou stressed the crucial role of national parliaments in the whole process of upholding the rule of law and safeguarding democracy at national and European level as a shield and protection against totalitarian regimes and the consequences of their policies on the cohesion of the EU.
The Conference of Presidents concluded its work with the adoption of a text of conclusions.
In the margins of the proceedings, Ms Demetriou held bilateral meetings with Ms Valérie Rabault, Vice-President of the French National Assembly, and Ms Meritxell Batet Lamaña, President of the Spanish Parliament.
The meeting with the Vice-President of the French National Assembly, Mrs Valérie Rabault, reaffirmed the excellent level of relations between the two countries and the two Parliaments, which are based on shared values and the common Euro-Mediterranean identity of the two countries, and underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation between them at all levels. During the meeting with the President of the Spanish Parliament, Ms Meritxell Batet Lamaña, the desire to deepen bilateral relations at interparliamentary level was stressed by both sides, particularly in the light of the dynamics and cooperation developed through the participation of the two women Presidents of Parliaments in the relevant meetings at EU interparliamentary level. Views were also exchanged on the priorities of the upcoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2023.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
Contents of this article including associated images are owned by PIO
Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or PIO
Source
