The 67th Conference of the European Affairs Committees of the Parliaments of the Member States of the European Union (COSAC), which took place in Paris as part of the parliamentary dimension of the current French Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), started yesterday and concluded today, 5 March 2022. The House of Representatives was represented by Ms Christiana Erotokritou (leader), Ms Marina Nikolaou and Mr Kostis Efstathiou.
In a discussion on climate change and energy transition, Ms Erotokritou stressed the need for decisive action to tackle climate change and the importance of implementing the European Green Deal. Referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the MEP expressed her concern about further increases in energy prices and stressed the need for vulnerable consumers, businesses and Member States' economies to receive immediate support through the EU toolbox and the provision of funds to promote investment in the renewable energy sector. Moreover, Ms Erotokritou stressed the need for the immediate development of the EU's indigenous energy resources, such as the Eastern Mediterranean gas fields, which can play a bridging role in the EU's transition to a decarbonised economy and decoupling from energy imports from third countries.
In the context of the debate on the Future of Europe Conference, Ms Nicolaou stressed the need for the EU to manage the refugee crisis by ensuring respect for human rights. Expressing her support for the Ukrainian refugees, Ms Nicolaou stressed that the refugee flows will not end as long as their root causes are maintained. Ms Nicolaou welcomed the EU's readiness to host Ukrainian refugees, while noting that the Union has failed to show the same solidarity towards refugees from the Middle East and Africa. The MEP underlined the need for the EU to proceed with the abolition of the Dublin Regulation, to end the Joint Declaration between Turkey and the EU and to come up with a fair Pact on Immigration and Asylum, which would provide for the establishment of a mechanism for the resettlement of refugees, on the basis of solidarity between Member States, but also towards refugees, irrespective of their country of origin.
In his intervention during the same debate, Kostis Efstathiou pointed out that the Russian invasion marks the end of European illusions. As long as Europe closes its eyes to the evil that is coming, Mr Efstathiou said, it will come behind the facts, history, wars and invasions. Decrying the bilingualism in the EU in the common narrative of Turkey and Russia, the Cypriot MP stressed that Cyprus has been living the drama of Ukraine since 1974 and fully understands the Ukrainian people. Yesterday it was Cyprus, today it was Ukraine, tomorrow the Aegean and the day after tomorrow Europe itself, he said.
In the context of the debate on the Ukrainian crisis, Mrs Erotokritou condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She stressed that the images of Ukrainian refugees are not foreign to Cyprus, but on the contrary very familiar, because Cypriots lived through Turkey's invasion of Cyprus in 1974. The Cypriot MP said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine ten days ago was an invasion of European principles and values at the same time, in the same way that Turkey has been invading the same principles and values for 17,520 days with its continued occupation of Cyprus. If we do not defend democracy, human rights and international law, Europe will have failed, and we must not allow that to happen. With determination, we must stand in solidarity with the Ukrainian people so that European principles and values prevail, she stressed.
The work of the Conference concluded with the adoption of a Declaration on the Ukrainian crisis.
(SX)
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