The delegation of the Committee on European Affairs and Oversight of the European Funds, led by Monika Panayotova – Chairwoman, Dzhevdet Chakarov, Deputy Chairman and the members Assen Agov, Kalina Krumova, Plamen Oresharski and Svetin Tanchev took part in the 46th plenary meeting of the Conference of the Committees of the National Parliaments of the European Union Member States in Warsaw, Poland between 2nd and 4th of October 2011.
The main topic of the conference was the discussion on the Multiannual Financial Framework of the EU 2014-2020, proposed by the European Commission on June, 29th 2011. The discussion was separated in two parts and refracted through the prism of the EU Budget and Cohesion policy. The part, dedicated to the European budget, was presented by the Financial Programming and Budget Commissioner Mr. Janusz Lewandowski and Mr. Salvador Garriga, Rapporteur about the multiannual budget of the Union in a special Political Challenges Committee at the European Parliament. Regional policy was presented by the Chairman of the Regional Development Committee at the European Parliament Mrs. Danuta Hübner.
Regarding the European budget framework, on behalf of the National Assembly, Mr. Assen Agov briefly presented the CEAOEF position, adopted on September 21st 2011 at a joint meeting with the Finance and Budget Committee. In his speech Mr. Agov stated that during the debates at the joint meeting, all political groups have united over the position that for Bulgaria it is unacceptable that the instalments for the EU budget should be based on own resources. Instead, the EU should keep the system, based on Gross National Income, which would avoid the creation of a “2-speed Europe”. The Bulgarian Parliament also expressed negative position regarding the European Commission proposal for implementing two new European taxes, namely the Financial Transaction Tax and the European Value Added Tax.
Svetlin Tanchev was the Bulgarian representative in the Cohesion Policy debate. He expressed the Bulgarian Parliament’s opinion related to the Cohesion Policy future. Mr. Tanchev shared that the National Assembly supports the increase of the Cohesion Policy financing, having in mind that more resources for the less developed regions of the Union would lead to greater economical, social and territorial cohesion. Consequently, that would make Europe more competitive and stable as a whole, and would help overcome the crisis. In addition, Mr. Tanchev reckoned that developing the base infrastructure in Bulgaria is one of the country’s top priorities.
On the 2nd day of the conference the main topics were the Polish Presidency, as well as the conclusions and good practices of the national parliaments two years after the Lisbon Treaty entered into force. Following the analysis of the Polish Presidency achievements, Monika Panayotova, chairman of CEAOEF, thanked the hosts and the representatives of the national parliaments and the European Parliament for the support they have given to Bulgaria and Romania in the process of joining the Schengen area. Mrs. Panayotova reminded that Bulgaria and Romania have completed all the accession criteria – affect, stated repeatedly, including by a resolution of the European Parliament, which advised the Council to speed up Bulgaria and Romania’s Schengen Area accession.
In response, the Polish representatives commented that if corruption levels were currently measured in all member-states, none of them would show perfect results. Therefore, it should not be transformed into Schengen membership criteria. Bulgaria and Romania received the German delegation support. The German representatives stated that joining the Area in two phases would be a good option – at first, by opening the air and sea borders, and afterwards, a full membership. The two countries were also supported by the Czech Senate and UK parliament’s representatives.
In the part, dedicated to the Treaty of Lisbon, the main speaker was the European Commissioner, responsible for the inter-institutional connections and relations with the national parliaments, Mr. Maroš Šefčovič. He stressed on increasing the dialogue intensity between the European Commission and national parliaments and called upon the participants to continue using the instruments, provided by the Treaty. Mr. Šefčovič also expressed his hope this dialogue would go beyond the formality of written statements and further develop through continuous contacts on different levels between the national parliaments and the European Commission.