Rol van nationale parlementen in steeds verder geïntegreerd Europa (en)
Interparliamentary Conference on Economic and Financial Governance of the European Union (hereinafter referred to as the Interparliamentary Conference), one of the key events within the framework of the parliamentary dimension of the Lithuanian Presidency i of the Council of the European Union will take place in the historical Hall of the Act of 11 March in the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania on 16-17 October 2013.
The Interparliamentary Conference is held as an outcome of the agreement reached at the Conference of Speakers of the EU Parliaments on 21-23 April 2013 in Nicosia on the establishment of a conference in line with Article 13 of the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union, Protocol 1 of the Treaty of Lisbon on the role of national Parliaments in the European Union and the Guidelines for Interparliamentary Cooperation in the European Union adopted at the Conference of Speakers on 21 June 2008 in Lisbon.
The Interparliamentary Conference provides the national Parliaments with a unique opportunity to consider their role in ensuring democratic accountability and legitimacy in the EU in the context of a more integrated financial, fiscal and economic policy framework.
The Conference of Speakers of the EU Parliaments held in Nicosia agreed that the Interparliamentary Conference should meet twice a year and be coordinated with the European Semester cycle. In the first semester of each year the Conference should be held in Brussels and co-hosted and co-presided over by the European Parliament and the Presidency parliament. In the second semester the Conference should be held in and presided over by the country holding the Council Presidency.
Loreta Graužinienė, Speaker of the Seimas, will extend her welcome address at the Interparliamentary Conference.
The inaugural Interparliamentary Conference will be attended by Algirdas Šemeta, Member of the European Commission for Taxation, Customs, Statistics, Audit and Anti-Fraud; Algirdas Butkevičius, Prime Minister of the Republic of Lithuania; and other high-level officials. At the video conference held during the event, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, Olli Rehn i, will deliver a presentation and answer participants’ questions.
The Conference will mainly focus on strengthening of democratic legitimacy in the EU; closer cooperation between national Parliaments and the European Parliament in the field of economic and financial governance; on integration of the EU dimension into national politics; participation of national Parliaments in the development and implementation of the system aimed at more decisive economic, budgetary and fiscal reforms. The draft Rules of Procedure of the Interparliamentary Conference are also to be discussed and conclusions adopted.
We would like to inform media representatives that a Press Conference will be held in the Seimas Press Conference Hall (Building 2) on 17 October, at 12.30 p.m.
The agenda of the event and more detailed information can be found on the website of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU at www.eu2013.lrs.lt and also on the special web page of the event.
The Interparliamentary Conference and the Press Conference will be broadcast live on the website of the Seimas, the website of the Parliamentary Dimension of the Lithuanian Presidency of the Council of the EU and broadcast on the TV Programme „Seimas - tiesiogiai“ and the Culture Channel of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television. Chair of the Seimas Committee on Budget and Finance Bronius Bradauskas and Chair of the Seimas Committee on Economics Remigijus Žemaitaitis will brief on the event in the television programme, Labas rytas Lietuva (Good Morning Lithuania), on the Lithuanian National Radio and Television Channel on 16 October 2013 at 7.10 a.m.