Przemyśl: Meeting of the Sejm and Bundestag Presidia

June 14, 2017
1:23 pm

Security is one of the most important issues for the entire European Union. The Polish section of the external border of the Schengen area, which is 8 kilometres away from us, the second longest land section of the border after the Finnish-Russian border, should only make us more aware of it," the Speaker of the Sejm began his speech. The meeting of the Presidium of the Sejm and the Bundestag began with a visit to the Polish-Ukrainian border in Medyka.

The Speaker pointed out that last year about 22 million people crossed the border, including 19 million Ukrainians: tourists, students and people working in Poland. Therefore - said the Speaker - the expansion of the infrastructure of border crossings is an ongoing challenge. Poland is one of the countries supporting the integration of Ukraine with the EU through the Agreement on Free Trade, the Association Agreement and since a few days the visa-free travel.

Marek Kuchciński noted that in the conditions of the prevailing conflict on the eastern border, i.e. instability, various options must be taken into account, including migration of the population under threat or at war. - Limiting the size of the migration crisis can be achieved by protecting the borders of the Schengen area - he said. He also pointed out that the Sejm is working on regulations making the rules of foreigners' stay in Poland more precise. They concern limiting the right of entry to Poland for those foreigners whose sole aim is to cross the border of the Schengen zone.

It is important from the point of view of security, especially in the context of expansion of the Russian military potential in the Baltic region and Kaliningrad Oblast, to strengthen the eastern flank of NATO. - The principles concerning the attitude towards Russia, which the Alliance worked out at last year's summit in Warsaw, should be maintained until the Russian authorities return to the path of actions in accordance with the international law,' the Speaker said. In this situation, unity with Germany is necessary - both within the European Union and NATO.

Among other important topics, we see the need to strengthen the European Union - also through the role that national parliaments play in it. This is missing from the scenarios presented by the European Commission in the White Paper on the Future of Europe.

Summing up the meeting Kuchciński proposed the organization of a series of interparliamentary conferences with the participation of parliamentarians and experts, devoted to strengthening the security climate in Europe, the renewal of the Union, increasing the competitiveness of the Union as a whole, and the desired directions of development of Central European economies. Another idea, presented by the Speaker of the Sejm, is for parliamentarians to participate in study visits to other cities, provinces and federal states in order to learn about the most functional and proven in practice solutions in the field:

macro-regional policies, such as the Alpine Strategy

transport policy: for example, how to optimally use the waterways. A topic of great interest to us in the context of the planned Oder-Elbe-Danube Canal

green energy, agriculture, landscape conservation, including post-industrial landscapes, and other topics.

The German side emphasized the need to strengthen Europe, especially in the context of Brexit. - Today, the community would have problems with the text of the declaration of 25 years ago, which read "We Europeans united for happiness," said Bundestag President Dr. Norbert Lammert. According to Lammert, Europe should look for common goals and compromises.