Representatives of the Committees for European Affairs of the parliaments of the Visegrad Group countries met today at the Sejm. The meeting was opened by Marek Kuchciński, Speaker of the Sejm. The parliamentarians' talks concerned, among other things, common asylum and migration policy in light of the ongoing migrant crisis in the European Union.
- The Visegrad Group constitutes a huge, so far not fully utilized potential - Marek Kuchciński said in his opening speech. He underlined that he is a supporter of the development of cooperation of V4 countries at the parliamentary level. - In the face of the migration crisis, which translates into security, as well as in the matter of border protection and integrity of the Schengen Area, the Visegrad Group is a very good forum for cooperation - said the Speaker of the Sejm.
Referring to the challenges facing the European Union today, Marek Kuchciński mentioned, among others, the need to ensure internal security while remaining open to the expectations of the countries aspiring to join this structure. He also stressed that he is in favor of the eastern enlargement of the European Union. - I think that the Visegrad Group can be a very good spokesperson for the interests of the countries of the entire Central and Eastern Europe. (...) We constitute an integral unity. And starting from the principle that we act better and more effectively together than each of us individually, we can be a strong instrument which is seriously perceived by the EU authorities and the European Parliament. We can also have a strong influence on what is happening in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation in the European dimension - said Marshal Marek Kuchciński.
The Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Commission for European Union Affairs, Izabela Kloc, also spoke about the importance of the cooperation between the Visegrad Group parliaments for the formation of opinions in the EU. - Europe is going through very difficult times right now. Important and very difficult issues are: migration, the United Kingdom's membership in the structures of the European Union, and transport and energy infrastructure - she said. - I am convinced that the Group's activities at this moment may be a milestone in solving the problems we are facing today in the European Union - added Chairwoman Izabela Kloc.
- None of us expected that the scale of the problem would be so huge and that the consequences of what is happening in Europe could be so disastrous - MEP Dominik Tarczyński spoke about the ongoing migration crisis. In terms of the importance of internal security in the migration debate, the protection of the EU's external borders was highlighted as a priority. Participants in the meeting pointed out that illegal migration is a challenge for asylum and border systems, and that the incomplete implementation by Member States of their obligations related to these systems has contributed to the uncontrolled influx of immigrants into the Union.
Among the priorities in the fight against illegal migration, meeting participants mentioned efficient identification and registration of arriving migrants and more effective return policies. - The solution to the migration crisis certainly does not lie in establishing a relocation mechanism. (...) It is important to radically tighten the external borders of the European Union. At the same time we should also pay attention to cooperation with third countries. We should act more decisively to solve the problem in Syria or Libya. - Konrad Głęboki, deputy chairman of the Parliamentary Commission for European Union Affairs, referred to the conflict in Syria and the worsening economic and demographic situation in African countries.
Representatives of the European Affairs Committees of the Visegrad Group Parliaments also discussed the use of EU funds for energy and transport infrastructure projects. The level of infrastructure investments in Poland and other Visegrad Group countries is currently much higher than in the first years of the EU membership. - We are more efficient in implementing investments that are important for the V4 countries and the entire European Union. This proves increasingly better prepared administrative entities responsible for their implementation - said Deputy Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and the European Union, Senator Waldemar Sługocki. During the meeting the subject of the United Kingdom's membership in the European Union was also raised.
The meeting of the representatives of the Committees for European Affairs of the Visegrad Parliaments, which lasted from January 31st to February 1st, 2012, was the 21st in succession. Regular meetings provide an opportunity to exchange experiences related to the membership of V4 countries in the European Union. They allow the exchange of opinions on current issues, establish positions and take joint initiatives. sejm.gov.pl
Photo: Rafał Zambrzycki
