“The Baltic–Poland cooperation format is crucial in defending joint interests,” said Vita Anda Tērauda, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Saeima, on Monday, 30 September, during her visit to Kaunas, Lithuania, where chairs of the European affairs committees from the Baltic and Polish parliaments convened to discuss the drafting of the Multiannual Financial Framework of the European Union (EU).
“We appreciate that all the Baltic and Polish representatives shared a similar view on such priority areas within the EU Multiannual Financial Framework as Cohesion Policy, Common Agricultural Policy, and Connecting Europe Facility, which are crucial for us in the next budget planning period,” said Tērauda.
Chairs of the European affairs committees also discussed the need to attract more funds to the North-Eastern European region. Tērauda pointed out that the Horizon research and innovation programme offers a wide range of opportunities that should be actively used to build foundations for future competitiveness.
Furthermore, participants of the event had an opportunity to visit the first completed section of the high-speed railway project “Rail Baltica,” which uses the European standard rail gauge. Committee chairs discussed current challenges related to the financing and timely implementation of the “Rail Baltica” project.
Chairs of the European affairs committees from the Baltic and Polish parliaments convened in Kaunas to discuss the drafting of the EU Multiannual Financial Framework, project "Rail Baltica", and other important issues of regional development, including harmonisation of a common position for the Conference of Parliamentary Committees for Union Affairs (COSAC) to be held in December
Such meetings are held twice a year, hosted in accordance with the principle of rotation. The format of the meetings allows to strengthen friendly cooperation ties, approximate positions, and reach middle-ground agreements in the process of policy-making in line with national interests.
Saeima Press Service