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Joint Declaration of the Presidents of the National Parliaments of the Visegrad Group Countries
Warsaw, 3 June 2009
The Presidents of the respective chambers of Parliaments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland, meeting in Warsaw twenty years after the fall of Communism and on the eve of the anniversary of the first free elections in Poland held on 4 June 1989, discussed issues of the security of energy supplies and the Eastern Partnership, and in particular:
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welcomed the outcome of the European Union summit in Prague on 7 May 2009 which inaugurated the Eastern Partnership;
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stated that the developments on the international scene since the last meeting in Prague on 30-31 May 2008 demonstrate that the Eastern Partnership and the Common Energy Policy are necessary to uphold the position of the European Union in the world;
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supported actions aimed at active participation in the Eastern Partnership of all countries to which it has been offered;
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stressed that the will of the members of the Eastern Partnership for mutual co-operation is equally important;
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agreed that the participation of Belarus in the Eastern Partnership may contribute to the economic and social transformation of Belarus towards Europe. Further democratisation of social life in Belarus would facilitate co-operation with Belarus;
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underlined that it is also desirable to strive for balanced spending of the budget financing initiatives of the European Neighbourhood Policy, i.e., the Union for the Mediterranean and the Eastern Partnership;
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supported the creation within the structure of the European Commission of a unit co-ordinating the work of the Eastern Partnership along with a Special Co-ordinator for the Eastern Partnership;
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suggested that the Eastern Partnership might also have its own parliamentary dimension such as the EURONEST;
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expressed the hope that the Association Agreement with Ukraine is signed during the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union;
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decided that the relations of the Member States which are direct neighbours of the Partnership countries may create an additional platform of multilateral co-operation and an expression of will to foster mutual relations in the Community spirit, and that the experience of the Visegrad Group may serve as a model and as motivation;
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decided that the European Union should speak with one voice on issues of energy;
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noted that the energy crisis in early 2009 demonstrated the urgent need to create adequate mechanisms of crisis reaction, including the definition of thresholds above which decisions on actions will be taken at the Community level;
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noted that the objective of energy security is one of the reactions to the global economic crisis and that the creation of a European Energy Policy by the European Union will be one of the necessary reforms completing the success of the Single Market and a change beneficial to its partners;
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concluded that the development of EU infrastructure of transmission and storage of natural gas, crude oil and electricity is necessary in order to eliminate barriers in the transmission of energy among the Member States and to enable solidary reaction to crises. In justifiable cases, such interconnections should be developed;
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welcomed the initiative of the European Commission to extend the EU technology guarantees and access regulations to the Ukrainian gas infrastructure as an important step towards security of supplies, an expression of practical commitment of the Community, and a new quality in the Union's external relations;
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called on the governments to take co-ordinated actions in order to develop the energy infrastructure in the Visegrad Group and to connect it to the existing infrastructure in Europe and to new routes and sources of supplies;
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expressed the expectation that the European Commission will soon propose specific actions necessary to achieve the priority objectives and, in early 2010, propose a new instrument for financing the security of energy supplies and infrastructure in the European Union;
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stressed the need of specific and transparent actions necessary to develop the southern energy transmission corridor, including a mechanism facilitating access to gas supplies from the Caspian Sea region or other territories;
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decided that the declaration on financing of the Nabucco gas pipeline project should lead to further specific decisions and actions, and expressed the expectation that similar support will be given to projects supporting the transport of crude oil from the Caspian Sea to the European Union;
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welcomed the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic and looked forward to successful completion of the ratification process;
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welcomed the efforts made by Croatia in its accession talks with the European Union and believed that the European Union membership negotiations with Croatia will be successfully completed as soon as possible;
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concluded that the accession of Slovakia to the Economic and Monetary Union and the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union reinforce the political potential of the Visegrad Group.
Přemysl Sobotka
President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
Miloslav Vlček
President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Parliament of the Czech Republic
Katalin Szili
President of the Hungarian National Assembly
Pavol Paška
President of the National Council of the Slovak Republic
President of the National Council of the Slovak Republic
Bronisław Komorowski
President of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland
Bogdan Borusewicz
President of the Senate of the Republic of Poland
President of the Senate of the Republic of Poland