Rasi: Slavkov Format Leaders Seek Stronger Role in Shaping EU Rules

Bratislava, 3 December (TASR) – The countries of the Austerlitz Format (Austria, Czech Republic and Slovakia) want to take part in shaping rules at the level of the European Union rather than merely receiving them passively, according to a statement made by House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) after Wednesday's session of the Austerlitz Format. The meeting was also attended by Czech Chamber of Deputies Speaker Tomio Okamura and Chair of the Austrian Parliament Walter Rosenkranz, who agreed on the need to step up cooperation at the parliamentary level. "We want to seek common stances, because we want to create the rules and decisions at the EU level together, as we stand here. We want to be involved in shaping the rules, not to be their passive recipients, because many of the rules and regulations adopted at the EU level reduce its competitiveness, while employment and economic stability within the EU are also threatened, and this is already affecting the lives of all of us," said Rasi after the meeting. He explained that the talks focused on strengthening future regional cooperation between parliaments and administrations. "We face many problems and many laws that we can address in a better way if we tackle them together. We spoke about matters concerning parliamentary life, rules of procedure and handling possible crises for which we'll share experience so that our parliaments won't become dysfunctional after unexpected events," said Rasi. The Slovak House chair added that the issue of ETS2 emissions allowances was also raised, and it was agreed that regulations passed by the EU must apply globally as well. "The EU cannot be the only part of the world to adopt regulations while ignoring others," said Rasi. He added that, along with the Czech Republic, he views the 2035 ban on combustion engines as a threat to economic performance and living standards. mf/df