The aim of this meeting was the preparation of the EU Speakers' Conference

Since 1975, the speakers of EU parliamentary assemblees meet once a year during an interparliamentary conference. This conference deals with EU topics and gatters the speakers of the parliaments of the EU only.

The aim of this meeting was to discuss the role that national parliaments can play in the European construction.

The Chairs of the EU bodies of the national Parliaments met at the Belgian Senate on 5 July 2010.

The focus of the meeting was the preparation of the plenary session of COSAC.

Following a first conference organised in Brussels in 2005, the Belgian federal parliament organised together with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Western European Union, a High Level Conference on the relations between the European Union and Africa.

The co-operation in the field of development on the one hand and security on the other hand were discussed and evaluated, with emphasis on the parliamentary dimension.

The meeting of the Chairpersons of the Finance committees was devoted to the following topics:

• follow up of the economic recovery plans and the Stability and Growth pact,
• architecture and control rules of financial institutions,
• the issue of a Green tax shift.

The Asia-Europe Parliamentary Partnership (ASEP) Meeting is part of the overall Asia-Europe partnership process. It serves as a forum for interparliamentary contacts, exchanges and diplomacy among parliaments, and to promote mutual understanding among the people and countries of Asia and Europe.

ASEP meetings shall normally be convened on a regular bi-annual basis alternately in Asia and in Europe before the ASEM Summit.

Four themes were examined:

1. National oversight on intelligence sharing at an international level
2. Classified information vs the parliamentary freedom of speech
3. Specificity of the parliamentary oversight of intelligence services compared with other forms of control of the Executive
4. Minimal requirements for effective and efficient parliamentary oversight

The Chairs of the Environment Committees of the national parliaments will held a meeting about sustainable management of materials. The meeting was hosted by the Flemish Parliament.

The Parliament of the French-speaking Community, the Wallon Parliament and the Brussels Regional Parliament, organised together one of the meetings between the European Parliament and the national parliamentary assemblies of the European Union.
This meeting handled the issue of scientific research and took place on 17 and 18 October 2010 gathering the chairpersons of the competent committees of the EU parliaments.

The following topics were on the agenda:

• Implementation of the European external action service
• Evolution of the situation in the Middle-East
• The Millennium development goals

AWEPA organised a conference of Europaen and African MP's in the Belgian Senate. The subject of the conference was "Development of a Parliamentary Strategy for Ending Female Genital Mutilation".

Members of European Union and candidate country parliaments gathered at the Egmont Palace in Brussels to discuss current European issues over the course of a two-day meeting.

This meeting is the largest to be held during Belgium’s EU Presidency period. About 270 guests attended including the Prime Minister of Belgium, Yves Leterme, the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso and the President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy.

On 22 November 2010, the Chairs of Equal Opportunities Committees of the national Parliaments met in the Belgian Senate. During the meeting, the Chairs tackled several aspects regarding the socioeconomic position of women and men in the society.

The focal points of the meeting of the Chairpersons of Infrastructure committees were the transeuropean infrastructure networks and the issue of electronic communication.

The meeting of the Chairpersons of the Social Affairs and renewal of society committees was focused on the following main issue fighting against poverty:

• promoting employment;
• ensuring a minimum income for all;
• removing the obstacles to social integration.