Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
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We now move on to the main item on today’s agenda. On behalf of the committee I am delighted to welcome to the meeting Mr. David Kitching, policy adviser at the Foundation for European Progressive Studies, FEPS. Mr. Kitching has travelled from Brussels to be here with us and we are very grateful to him for that. FEPS is a leading Brussels-based think tank which aims to develop progressive thinking and strengthen the socialist, social democratic, labour and democratic progressive ideas in the European Union and indeed throughout Europe. It is close to the Party of European Socialists, PES, of which many of us here are members, but it is nonetheless an independent body.

Today’s meeting is another in a series on the issue of the future of the European Union. In recent months we have debated widely on how to secure democratic legitimacy and accountability and we are keen to explore with Mr. Kitching the views of the FEPS on how national parliaments can underpin democratic legitimacy in the European Union context.

Before we begin, I remind members of the long-standing ruling to the effect that members should not comment on or make charges against a person by name or in such a way as to make him or her identifiable. By virtue of section 17(2)(l) of the Defamation Act 2009, witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their evidence to the committee. However, if a witness is directed by the committee to cease giving evidence in regard to a particular matter and continues to do so, the witness is entitled thereafter only to a qualified privilege in respect of his evidence. The witness is directed that only evidence connected with the subject matter of these proceedings is to be given and is asked to respect the parliamentary practice that, where possible, he should not criticise or make charges against any person, persons or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable.

I invite Mr. Kitching to make his opening remarks.