Professor Gavin Barrett:

I would encourage the committee to take part in meetings like that, and to maximise the use it makes of its parliamentary representative over in Brussels. I would also encourage the committee to liaise with other committees. It is possible to make joint submissions with other committees. There is a whole range of possible responses that can be made. There is an increasing number of relevant bodies in addition to COSAC, the conference of the committees of the national parliaments of the EU member states dealing with European affairs. There are bodies in the fields of common foreign and security policy and monetary union, for example. There are increasing avenues to co-operate with other European parliaments. The strength of togetherness is particularly necessary in order that this Parliament benefit from it, because resources are so tight.