IPEX

The Interparliamentary EU Information Exchange facilitates efficient knowledge transfer between European parliaments.

About IPEX

Subsidiarity checks can only be successful if the requisite number of votes is achieved in several parliaments or chambers. This requires national parliaments to cooperate closely across national borders, with a rapid exchange of opinions and close contact with the European Parliament.

Amongst other ways of interchange there is the IPEX communication platform, which allows an exchange of information on the positions taken by other parliaments. At the administrative level, information is mostly exchanged by way of the Permanent Missions of national parliaments in Brussels.

IPEX - The platform for EU Interparliamentary Exchange

Further Bodies of Cooperation

Over the course of time, a close-knit network has been established at inter-parliamentary level, which allows for the exchange of experience with the new participation rights. Side by side with frequent bilateral contacts, considerable importance attaches to the Conference of Presidents of the Parliaments of EU Member States and the European Parliament and the Conference of European Committees of National Parliaments (COSAC - Conférence des Organes Spécialisés dans les Affaires Communautaires).

Representatives of the competent committees also meet regularly for conferences organised by the EU country that holds the Presidency at a given time. And at national level, the rapid exchange of information concerning EU matters between Parliament and the Provincial Diets is becoming more and more important.