ABSTRACT
Over the last few years the importance of continuous contacts between parliaments throughout Europe has been stated on more than one occasion both at the national and the European level. The European Council meeting in Rome (1990) concluded that national parliaments should be more active in the process of European integration. Declaration 13 in the Maastricht Treaty emphasizes the importance of contacts between the European Parliament and national parliaments. The Committee on Institutional Affairs in the European Parliament stresses the need for reinforcing co-operation between the parliaments of the Union and the European Parliament. With the possible exception of the British House of Commons, national parliaments and elected representatives stress the importance of these contacts (M.P.Smith 1996:290).
