There are also a number of Joint Parliamentary Committees which have been set up with countries which have applied to become members of the EU.  These Joint Parliamentary Committees have a role to play in the negotiations for EU membership.

There is also the Joint Assembly of the Agreement between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the EU (ACP-EU). The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly brings together 77 MEPs and an equal number of elected representatives of the African, Caribbean and Pacific states. It is the only such body in the world. The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly meets twice a year and its central objective is to reduce and eventually to eradicate poverty, in keeping with the goal of sustainable development and the gradual integration of the ACP countries into the world economy.

Clearly, this objective cannot be achieved though economic considerations alone. A key role of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly is to promote human rights, democracy and solidarity and this has produced joint commitments developed within the framework of the UN. Ultimately, the Assembly aims to promote the interdependence of North and South, and in this way to work towards development and establishing peaceful international relations.