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International relations

Parliamentary diplomacy has considerably intensified owing to the increasing commitments of Italy resulting from bilateral and multilateral agreements, as well as to the globalization process which affects not just the economy but also the political sphere. The Chamber of Deputies' system of international relations operates within the various bilateral, multilateral and international fora, and its ever greater scope and reach reflect the increasing interdependence of all the geo-political areas of the planet.
The Parliament's network of inter-parliamentary relations has become a mainstay of political dialogue and has broadened the experience and knowledge of law-makers, in a society where problems are increasingly of a cross-border nature.
All the bodies of the Chamber of Deputies take part in international activities, beginning with the President of the Chamber of Deputies and the Bureau, and including also Parliamentary Committees and their Chairpersons, Delegations to International Assemblies and Parliamentary Cooperation Committees with foreign parliaments set up under the terms of Cooperation Protocols.

Bilateral agreements and Cooperation Protocols

The Chamber of Deputies system of bilateral relations entails:

  • Meetings hosted by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Parliamentary Committees or other bodies of the Chamber with foreign delegations or diplomatic representatives visiting the Chamber of Deputies;
  • Visits abroad by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Parliamentary Committees or other bodies of the Chamber;
  • Meetings in Italy or abroad of Cooperation Committees with foreign Parliaments set up under Cooperation Protocols;
  • Cooperation with the administrations of foreign parliaments.

Bilateral Cooperation Protocols with parliaments of foreign countries enhance the stability and quality of bilateral relations. Over the years, the Chamber of Deputies has signed 23 cooperation protocols with parliaments of countries identified as a priority in Italy's foreign policy.
Administrative cooperation with foreign parliaments is a priority concern of the Administration of the Chamber of Deputies. It has the dual purpose of fostering exchanges with such parliaments and of helping to strengthen the representative bodies of new and emerging democracies.

Multilateral cooperation

The Chamber of Deputies plays an active role in instilling a parliamentary dimension into intergovernmental cooperation involving Italy, including cooperation linked with the European Union's Neighbourhood policies. The priority area of multilateral cooperation consists of the Euro-Mediterranean area, the fulcrum of which is the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly (EMPA).
The Chamber of Deputies also cooperates with the countries of the new Eastern Partnership, as well as with countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Chamber of Deputies attends the periodic Conferences of Speakers of Parliaments, in particular those of the Lower Houses of the Parliaments of G8 and EU countries. With an observer status, the Chamber of Deputies takes part in intergovernmental conferences promoted in the context of the United Nations and other international organisations (WTO, OSCE, the World Bank, the IMF etc.), as well as in special thematic conferences organised by national parliaments.