- encouragement of closer co-operation between the Parliamentary Assembly of WEU and the European Parliament. The WEU Council shall, in agreement with the competent bodies of the European Union, adopt the necessary practical arrangements. B. WEU's relations with the Atlantic Alliance 4. The objective is to develop WEU as a means to strengthen the European pillar of the Atlantic Alliance. Accordingly WEU is prepared to develop further the close working links between WEU and the Alliance and to strengthen the role, responsibilities and contributions of WEU Member States in the Alliance. This will be undertaken on the basis of the necessary transparency and complementarity between the emerging European security and defence identity and the Alliance. WEU will act in conformity with the positions adopted in the Atlantic Alliance. - WEU Member States will intensify their co-ordination on Alliance issues which represent an important common interest with the aim of introducing joint positions agreed in WEU into the process of consultation in the Alliance which will remain the essential forum for consultation among its members and the venue for agreement on policies bearing on the security and defence commitments of Allies under the North Atlantic Treaty. - Where necessary, dates and venues of meetings will be synchronized and working methods harmonized. - Close co-operation will be established between the Secretariats- General of WEU and NATO. C. Operational role of WEU 5. WEU's operational role will be strengthened by examining and defining appropriate missions, structures and means, covering in particular: -WEU planning cell; - closer military co-operation complementary to the Alliance in particular in the fields of logistics, transport, training and strategic surveillance; - meetings of WEU Chiefs of Defence Staff; - military units answerable to WEU. Other proposals will be examined further including: - enhanced co-operation in the field of armaments with the aim of creating a European armaments agency; -development of the WEU Institute into a European Security and Defence Academy. Arrangements aimed at giving WEU a stronger operational role will be fully compatible with the military dispositions necessary to ensure the collective defence of all Allies. D. Other measures 6. As a consequence of the measures set out above, and in order to facilitate the strengthening of WEU's role, the seat of the WEU Council and Secretariat will be transferred to Brussels. 7. Representation of the WEU Council must be such that the Council is able to exercise its functions continuously in accordance with Article VIII of the modified Brussels Treaty. Member States may draw on a double-hatting formula, to be worked out, consisting of their representatives to the Alliance and to the European Union. 8. WEU notes that, in accordance with the provisions of Article J.4(6) concerning the common foreign and security policy of the Treaty on