I can’t help but post another example of just how lean an operation the European Economic and Social Committee manages. The statistics on our visitors’ service just happened to run across my desk this morning. Hosting visits from interested people and groups is an important part of the standard democratic offer of EU institutions but is perhaps particularly important for representative institutions such as the European Parliament and the consultative bodies. In the Council, nine officials help the institution host about 16,000 visitors a year. In the European Commission, twenty-two officials help it host about 50,000 visitors. In the European Parliament, fifty-five officials help it host some 220,000 visitors (in Brussels). In the European Economic and Social Committee just one official – that’s right, one again – helps it host some 11,000 visitors a year and with no separate dedicated budget either. The official in question, a Finnish lady, is to my mind one of the many superstars of our administration. And she is helped by a phalanx of volunteers – our members and our staff – who happily give up time to talk about our institution and its work and the work of the European Union more generally. Doubtless, the EESC will tighten its belt still further, but actually it’s already pretty tight!