Since its last Progress Report, Doc. 922, the Bureau has held the following meetings: a morning meeting each day from 19th to 22nd January during the last part-Session and a meeting in Paris on 10th March 1959.
The Standing Committee held a meeting on the afternoon of 10th March, also in Paris.
At its Sitting on 22nd January 1959 (30th Sitting of the tenth Session), on the proposal of the Bureau, the Assembly decided to hold the first part of its 11th Session from Monday, 20th to Wednesday, 29th April 1959. However, after adopting the agenda for this part-Session, Doc. 959, the Standing Committee, at its meeting in Paris on 10th March, considered, at the suggestion of the Bureau of the Assembly, that the order of business might be arranged in such a way that the Assembly would adjourn on Tuesday, 28th April.
A ceremonial sitting for the 10th Anniversary of the Council of Europe will be held during the afternoon of the 20th April. The 11th Session itself will open on Tuesday, 21st April, at 10 o'clock.
The draft Order of Business for the part-Session was established by the Bureau on 10th March and was circulated on 11th March.
During the sitting of 2ist January (28th sitting of the Tenth Session), the Bureau brought to the notice of the Assembly the exchange of letters between Lord Lansdowne, deputising for the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers, and the President of the Assembly.
This correspondence has ended a misunderstanding arising from the use of the word " negotiations " to describe the exchange of views which the Bureau, on the Assembly's request, would like to have with the Council of 0. E. E. C. concerning the proposals contained in the report on institutional reform, Doc. 845.
Another letter was sent on 4th February by M. Fernand Dehousse, President of the Assembly, to the Rt. Hon. D. Heathcoat Amory, Chairman of the Council of 0. E. E. C, in order that a meeting between the Bureau and the Council of 0. E. E. C. might be arranged as soon as possible.
The reply to this letter together with the whole correspondence is reproduced in the last report of the Bureau on the institutional reform of the Council of Europe, Doc. 969.
submitted by a special Committee, set up for this purpose, for celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Council of Europe. In particular, a ceremonial sitting will be held in the afternoon of 20th April, and a number of official invitations have been issued by the President of the Assembly, in addition to those issued by the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe.
In addition, the Bureau decided to invite the Chairman of national delegations to organise on 5th May next an official ceremony, either in Parliament at the opening of the public sitting, or elsewhere, with the participation of private organisations.
At its meeting of 10th March 1959, the Standing Committee referred :