Modifications to the Assembly's Rules of Procedure

1Considering that its actions and decisions shall be founded on clear, coherent and effective rules and procedures, the Parliamentary Assembly intends to ensure that its Rules of Procedure are updated continuously. It recalls that it has regularly amended its Rules in recent years, in order to accommodate the evolution of parliamentary practice, to clarify the rules and procedures where their application or interpretation raised difficulties, or to address specific problems. In this framework, it intends to take due account of proposals submitted by its members, national delegations, political groups and committees, and make the necessary adjustments in its Rules of Procedure.

2Consequently, having regard to the above considerations, the Assembly decides to amend its Rules of Procedure as follows:

2.1with regard to the status of the chairpersons of political groups:

2.1.1replace Rule 19.5 by the following: “Chairpersons of political groups are ex officio members of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs. Rule 44.6 shall not apply to them”;

2.1.2amend accordingly Rule 44.1 with regard to the number of seats on the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, and the complementary texts covering committees' terms of reference;

2.2with regard to the status of the immediate past President of the Assembly:

2.2.1replace Rule 20.3 by the following: “The immediate past President, as long as he or she remains a representative or substitute in the Assembly without interruption, shall be an ex officio member of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, but may not take part in votes. Rule 44.6 shall not apply to him or her”;

2.2.2amend accordingly Rules 44.1, 44.3 and 49.3 with regard to the number of seats on the Monitoring Committee and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, and the complementary texts covering committees' terms of reference;

2.3with regard to the procedure for examining amendments in plenary sitting:

2.3.1replace Rule 34.9 by the following: “When an amendment or sub-amendment is called, only the following shall be heard: one of the signatories (or, if none of them do so, any other member of the Assembly) in order to move it, one member to speak against and the chairperson or rapporteur of the committee seized for report to express the committee’s opinion.[footnote] An amendment or sub-amendment which is not moved shall not be considered. An amendment or sub-amendment which has been withdrawn by its signatories may be moved by any other member of the Assembly. A rapporteur may not sign or move any amendment or sub-amendment to a draft text presented by the committee on whose behalf he or she is reporting except for amendments or sub-amendments tabled on behalf of that committee. [footnote: The committee's position shall only be given by “in favour” or “against”; where appropriate, the Assembly shall be informed when “the committee has not taken any position”]”;

2.3.2in the complementary texts, Additional provisions relating to Assembly debates, delete paragraph 3 of “Organisation of debates”;

2.4with regard to the substitution of committee chairpersons who are ex officio members of certain committees, in Rule 44.1:

2.4.1amend the footnote under point 7 related to the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee), as follows “...; plus the chairpersons of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy and the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, as ex officio members, or, in their absence, a vice-chairperson. ...”;

2.4.2amend the footnote under point 9 related to the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights, as follows: “Plus the chairpersons of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, as ex officio members, or, in their absence, a vice-chairperson”;

2.5with regard to the bureaux of committees, replace Rule 46.7 by the following: “The chairperson and the vice-chairpersons of a committee shall remain in office until the opening of the next ordinary session of the Assembly. They may be re-elected for one further term, consecutive or not. A committee chairperson or vice-chairperson elected in the course of a session for an incomplete term may be re-elected for two further terms. A former chairperson of a committee may stand for the office of chairperson or vice-chairperson of the same committee on expiry of a period of four years, for two further terms, consecutive or not. The outgoing chairperson of a committee may stand for the office of chairperson or vice-chairperson of another committee on expiry of a period of two years”;

2.6with regard to the participation of secretaries of political groups in committee meetings, amend Rule 48.8 of the Rules of Procedure as follows: “Secretaries of national delegations and secretaries of political groups may attend the meetings of committees of the Assembly, except for those of the Monitoring Committee and the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights”.

3The Assembly decides that the amendments to the Rules of Procedure set out in this resolution shall enter into force upon their adoption.