Having regard to the above considerations, the Assembly decides
to amend its Rules of Procedure as follows:
2.1 with regard to the status of the chairpersons of political
groups:
2.1.1 replace 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”;
2.1.2 amend 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;
2.2 with regard to the status of the immediate past President
of the Assembly:
2.2.1 replace 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. Rule 44.6 shall not apply
to him or her”;
2.2.2 amend 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;
2.3 with regard to the procedure for examining amendments
in plenary sitting:
2.3.1 replace 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, failing that, 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An amendment or sub-amendment which has been withdrawn by its signatories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”, together with the result
of the vote in the committee; where appropriate, the Assembly shall
be informed when “the committee has not taken any position”]”;
2.3.2 in the complementary texts, “Additional provisions relating
to Assembly debates”, delete paragraph 3 of “Organisation of debates”;
2.4 with regard to the substitution of committee chairpersons
who are
ex officio members
of certain committees, in Rule 44.1:
2.4.1 amend the footnote
under point 7 on 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.”;
2.4.2 amend the footnote under point 9 on 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”;
2.5 with 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”;
2.6 with regard to the participation of secretaries of political
groups in committee meetings, replace Rule 48.8 by the following:
“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”;
2.7 with regard to the special guest status, replace Rule
60.1 by the following: “The Bureau may grant special guest status
to national parliaments of European States not members of the Council
of Europe which have applied for membership of the Council of Europe”.
