Relations between the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) were officially established in 1962 and the first Parliamentary Assembly debate on the activities of the OECD took place in 1963 on the basis of the report transmitted by the OECD to the Council of Europe.
The enlarged Parliamentary Assembly debates were introduced in 1993, on the basis of special rules, to allow delegations of national parliaments of OECD member States which are not members of the Council of Europe and of the European Parliament to participate. Since then, the enlarged Assembly operates as a unique platform for parliamentary scrutiny of the OECD activities.
Following the entry into force of a new methodology in January 2019, aimed at a stronger and more efficient institutional relationship, enlarged Assembly debates on the activities of the OECD will take place every two years, starting from October 2020, on the basis of a report presented by the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy focusing on specific themes, with the participation of delegations of national parliaments of OECD member States which are not members of the Council of Europe, of the European Parliament, and of the Secretary General of the OECD.
The last report from the enlarged Assembly debate dates from October 2017 and covered the OECD activities for 2016-2017 (see Resolution 2181 (2017)). A new report should be prepared for the next enlarged Assembly to be held in October 2020. The new report could focus on themes which are of common interest to our Assembly and the OECD, such as the need to support the United Nations in ensuring the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the fight against corruption and challenges raised by Artificial Intelligence.