At its meeting on 10 December 2021, following the resignation of Mr Ian Liddell-Grainger (United Kingdom, EC/DA) as rapporteur, the Bureau appointed me as rapporteur for this report, which covers its activities over the period from the last Bureau meeting of the fourth part-session of 2021 (Thursday 30 September) to the pre-session Bureau meeting of Friday, 21 January 2022.
The present report includes the decisions taken at the Bureau meetings, held in a hybrid manner, on 30 September 2021, in Strasbourg, 10 December 2021, in Paris, and 14 January 2022, in Strasbourg, as well as at the Bureau meeting held in physical presence in Rome, on 25 November 2021. Chapter 2 presents a list of decisions that were either already ratified by the Standing Committee on 25-26 November 2021, or which do not require ratification. Chapter 4 lists the decisions taken on 10 December 2021 that require ratification at the opening of the 2022 first part-session of the Assembly.
The addendum 1 of this report presents the statistics of the Gender equality in the functioning of the Assembly.
An addendum to this report will be issued after the Bureau meeting of 21 January, which will also include decisions to be ratified by the Assembly at the opening of the 2022 plenary session, on 24 January 2022. Another addendum will be issued after the Bureau meeting of 28 January. It will include only the decisions to be ratified by the Assembly on the same day, notably the references and transmissions to committees which will have been approved by the Bureau.
The report of the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights presenting the conclusions of the committee on the list of candidates submitted by Poland is published as an Addendum 2 to this report.
The Bureau will hold its forthcoming meetings in Strasbourg in a hybrid manner on Friday, 28 January at 8.30 am, and in Berlin, on Thursday, 10 March (to be confirmed, depending on the evolution of the health situation). The next meeting of the Standing Committee will be held on 11 March, in Berlin (to be confirmed, depending on the evolution of the health situation).
On 30 September, the Bureau approved the follow-up proposal to the current affairs debate on The Western Balkans between democratic challenges and European aspirations: what role for the Council of Europe? and decided, as proposed by the Secretary General of the Assembly, to refer this issue to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy, to be taken into account in the preparation of its report on Supporting a European perspective for the Western Balkans.
On 30 September, the Bureau took note of the draft agenda and accepted the proposal by the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons to invite Mr Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, or Ms Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, to address the Standing Committee in the context of the debates on 70th anniversary of the 1951 Refugee Convention: the Council of Europe and the international protection of refugees and Voluntary relocation of migrants in need of humanitarian protection and voluntary resettlement of refugees.
On 25 November, the Bureau took note of the request to hold a debate on The situation of migrants on the border between Poland and Belarus, tabled by the five political groups, decided to recommend to the Standing Committee to hold this debate, and appointed Mr Pierre-Alain Fridez (Switzerland, SOC) as first speaker in the debate. It also took note of the draft agenda of the Standing Committee.
On 10 December, the Bureau approved the follow-up proposals made by the Secretary General of the Assembly, notably to the current affairs debate on The situation of migrants on the border between Poland and Belarus. It thus decided to invite the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons to take the outcomes of the discussions into account into the preparation of its reports on Pushbacks on land and sea: illegal measures of migration management and European solidarity in the migration and asylum context. It also decided to invite the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy and the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to take the discussions into account in their respective work.
On 25 November, the Bureau decided to hold this part-session in a hybrid manner and drew up the preliminary draft agenda. On 10 December, it drew up the draft agenda and, on 14 January, it updated the draft agenda of the 2022 first part-session.
At its meeting on 14 January, the Bureau confirmed that the part-session would be organised in Strasbourg, in a hybrid manner, which allows all members of the Assembly to participate in the plenary sittings and committee meetings in physical presence or by videoconference.
On 14 January, in the light of the current sanitary situation, the Bureau agreed to the following organisational arrangements for the part-session: physical presence of current/outgoing President of the Assembly and incoming President, current/outgoing and incoming Vice-Presidents of the Assembly, current/outgoing Committee Chairpersons and incoming Chairpersons, Presidents of political groups and one female Vice-president per group, rapporteurs whose reports are included in the agenda of the part-session, as well as Chairpersons of national delegations and one Vice-chairperson or another member of the delegation not belonging to the ruling majority, who could be accompanied by one secretary of delegation.
On 14 January, at the request of the chairperson of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, the Bureau agreed to invite children to contribute to the joint debate on The right to be heard: child participation, a foundation for democratic societies and Inaction on climate change – a violation of children's rights, by videoconference. At the request of the chairperson of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, the Bureau also agreed to invite Ms Michele Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in the framework of the debate on reports on Combating rising hate against LGBTI people in Europe and Alleged violations of the rights of LGBTI people in the Southern Caucasus.
At its meeting on 10 December, the Bureau took note of the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly and agreed to the proposals there in, namely, to start the part-session in the afternoon of Monday 25 April 2022, as the date coincides with Orthodox Easter Monday.
On 25 November and 10 December, the Bureau took note of the communication by the President of the Assembly, the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe. On 25 November, it held an exchange of views with the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe and on 10 December, it held an exchange of views with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
On 25 November, the Bureau approved the report by the observation mission.
On 25 November, the Bureau took note of the memorandum by the Chairperson of the Election Assessment Mission and decided to declassify it.
On 30 September, the Bureau approved the updated list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe both elections (Appendix 1). On 25 November, it took note of the statement of the election observation.
On 30 September, the Bureau approved the list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections and appointed Ms Marina Berlinghieri (Italy, SOC) as the Chairperson of the ad hoc committee (Appendix 2).
On 10 December, the Bureau took note of the schedule of the elections for 2022.
At its meeting on 30 September, the Bureau considered and approved the following references and transmissions, which were subsequently ratified by the Assembly:
At its meeting on 25 November, the Bureau considered and approved the following requests for extension of references, which were subsequently ratified by the Standing Committee on the same day:
On 30 September, the Bureau decided to postpone the consideration of the request to hold a committee meeting in Moscow, on 1 December 2021, pending the evolution of the sanitary conditions in the host country.
On 25 November, the Bureau decided to authorise Mr Claude Kern (France, ALDE), Rapporteur on Political situation in Tunisia, to carry out a fact-finding visit to Tunisia in the framework of the preparation of his report.
On 30 September, on the basis of a proposal by the EPP/CD group, the Bureau appointed Mr Corneliu Mugurel Cozmanciuc (Romania) as a member.
On 25 November, on the basis of a proposal by the SOC group, the Bureau appointed Ms Bisera Kostadinovska-Stojchevska (North Macedonia) as a member.
On 30 September, the Bureau approved the appointment of Mr Claude Kern (France, ALDE) as substitute to the Council for Democratic Elections of the Venice Commission, as proposed by the Monitoring Committee.
On 30 September, the Bureau took note of the information provided by the Secretary General of the Assembly on the programme and organisational arrangements for the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament.
On 30 September, the Bureau approved the lists of candidates in respect of these countries to be forwarded to the Committee of Ministers.
On 30 September, the Bureau approved the final composition of the ad hoc committee of the Bureau to participate in the Forum (Appendix 3).
On 30 September, subject to the availability of funds, the Bureau authorised the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) to meet in Copenhagen, on 14-15 December 2021.
On 25 November, the Bureau approved the proposals on the dates and venues of the meetings of the Bureau and Standing Committee in 2022 (Appendix 4).
At its meeting on 10 December, the Bureau took note of the information provided by the Secretary General of the Assembly on the budget allocated to the Parliamentary Assembly in 2022. At the President’s proposal, it also agreed to the principle of introducing a CO2 emissions compensation line in the Assembly’s expenditures relating to official travel, in compliance with the principle of corporate environmental responsibility.
On 10 December, the Bureau took note of the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly.
On 10 December, the Bureau took note of the calendar of the 2022 edition of the Prize.
On 10 December, the Bureau took note of the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly and approved the proposal for the apportionment of the allocation.
The Standing Committee, meeting on 25 and 26 November 2021 in Rome, with first Mr Rik Daems, President of the Assembly, and then Mr Andreas Nick, Mr John Howell and Ms Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Vice-presidents of the Assembly, in the Chair:
On 10 December, the Bureau considered and approved the following references and transmissions, subject to ratification by the Assembly:
The Assembly is invited to ratify these Bureau decisions.
Chairperson / Président: Mr / M. Alfred HEER, Switzerland / Suisse
Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group / Groupe des socialistes, démocrates et verts (SOC)
Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD) / Groupe du Parti populaire européen (PPE/DC)
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) / Alliance des démocrates et des libéraux pour l’Europe (ADLE)
European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance (EC/DA) / Groupe des conservateurs européens et Alliance démocratique (CE/AD)
Group of the Unified European Left (UEL) / Groupe pour la gauche unitaire européenne (GUE)
Co-rapporteurs AS/MON (ex officio)
Venice Commission / Commission de Venise
Chairperson / Présidente: Ms / Mme Marina Berlinghieri (Italy / Italie)
Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group / Groupe des socialistes, démocrates et verts (SOC)
Substitutes / Suppléant·e·s
Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD) / Groupe du Parti populaire européen (PPE/DC)
Substitutes / Suppléant·e·s
European Conservatives Group and Democratic Alliance (EC/DA) / Groupe des conservateurs européens et Alliance démocratique (CE/AD)
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) / Alliance des démocrates et des libéraux pour l’Europe (ADLE)
Substitutes / Suppléant·e·s
Group of the Unified European Left (UEL) / Groupe pour la gauche unitaire européenne (GUE)
Substitutes / Suppléant·e·s
Chairperson / Président: Mr Rik Daems – President of the Parliamentary Assembly / Président de l’Assemblée parlementaire
Friday 21 January, 9.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
Friday 28 January, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
Thursday 10 March, 3.00 pm, Berlin: Bureau
Friday 11 March, 9.30 am, Berlin: Standing Committee
Monday 25 April, 8.00 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
Friday 29 April, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
Monday 30 May, 3.00 pm, Dublin: Bureau
Tuesday 31 May, 9.00 am, Dublin: Standing Committee (CM Presidency)
Monday 20 June, 8.00 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
Friday 24 June, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
Monday 12 September, 9.00 am, Paris: Bureau
Monday 10 October, 8.00 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
Friday 14 October, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
Thursday 24 November, 3.00 pm, Reykjavik: Bureau
Friday 25 November, 9.30 am, Reykjavik: Standing Committee (CM Presidency)
Friday 9 December, 9.00 am, Paris: Bureau