Activities of the Assembly’s Bureau and Standing Committee (19 April – 23 June 2024)
Progress report
| Doc. 16007
| 11 June 2024
1 Introduction
At its meeting on 19 April 2024, the Bureau appointed me as
rapporteur for this report, which covers its activities over the
period from the last Bureau meeting of the second part-session of
2024 (Friday 19 April) to the pre-session Bureau meeting of the
third part-session (Monday 24 June 2024).
The present report includes the decisions taken at the Bureau
meetings held on 19 April 2024 in Strasbourg, and on 23 May 2024
in Vilnius. Chapter 2 presents a list of decisions taken by the
Bureau over the reported period that require ratification at the
opening of the third part-session of the Assembly. Chapter 3 presents
a list of decisions that were either already ratified by the Standing
Committee on 24 May 2024, or which do not require ratification.
Chapter 4 presents the activities of the Standing Committee at its
meeting of 24 May.
An addendum to this report will be issued after the Bureau
meeting of 24 June, which will also include decisions to be ratified
by the Assembly at the opening of the 2024 third part-session. Another
addendum will be issued after the Bureau meeting of 28 June. It
will only include 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 lists of candidates submitted by Andorra, Austria,
Finland and Serbia is published as Addendum 2 to this report.
The Bureau will hold its next meetings on 6 September 2024
in Paris, during the October part-session in Strasbourg, and on
28 November 2024 in Luxembourg. The Standing Committee will meet
in Luxembourg on 29 November 2024.
2 Decisions of
the Bureau requiring ratification by the Assembly
2.1 Election observation
2.1.1 Republic of Moldova
– Presidential election and Republican Constitutional Referendum (20 October
2024)
On 23 May, the Bureau, subject to receiving an invitation,
decided to observe this election and set up an ad hoc committee
for this purpose composed of 20 members (SOC-6; EPP/CD-6; EC/DA-4;
ALDE-3; UEL-1), as well as of the two co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring
Committee, and authorised a pre-electoral mission.
2.1.2 Georgia – parliamentary
elections (26 October 2024)
On 23 May, the Bureau decided to observe these elections and
set up an ad hoc committee for this purpose composed of 30 members
(SOC-9; EPP/CD-8; EC/DA-6; ALDE-5; UEL-2), as well as of the two
co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee, and authorised a pre-electoral
mission.
2.2 2024 World Forum
for Democracy – “Democracy and Diversity – Can we transcend the divides?”
(Strasbourg, 6-8 November)
On 23 May, the Bureau took note of the concept note and decided
to set up an ad hoc committee of the Bureau to participate in the
Forum.
3 Activities of
the Bureau since the last part-session and decisions not requiring
ratification by the Assembly
3.1 Follow-up to
the second part-session of 2024 (Strasbourg, 15-19 April)
On 19 April, the Bureau approved the follow-up proposals to
the second part-session, made by the Secretary General of the Assembly,
as follows:
- Resolution 2538
(2024) “Promoting the revised Code of Good Practice on Referendums”
(§ 10.4): instructed the secretariat to prepare the draft terms
of reference of a Parliamentary Assembly Network of Election Observers
- Resolution 2540 (2024) “Alexei Navanly’s death and the
need to counter Vladimir Putin’s totalitarian regime and its war
on democracy” (§ 29): invited the Committee on Political Affairs
and Democracy to adopt the terms of reference of the new General
Rapporteur on the Russian democratic forces
- Resolution 2544 (2024) “The honouring of obligations and
commitments by Albania”: decided to seize the Committee on the Honouring
of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe
(Monitoring Committee) for report on “Post-monitoring dialogue with
Albania”
- Current affairs debate “Responding to the humanitarian
catastrophe in Gaza and preventing further escalations in the Middle
East following the recent Iranian attack against Israel”: decided
to seize the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy on this
issue to be taken into account in the preparation of the report
on “Situation in the Middle East”
- Resolution 2547 (2024) “The protection of children against
online violence” (§ 9): decided to seize the Committee on Equality
and Non-Discrimination for report, and the Committee on Social Affairs,
Health, and Sustainable Development for opinion, on “Violent pornography”
3.2 Standing Committee
in Vilnius (24 May 2024)
On 19 April, the Bureau took note of the draft agenda,
On 23 May, the Bureau took note of the request to hold a debate
under urgent procedure on “The 75th anniversary of the Council of
Europe: how to ensure the participation of all Europeans in the
future of our Organisation?” tabled by Mr Oleksii Goncharenko (Ukraine,
EC/DA) and 21 members of the Assembly. It decided to transform this
request into a current affairs debate and to recommend to the Standing
Committee to hold this debate, and appointed Ms Ingjerd Schie Schou
(Norway, EPP/CD) as the first speaker. The Bureau also took note
of the request by the leaders of the political groups to hold a
current affairs debate on “Recent challenges to democracy in Georgia”,
decided to recommend to the Standing Committee to hold this debate, and
appointed Ms Edite Estrela (Portugal, SOC) as the first speaker.
It updated the draft agenda.
3.3 Organisation
of the Parliamentary Assembly’s part-sessions as from June 2024
On 19 April, the Bureau approved the modalities for the organisation
of the work of the Assembly and of its part-sessions as from the
June 2024 part-session, as presented in Doc. 15959 Add.3, ratified by the Assembly the same day.
3.4 Third part-session
of 2024 (Strasbourg, 24-28 June)
On 23 May, the Bureau held an exchange of views on the organisation
of the elections by the Assembly during the June 2024 part-session,
and drew up the draft agenda.
3.5 Co-chairmanship
in the Group of the Unified European Left
On 19 April, the Bureau took note of the modalities of co-chairmanship
in the UEL Group, as presented in Doc. 15959 Add.3, ratified by the Assembly the same day.
3.6 Election of the
Secretary General of the Council of Europe
On 23 may, the Bureau interviewed (in alphabetical order)
Mr Alain Berset, Mr Didier Reynders and Mr Indrek Saar, candidates
for the post of Secretary General of the Council of Europe (in camera).
3.7 Communications
On 19 April, the Bureau took note of the statement by the
President of the Assembly. On 23 May, it took note of the communications
by the President of the Assembly, the Secretary General and the
Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe and held an exchange
of views with the Deputy Secretary General.
3.8 References and
transmissions to committees
On 19 April, the Bureau considered and approved the references
and transmissions to committees as presented in Doc. 15959 Add.3, ratified by the Assembly the same day.
During its meeting on 23 May, the Bureau considered and approved
the following references and transmissions which were subsequently
ratified by the Standing Committee.
3.8.1 References to
committees
- Preserving European
rural culture and heritage, Doc. 15974: reference to
the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for report
- Eliminating gender stereotypes in the media, Doc. 15975: reference to
the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination for report and to the Committee
on Culture, Science, Education and Media for opinion
- The humanitarian situation of (mainly) children and women
in Gaza, the West Bank and in Israel, Doc. 15977: reference to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health
and Sustainable Development for report.
3.8.2 Reply after consultation
- Self-determination and
territorial integrity in the 21st century, Doc. 15816 Motion for a resolution: transmission
to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for information.
3.8.3 Extension of
a reference
On 19 April, the Bureau approved the following requests for
extensions of references:
- Promoting
inclusive participation in parliamentary and political life, Doc. 15291: extension until
27 June 2025
- The situation of national minorities in Ukraine (initial
title: The ongoing worsening of the access of Ukraine’s national
minorities to education in their mother tongues: need for a follow-up
to Parliamentary Assembly Resolution 2189 (2017)), Doc. 15334: extension until
3 October 2025
- Increasing members’ active participation in and contribution
to the work of the Parliamentary Assembly and its committees, Doc. 15518: extension until
20 June 2025.
On 23 May, the Bureau approved the following requests for
extensions of references:
- Threats
to life and safety of journalists and human rights defenders in
Azerbaijan, Doc. 15521: extension until
31 December 2024
- Legal aspects of the accession of the European Union to
the European Convention on Human Rights, Doc. 15014: extension until
31 December 2024.
3.9 Election observation
3.9.1 North Macedonia
– Presidential and parliamentary elections (24 April and 8 May 2024)
On 23 May, the Bureau took note of the statement of the delegation.
3.9.2 Bulgaria: early
parliamentary elections (9 June 2024)
On 19 April, the Bureau approved the list of members of the
ad hoc committee to observe these elections and appointed Mr Oleksii
Goncharenko (Ukraine, EC/DA) as its chairperson. On 23 May, it approved
the updated list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe these
elections (Appendix 1).
3.10 Ad hoc committee
to participate in an event on “The role of national parliaments
in supporting the Belarusians in exile” (Luxembourg, 6-7 June 2024)
On 19 April, the Bureau approved the list of members of the
ad hoc committee to participate in the event and appointed Mr Paul
Galles (Luxembourg, EPP/CD) as its chairperson (Appendix 2).
3.11 Ad hoc committee
to visit the ICRC headquarters in Geneva as well as other Geneva
based international organisations/agencies in the framework of the
follow-up to Resolution 2529 (2024) “The situation of the children
of Ukraine” (13 June 2024)
On 19 April, the Bureau approved the list of members of the
ad hoc committee to participate in the visit. The Bureau approved
the updated list by written consultation on 5 June (Appendix 3).
3.12 Analysis of the
use made by the Assembly’s political groups of their allocations
for 2023
On 19 April, the Bureau approved the draft communication submitted
by the Committee on Rules of Procedures, Immunities and Institutional
Affairs.
3.13 Václav Havel
Human Rights Prize
On 19 April, the Bureau took note of the prolongation, until
30 June 2024, of the deadline to submit candidatures for the 2024
edition of the Prize.
3.14 2024 Vigdís Prize
for Women's Empowerment
On 23 May, the Bureau took note of the list of the three candidates
shortlisted.
3.15 Composition of
the Monitoring Committee
On 23 May, the Bureau on the basis of a proposal by the Group
SOC, nominated Ms Wanda Nowicka (Poland) as a member, subsequently
ratified by the Standing Committee.
3.16 European Committee
for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment
or Punishment (CPT) – List of candidates in respect of Poland
On 19 April, the Bureau took note of the letter by the chairperson
of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights.
3.17 Meetings elsewhere
than Strasbourg and Paris
On 19 April, the Bureau authorised:
- The Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons
to meet in Ljubljana, on 17-18 October 2024;
- the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable
Development and the Network of Contact Parliamentarians for a healthy
environment, to hold a meeting in Lisbon, on 12-13 September 2024;
- the Sub-Committee on the European Social Charter of the
Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development
to meet in Vilnius on 3-4 July 2024.
4 Activities of
the Standing Committee (Vilnius, 24 May 2024)
The Standing Committee:
- heard
an opening speech by Ms Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the
Seimas;
- heard a welcome address, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary
of the Council of Europe, by Professor Vytautas Landsbergis, First
Head of State of the re-established independent Lithuania;
- held an exchange of views with Mr Gabrielius Landsbergis,
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, President of the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe;
- ratified the credentials of a new member of the Assembly
submitted by the French delegation;
- approved the changes in the composition of Assembly committees;
- took note of the draft agenda of the third part-session
of the Assembly (24-28 June 2024);
- ratified the references proposed by the Bureau;
- held a current affairs debate on “Recent challenges to
democracy in Georgia” and heard statements by Mr Shalva Papuashvili,
the Speaker of the Parliament of Georgia, and Ms Veronika Bílková,
Vice-President of the Venice Commission and member in respect of
Czechia;
- held a current affairs debate on “The 75th Anniversary
of the Council of Europe: how to ensure the participation of all
Europeans in the future or our Organisation?”;
- heard a statement by Ms Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Leader
of the Belarusian democratic forces;
- adopted the following texts on behalf of the Assembly:
|
Recommendation 2275
(2024)
|
Ending the detention
of “socially maladjusted” persons
|
|
Resolution 2548 (2024)
|
Children in the world
of work: eradicating harmful child labour
|
|
Recommendation 2276
(2024)
|
Children in the world
of work: eradicating harmful child labour
|
|
Resolution 2549 (2024)
|
Cultural heritage and
climate change
|
|
Recommendation 2277
(2024)
|
Cultural heritage and
climate change
|
|
Resolution 2550 (2024)
|
Quality education for
children with special education needs: challenges of the pandemic,
war and digitalisation
|
|
Recommendation 2278
(2024)
|
Quality education for
children with special education needs: challenges of the pandemic,
war and digitalisation
|
- decided to hold its
next meeting in Luxembourg on 29 November 2024.
Appendix 1 – List of members of the ad hoc
committee for the observation of the early parliamentary elections
in Bulgaria (9 June 2024)
Chairperson /
Président: Mr / M. Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine (EC/DA
/ CE/AD)
Socialists, Democrats and Greens
Group / Groupe des socialistes, démocrates et verts (SOC)
- Mr / M. Saša MAGAZINOVIĆ, Bosnia
and Herzegovina / Bosnie-Herzégovine
- Ms / Mme Kate OSBORNE, United
Kingdom / Royaume-Uni
- Mr / M. Yunus EMRE, Türkiye
- ZZ
- ZZ
- ZZ
Group of the European People’s
Party (EPP/CD) / Groupe du Parti populaire européen (PPE/DC)
- Mr / M. Corneliu-Mugurel COZMANCIUC,
Romania / Roumanie
- ZZ
- ZZ
- ZZ
- ZZ
- ZZ
European Conservatives Group and
Democratic Alliance (EC/DA) / Groupe des conservateurs européens
et Alliance démocratique (CE/AD)
- Mr / M. Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine
- Mr / M. Morten WOLD, Norway / Norvège
- ZZ
- ZZ
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats
for Europe (ALDE) / Alliance des démocrates et des libéraux pour l’Europe
(ADLE)
- Mr / M. Mehmet
AKALIN, Türkiye
- Mr / M. Damien COTTIER, Switzerland / Suisse
- ZZ
Group of the Unified European
Left (UEL) / Groupe pour la gauche unitaire européenne (GUE)
- Ms / Mme Sevilay
ÇELENK ÖZEN, Türkiye
Co-rapporteur.e.s AS/Mon (ex officio)
- Ms / Mme Deborah BERGAMINI,
Italy / Italie, EPP/CD (excused)
- Ms / Mme Thórhildur Sunna ÆVARSDÓTTIR,
Iceland / Islande, SOC (excused)
Venice Commission / Commission
de Venise
- Mr / M. Michael
JANSSEN, Legal Advisor / Conseiller juridique
- Ms / Mme Katharina PABEL, Austria
/ Autriche, representing the Venice Commission / représentante de la
Commission de Venise
Appendix 2 – List of members of the ad hoc
committee to participate in an event on “The role of national parliaments
in supporting the Belarusians in exile” (Luxembourg, 6-7 June 2024)
Chairperson /
Président: Mr / M. Paul GALLES, Luxembourg (EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
Committee on Migration, Refugees
and Displaced Persons / Commission des migrations, des réfugiés et
des personnes déplacée
- Ms /
Mme Larysa BILOZIR, Ukraine (ALDE / ADLE)
- Mr / M. Christian BUCHMANN, Austria / Autriche (EPP/CD
/ PPE/DC)
- Mr / M. Paul GALLES, Luxembourg (EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
- Mr / M. Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine (EC/DA / CE/AD)
- Ms / Mme Octavie MODERT, Luxembourg
(EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
- Lord Simon RUSSELL, United Kingdom / Royaume-Uni (EC/DA
/ CE/AD)
- Mr / M. Birgir THÓRARINSSON, Iceland / Islande (EPP/CD
/ PPE/DC)
- Ms / Mme Ana TSITLIDZE, Georgia
/ Géorgie (EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
Committee on Political Affairs
and Democracy / Commission des questions politiques et de la démocratie
- Ms / Mme Marietta
KARAMANLI, France (SOC)
- Mr / M. Kimmo KILJUNEN, Finland / Finlande (SOC)
- Mr / M. Bogdan KLICH, Poland / Pologne (EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
- Mr / M. Arminas LYDEKA, Lithuania / Lituanie (ALDE / ADLE)
- Mr / M. Serhii SOBOLIEV, Ukraine (EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
- Ms / Mme Lesia VASYLENKO, Ukraine
(ALDE / ADLE)
- Mr / M. Emanuelis ZINGERIS, Lithuania / Lituanie (EPP/CD
/ PPE/DC)
Appendix 3 – List of members of the ad hoc
committee to visit the ICRC headquarters in Geneva as well as other
Geneva based international organisations or agencies, in the framework
of the follow-up to Resolution 2529 (2024) on “The situation of
the children of Ukraine” (13 June 2024)
Chairperson /
Président: Mr / M. Theodoros Rousopoulos, Greece / Grèce
(EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
Committee on Political Affairs
and Democracy / Commission des questions politiques et de la démocratie
Members / membres:
- Mr /
M. Piero FASSINO, Italy / Italie (SOC)
- Ms / Mme Zanda KALNIŅA-LUKAŠEVICA,
Latvia / Lettonie (EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
Sustitute / remplaçante:
- Ms / Mme Béatrice
FRESKO-ROLFO, Monaco (ALDE / ADLE)
Committee on Legal Affairs and
Human Rights / Commission des questions juridiques et des droits
de l’homme
Members / membres:
- Ms /
Mme Lucia PLAVÁKOVÁ, Slovak Republic
/ République slovaque (ALDE / ADLE)
- Ms / Mme Lesia VASYLENKO, Ukraine
(ALDE / ADLE)
Sustitute / remplaçant:
- Mr / M. Damien COTTIER, Switzerland
/ Suisse (ALDE / ADLE)
Committee on Social Affairs, Health
and Sustainable Development / Commission des questions sociales,
de la santé et du développement durable
Members / membres:
- Ms /
Mme Olena KHOMENKO, Ukraine (EC/DA /
CE/AD)
- Mr / M. Simon MOUTQUIN, Belgium / Belgique (SOC)
- Ms / Mme Minna REIJONEN, Finland
/ Finlande (EC/DA / CE/AD)
- Mr / M. Georgios STAMATIS, Greece / Grèce (EPP/CD / PPE/DC)
Sustitutes / remplaçantes:
- Ms / Mme Larysa
BILOZIR, Ukraine (ALDE / ADLE)
- Ms / Mme Saskia KLUIT, Netherlands
/ Pays-Bas (SOC)
Committee on Migration, Refugees
and Displaced Persons / Commission des migrations, des réfugiés et
des personnes déplacées
Members / membres:
- Ms /
Mme Lise SELNES, Norway / Norvège (SOC)
- Mr / M. Oleksii GONCHARENKO, Ukraine (EC/DA / CE/AD)
Sustitute / remplaçant:
- Mr / M. Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ,
Switzerland / Suisse (SOC)
