It considers that the wording of several provisions of Rule 55a should be extended and therefore decides :
a to amend paragraph 1 as follows :‘‘1. The Bureau enlarged to include the chairmen of the political groups may grant special guest status to national legislative assemblies of European non-member states which apply and implement the Helsinki Final Act of 1 August 1975, the Charter of Paris for a New Europe of 21 November 1990 and the other instruments adopted at the CSCE conferences, together with the two United Nations Covenants of 16 December 1966 on Civil and Political Rights and on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, if such assemblies show an interest to be granted this status.''
b to replace paragraph 5 by the following text :‘‘5. The number of seats allocated to each ‘special guest', which shall not exceed eighteen, shall be the same (without substitutes) as that likely to be attributed were the special guest country to become a member of the Council of Europe. This number shall be determined by the enlarged Bureau, on the proposal of the Committee on Relations with European Non-Member Countries and with the opinion of the Political Affairs Committee.''
c to amend paragraph 9 as follows :‘‘9. In a case where special guest status has been withdrawn, the legislative assembly concerned will follow the procedure provided for in paragraphs 1 to 3 above, if it wishes to benefit again from this status. Suspension of special guest status may be lifted by the enlarged Bureau deciding by a two-thirds majority, if it considers that the conditions having led to the suspension no longer exist.''
