Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and of the Standing Committee (26 June-28 September 2009)
Progress report
| Doc. 12028 Part I
| 28 September 2009
- Author(s):
- Bureau of the Assembly
- Rapporteur :
- Mr Mátyás EÖRSI,
Hungary, ALDE
1 Introduction
1. The Bureau met on 26 June in Strasbourg and on 7
September in Paris.
2 Functioning of the Assembly
2.1 Progress Report of the Bureau of the Assembly
and of the Standing Committee (26 June-28 September 2009)
2. On 26 June, the Bureau appointed Mr Eörsi (Hungary,
ALDE) as rapporteur.
2.2 Follow-up to be given to texts adopted during
the 2009 Third ordinary part-session of the Assembly (Strasbourg,
22-26 June 2009)
3. On 26 June, further to the requests made to the Bureau
in paragraph 19 of the resolution, the Bureau decided to ask the
Secretariat to prepare a document on the implementation of that
paragraph.
4. On 7 September, the Bureau:
a took
note of a memorandum prepared by the Secretariat, upon the instructions
of the President, on the implementation of paragraph 19 of
Resolution 1671 (2009);
b referred the issue of follow-up of the situation in Belarus
to the Political Affairs Committee for report;
c asked the Political Affairs Committee – within the framework
of the preparation of the report on the situation in Belarus and
within one year of the lifting of the suspension of the special
guest status of the Parliament of Belarus with regard to the Council
of Europe, or sooner – to submit an evaluation of whether Belarus
has made substantive and irreversible progress towards Council of
Europe standards.
2.2.2 Resolution
1675 (2009) on “The state of human rights in Europe:
the need to eradicate impunity”
5. On 26 June, in accordance with paragraph 13, the
Bureau decided to refer to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human
Rights for report the examination of the “advisability of establishing
an independent European committee to investigate serious allegations
of gross and systematic violations of human rights”.
6. On 26 June, in accordance with paragraph 19, the
Bureau decided to ask the Political Affairs Committee to present
proposals to the Bureau regarding the means of intensifying contacts
between the Assembly and the Iranian parliament, with democratic
forces in Iran as well as with Iranian civil society.
2.2.4 Resolution
1677 (2009) “The functioning of democratic institutions
in Armenia”
7. On 26 June, in accordance with paragraph 16, the
Bureau decided to instruct the Monitoring Committee to continue
to follow this issue.
2.2.5 Resolution
1679 (2009) “Nuclear energy and sustainable development”
8. On 26 June, in accordance with paragraph 19, the
Bureau asked the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local
and Regional Affairs to organise parliamentary debates on the future
of nuclear energy.
2.2.6 Resolution
1680 (2009) “Establishment of a “Partner for democracy”
status with the Parliamentary Assembly”
9. On 26 June, in accordance with paragraph 16, the
Bureau decided to ask the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities
and Institutional Affairs to submit proposals to the Bureau concerning
amendments to the Rules with regard to the implementation of this
resolution.
2.3 Follow-up to Assembly Resolution 1640 (2008) on the “Use
by members of their dual parliamentary role – both national and
European”
10. On 7 September, the Bureau:
a took note of the opinion of the Committee on Rules of
Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs;
b agreed to ask the Chairman of the Committee on Rules of
Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to consult the chairpersons
and/or secretaries of national delegations before the end of 2009,
on the proposals contained in this opinion and in particular the
setting up within that committee of a sub-committee with the task
of selecting the texts requiring parliamentary action;
c agreed to return to this point in the light of the results
of the above-mentioned consultation.
2.4 Report on the situation in KosovoNote
11. On 7 September, in the context of the preparation
of this report, the Bureau took note of the decision of the Political
Affairs Committee to invite representatives of the Kosovo Assembly,
as well as other actors with first-hand knowledge of the situation
in Kosovo to an exchange of views to be held during one of its forthcoming meetings
in the course of the next part session.
2.5 2009 Fourth ordinary part-session of the Assembly
(28 September – 2 October 2009)
2.5.1 Draft agenda
12. On 26 June, the Bureau approved the preliminary draft
agenda.
13. On 7 September, the Bureau updated the draft agenda and noted
its agreement for the acting Chairman of the Congress of Local and
Regional Authorities to be invited to participate in the debate
on “The challenges posed by climate change” to take place on Tuesday
29 September.
2.5.2 Joint Committee
14. On 7 September, the Bureau agreed to propose to the
Committee of Ministers that the following points be placed on the
agenda for the meeting:
a Enhancing
dialogue and cooperation between the Parliamentary Assembly and
the Committee of Ministers;
b Current political questions.
2.5.3 Ceremonies commemorating the 60th anniversary
of the Council of Europe
15. On 7 September, the Bureau took note of the programme
of events taking place in Strasbourg on 30 September and 1 October
2009.
2.6 60th anniversary of
the Council of Europe “Festival del Cinema (Venice (Italy), 9 September 2009)
16. On 26 June, the Bureau set up an ad hoc committee
of the Bureau composed of the contact parliamentarians for the Assembly
on violence against women in order to participate in an event organised
by the Italian parliamentary delegation on the occasion of the Venice
film festival in the framework of the celebrations for the 60th anniversary
of the Council of Europe, and left it to the President of the Assembly
to appoint the Chairperson.
17. On 7 September, the Bureau approved of the composition of
the ad hoc committee of the Bureau to participate in this event
and appointed the President of the Assembly as its Chairperson.
2.7 References and transmissions to committees
18. On 26 June, the Bureau approved the following references
and modifications of references, which were ratified the same day
by the Assembly:
2.7.1 references to committees
a. Improving the procedure for drafting documents of
the Assembly
Motion for a resolution presented
by Mr Harutyunyan and others
Doc. 11945,
to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional
Affairs for information
b. The human rights situation in Western Sahara
Motion for a resolution presented
by Mr Lecoq and others
Doc. 11946,
to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report and to the Political
Affairs Committee for opinion
c. The necessity to take additional international legal
steps to deal with sea piracy
Motion for a resolution presented
by Mr Kosachev and others
Doc. 11947,
to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report (for a joint debate with the report on
"Piracy – a crime and a challenge for democracies") (Ref.
3531 of 29 May 2009 to the Political Affairs Committee)
2.7.2 extension of references
a. The United Nations – Reform and the Council of Europe
member states
Reference No. 3294 of 22 January
2007 – validity: 30 June 2009, extension until 30 September
2009
b. Guaranteeing the authority and effectiveness of the
European Convention on Human Rights
Bureau decision of 5 October 2007
Reference No. 3380 – validity: 5 October 2009, extension until
30 June 2010
2.8 Composition of the Monitoring Committee
19. On 26 June, the Bureau approved the changes in the
lists of members of this committee.
2.9 Meetings of the Standing Committee and the Bureau
in 2010
20. On 7 September, the Bureau approved the following
dates:
Note
- Monday 25 January, 8.00 am Strasbourg
(part-session): Bureau
- Friday 29 January, 8.30 am Strasbourg (part-session):
Bureau
- Thursday 11 March, 3 pm, Paris: Bureau
- Friday 12 March, 9.00 am, Paris (to be confirmed): Standing
Committee
- Monday 26 April, 8.00 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
- Friday 30 April, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
- May, Skopje (date to be confirmed): Bureau and Standing
Committee (CM Presidency)
- Monday 21 June, 8.00 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
- Friday 25 June, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session): Bureau
- Monday 6 September, 9.30 am, Paris: Bureau
- Monday 4 October, 8.00 am, Strasbourg (part-session):
Bureau
- Friday 8 October, 8.30 am, Strasbourg (part-session):
Bureau
- November, Turkey (date and place to be confirmed): Bureau
and Standing Committee (CM Presidency)
- Monday 13 December, 9.30 am, Paris: Bureau
2.10 Meetings elsewhere than in Strasbourg and Paris
21. On 7 September, the Bureau authorised the following
meetings:
a Sub-committee on the
Europe Prize (of the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and
Local and Regional Affairs), Ankara (Turkey), 9-10 October 2009;
b Sub-committee on Local and Regional Democracy (of the
Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional
Affairs), Utrecht (Netherlands), 16-17 November 2009;
c Sub-committee on Youth and Sport (of the Committee on
Culture, Science and Education), Budapest (Hungary), 5-7 October
2009;
d Sub-committee on Media (of the Committee on Culture, Science
and Education), Luxembourg (Luxembourg), 26 October 2009;
e Sub-committee on the Cultural Heritage (of the Committee
on Culture, Science and Education), Lisbon (Portugal), 20 November
2009.
2.11 Appointments of Assembly Representatives for official
activities
22. On 7 September, in reply to formal invitations, the
Bureau took the following decisions:
a Mrs Wurm
(Austria, SOC): 10th Conference of the
Alliance Against Trafficking in Persons organised by the OSCE, Vienna
(Austria), 14-15 September 2009 (at no cost to the Assembly);
b Mr Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD): 61st plenary
session of the Nordic Council, Stockholm (Sweden), 27-29 October
2009 (at no cost to the Assembly).
2.12 Visits by rapporteurs
23. On 26 June, the Bureau authorised Mr Çavuşoğlu, rapporteur
for the report “The need for international condemnation of Holodmor
in Ukraine in 1932-1933 – 75th Anniversary
of mass famine in the territory of the former USSR”, to visit Kazakhstan
and Belarus in the framework of the preparation of his report.
24. On 7 September, the Bureau authorised Mr Badré (France, ALDE),
within the framework of the preparation of his report on “Euro-Mediterranean:
call for a Council of Europe strategy”, to visit Cairo for meetings
with representatives of the League of Arab States.
3 Forums
3.1 Forum for the Future of Democracy (Kyiv, 21-23
October 2009)
25. On 26 June, the Bureau took note of the updated list
of members of the ad hoc committee of the Bureau for participating
in the Forum as well as the draft programme.
26. On 7 September, the Bureau took note of the summary and conclusions
of the meeting of the Advisory Board on 26 June 2009.
3.2 Forum on Early Warning in Conflict Prevention
(Strasbourg, 24-25 September 2009)
27. On 26 June, the Bureau approved the composition of
the ad hoc committee for participating in the Forum and appointed
Mr Wilshire (United Kingdom, EDG) as Chairperson.
4 Relations with other bodies of the Council of
Europe
4.1 Committee of Ministers
4.1.1 Enhancing dialogue and cooperation between the
Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers
28. On 7 September, the Bureau was informed by the President
of the outcome of the meetings between the Presidential Committee
of the Assembly and the Bureau of the Committee of Ministers held
in Paris on 13 July 2009 and in Bled on 31 August 2009 and also
of the holding of another meeting in Brussels on 14 September 2009.
4.2 European Court of Human Rights
4.2.1 Election of a judge to the European Court of Human
Rights in respect of Malta
29. On 26 June, the Bureau:
a took note that following a vote on this matter, the Committee
on Legal Affairs and Human Rights did not reach the required majority
to accept that Malta had taken all the necessary and appropriate
steps to ensure that the list of candidates contained a candidate
of the under-represented sex and that the committee considered that
the list submitted by the Maltese delegation should therefore be
rejected;
b according to
Resolution
1627 (2008), this position shall be ratified by the Assembly
in the framework of the Progress Report of the Bureau and the Standing
Committee.
4.3 European Committee for the Prevention of Torture
and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT)
30. On 26 June, the Bureau:
a approved the lists of candidates to the CPT in respect
of Estonia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, The Netherlands, Switzerland
and Ukraine, to be transmitted to the Committee of Ministers;
b asked the parliamentary delegation of Luxembourg to present
a new list of candidates including persons of both sexes in accordance
with
Resolution 1540
(2007), as the minimum quota of 40% of the under-represented
sex had been reached in the CPT;
c asked the Turkish parliamentary delegation to present
a new list of candidates that would not include persons in a situation
of conflict of interest in view of their current situation, in accordance
with
Resolution 1540
(2007).
5 Elections
5.1 Parliamentary elections in Albania (28 June 2009)
31. On 7 September, the Bureau approved the report of
the ad hoc committee.
5.2 Parliamentary elections in Bulgaria (5 July 2009)
32. On 26 June, following an invitation letter by the
authorities of Bulgaria to observe the parliamentary elections in
Bulgaria, the Bureau reconsidered its decision and decided to observe
these elections according to modalities defined at its meeting on
28 May in Ljubljana.
33. On 7 September, the Bureau approved the report of the ad hoc
committee and decided to return to this issue following the debate
in the Assembly.
5.3 Parliamentary elections in Moldova (29 July 2009)
34. On 26 June, the Bureau approved the list of members
of this ad hoc committee and appointed Mr Çavuşoğlu (Turkey, EDG)
as Chairperson.
35. On 7 September, the Bureau approved the report of the ad hoc
committee.
6 Budgetary matters
6.1 Apportionment of the allocation to political groups
for 2009
36. On 26 June, the Bureau approved the apportionment
of the allocation to political groups for 2009.
7 Other business
7.1 Fourth Summer University for Democracy (Strasbourg,
6-10 July 2009)
37. On 7 September, the Bureau took note of the final
declaration.
7.2 International Day of Democracy, 15 September 2009
(Interparliamentary Union)
38. On 7 September, the Bureau adopted a declaration
(see the Assembly web site).
7.3 Organisational chart of the Secretariat of the
Assembly
39. On 7 September, the Bureau took note of the new organisational
chart.
7.4 Communications
40. On 26 June, the Bureau took note of the revised communication
by the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the
Council of Europe.
41. On 7 September, the Bureau took note of communications by
the President, the Acting Secretary General of the Council of Europe,
as well as the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly.
Appendix – References to committees and Modifications
to references
On 7 September, the Bureau approved the following
references and modifications of references, subject to ratification
by the Assembly:
i. References to committees
a. Raising awareness in national parliaments and governments
of the Council of Europe's vital mission and need for sufficient
resources
Motion for a resolution presented
by Mr Meale and others
Doc. 11967,
to the Political Affairs Committee for
report and to the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development for opinion
b. The investigation of events of 1 and 2 March 2008
in Armenia, in particular the exact circumstances that led to the
deaths
Motion for a resolution presented
by Mr Pourgourides and others
Doc. 11970,
to the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments
by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) to be taken into account in the preparation
of the report onthe Assembly's
monitoring procedure on Armenia
c. Situation in Belarus
Decision by the Bureau,
to the Political Affairs Committee for
report in order to continue to follow the situation in
Belarus
d. Code of good conduct in the field of political parties
Decision by the Bureau,
to the Political Affairs Committee for
report
ii. Modifications to references
a. Impact of the financial crisis upon pensioners
Motion for a recommendation presented
by Baroness O’Cathain and others
Doc. 11834,
to the Committee on Social, Health and Family Affairs for report and to the Committee
on Economic Affairs and Development for
opinion
b. Situation in Venezuela
Motion for a resolution presented
by Mr Kukan and others
Doc. 11849,
no further action
c. Democracy and the limitation of mandates
Motion for a resolution presented
by Mr Mota Amaral and others
Doc. 11863,
to the Political Affairs Committee for
report
d. Human rights and family courts
Motion for a resolution presented
by Mr Rowen and others
Doc. 11742,
to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report
