At its meeting on 29 January, the Bureau appointed me as rapporteur for this report, which covers its activities over the period from the last Bureau meeting of the first part-session of 2016 (Friday 29 January) to the first Bureau meeting of the second part-session of 2016 (Monday 18 April).
The following chapters include the decisions taken at the Bureau meetings of 29 January in Strasbourg and 3 March in Paris. Chapter 2 presents a list of decisions, which have either already been ratified by the Standing Committee on 4 March or which do not require ratification.
An addendum to this report will be issued immediately after the Bureau meeting on 18 April, which will also include, in part, decisions to be ratified on the same day. A second addendum will be issued immediately after the Bureau meeting of 22 April. It will include only the decisions to be ratified by the Assembly on the same day, notably the references and transmissions which will have been approved by the Bureau.
The Bureau will hold its next meetings in Strasbourg on Friday 22 April at 8.30 am, then on Thursday 26 May in Tallinn. The next meeting of the Standing Committee will also be held in Tallinn, on 27 May.
On 29 January, the Bureau approved the following proposals made by the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly:
8. The Assembly firmly condemns the lack of co-operation of the Armenian parliamentary delegation and the Armenian authorities during the preparation of the report on this issue. The Assembly regards such behaviour as incompatible with the obligations and commitments of a country which is a full member of the Council of Europe. The Assembly will consider what measures to take in this case and in any similar cases which may arise during the terms of office of its parliamentarians.
12. In addition, the Assembly resolves to review, no later than two years from the adoption of this resolution, the state of progress achieved in implementing the political commitments entered into by the Jordanian Parliament, as well as the reforms in the areas mentioned in paragraph 9 above.
21. Finally, with a view to providing law-makers in particular with a sound constitutional basis, the Assembly asks the European Commission for Democracy through Law (the Venice Commission) for an opinion on the compatibility of the proposed draft revision of the French Constitution, aimed at incorporating rules governing a state of emergency and on the deprivation of nationality into the constitution, with the European Convention on Human Rights and with Council of Europe standards.
4. It invites the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) and the co-rapporteurs concerned to ensure, within the framework of dialogue with the Moldovan authorities, that the Moldovan Parliament is properly informed of the requirements laid down in the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure and that it will take due account of them in subsequent changes to the composition of its parliament delegation, particularly when filling the three remaining vacant seats on the delegation.
13. The Assembly resolves to step up dialogue with the Assembly of Kosovo and recommends that its Bureau modify the current format for co-operation with the political forces elected to the Assembly of Kosovo, with a view to inviting the Assembly of Kosovo to designate a delegation which would ensure the representation also of minority communities, in addition to the majority and the opposition.
On 29 January and 3 March, the Bureau took note of the draft agenda.
On 29 January and 3 March, the Bureau drew up the draft agenda.
On 3 March, the Bureau took note of the conclusions of the meeting.
On 29 January, the Bureau approved the composition of the ad hoc committee and appointed Mr Jordi Xuclà (Spain, ALDE) as its Chairperson. On 3 March, it approved the final list of members of the ad hoc committee (Appendix 1).
On 3 March, the Bureau approved the list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections and appointed Mr Volodymyr Ariev (Ukraine, EPP/CD) as its Chairperson (Appendix 2).
On 29 January, the Bureau approved the revised list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections (Appendix 3).
On 3 March, the Bureau considered and approved the following references and transmissions to committees, which were subsequently ratified by the Standing Committee on the following day:
During the reference period, the Bureau considered and approved the following extensions of references:
On 29 January, the Bureau took note of the launch of the 2016 edition of the Prize.
On 29 January, the Bureau authorised:
On 3 March, the Bureau authorised Mr Andrea Rigoni (Italy, ALDE), in his capacity as rapporteur on the situation in Belarus, to attend an international conference on “Death penalty: transcending the divide”, organised by the United Nations Development Programme in Belarus, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus and with support from the British Embassy in Minsk (Minsk, 10 March 2016).
On 29 January, the Bureau authorised Ms Annette Groth (Germany, UEL), rapporteur on A stronger European response to the Syrian refugees crisis to conduct a fact-finding visit to Lebanon and Jordan, to take place in February 2016, in the framework of the preparation of her report.
On 29 January, the Bureau authorised Ms Sahiba Gafarova (Azerbaijan, EC), General Rapporteur on violence against women, to participate in the 60th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, to be held in New York (United States) on 15 and 16 March 2016.
On 29 January, the Bureau drew up the lists of candidates for the CPT in respect of Malta and Romania, which it forwarded to the Committee of Ministers. The Bureau also approved the recommendation of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to invite the delegation of Azerbaijan to submit a new list of candidates.
On 29 January, the Bureau authorised the following meetings:
On 29 January, the Bureau approved the appointments as set out in Appendix 4.
On 3 March, the Bureau took note of the information memorandum prepared by the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, and asked the President of the Assembly to transmit it to the chairpersons of national delegations.
On 29 January, the Bureau took note of the appointment by the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights of Ms Meritxell Mateu (Andorra, ALDE) as General Rapporteur on abolition of death penalty.
The Standing Committee ratified the credentials of new members of the Assembly submitted by the delegations of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It approved changes in the composition of Assembly committees and took note of the draft agenda of the second part-session of the Assembly (18‑22 April).
It also ratified the references proposed by the Bureau which are contained in chapter 2.5.
The Standing Committee held an exchange of views with Mr Gianni Buquicchio, President of the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission);
Finally, it adopted the following texts on behalf of the Assembly:
Chairperson: Jordi XUCLÁ (Spain, ALDE)
Substitutes
Substitutes
Substitutes
Substitutes
Substitute(s)
Chairperson: Volodymyr ARIEV (Ukraine, EPP/CD)
Substitute(s)
Substitutes
Substitutes
Substitutes
Substitute
* members of the pre-election delegation
Chairperson: Stefan SCHENNACH (Austria, SOC)
Substitutes
Substitute(s)
Substitutes
Substitutes
Substitute
* members of the pre-election delegation
|
Body |
who represents the Assembly |
reference |
2016 nominations |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I. Council of Europe bodies |
|||
|
European Commission for Democracy through Law Venice Commission |
Representatives of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau to attend the sessions of the Commission |
Article 2.4 of the Venice Commission Statute (CM Res(2002)3) |
Members: Ms Brasseur, ALDE appointment by the President Mr Mahoux – SOC (AS/Jur) Substitute: Mr Fabritius – EPP/CD (AS/Jur) |
|
Council on Democratic Elections of the Venice Commission |
Representatives of AS/Pol, AS/Jur and AS/Mon approved by the Bureau of the Assembly |
Bureau decision of 10 March 2003 |
Members: Ms Durrieu – SOC (AS/Pol) Lord Balfe – EC (AS/Jur) Mr Xuclà – ALDE (AS/Mon) Substitutes: Mr Frécon – SOC (AS/Pol) Ms Beselia – SOC (AS/Jur) Mr Kox – UEL (AS/Mon) |
|
European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity North-South Centre |
Two members of the Executive Council – appointed by the Bureau of the Assembly |
Article 4.2 (b) of the North-South Centre revised Statute (CM/Res(2011)6) |
Members: Ms Günay – EC (AS/Soc) … (AS/Cult) Substitutes: Mr Schennach – SOC (AS/Soc) Mr Luís Leite Ramos – EPP/CD (AS/Cult) |
|
European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance ECRI |
Representatives of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau (representatives of the following three committees: AS/Pol, AS/Ega and AS/Cult) |
Article 5 of the ECRI Statute (CM Res(2002)8) |
Members: Mr Corlatean – SOC (AS/Pol) Mr Cilevičs – SOC (AS/Ega) Mr Önal – EC (AS/Cult) Substitutes: Mr Korodi – EPP/CD (AS/Pol) … (AS/Ega) … (AS/Cult) |
|
Group of States against Corruption GRECO |
A representative of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau |
CM decision of 717th meeting in 2000 in accordance with Article 7.2 of the Statute of the GRECO |
Member: Mr Vlasenko – EPP/CD (AS/Jur) Substitute: Mr Sharma – SOC (AS/Jur) |
|
Council of Europe Committee for Works of Art |
Two members appointed by the Bureau of the Assembly (at present AS/Cult Committee member and Museum Prize rapporteur) |
CM decision of 482nd meeting in 1992 |
Members: Lady Eccles – EC (AS/Cult) Ms Marjanović – SOC (AS/Cult) |
|
MONEYVAL |
A representative of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau |
Article 4.1 of Resolution CM/Res(2010)12 |
Member: Mr Omtzigt – EPP/CD (AS/Jur) Substitute: Ms Mateu – ALDE (AS/Jur) |
|
II. Other |
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|
EUROPA NOSTRA Pan-European Federation for Heritage |
One member (and substitute) to be nominated by the Assembly – to attend the Federation Council meetings as observer |
Article 21.4 of the Statute of Europa Nostra |
Lady Eccles – EC (AS/Cult) Vice-Chairperson of the Sub-Committee on Culture, Diversity and Heritage |