At its meeting on 27 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 2017 (Friday 27 January) to the first Bureau meeting of the second part-session of 2017 (Monday 24 April).
The following chapters include the decisions taken at the Bureau meetings of 27 January in Strasbourg and 9-10 March in Madrid. Chapter 2 presents a list of decisions, which have either already been ratified by the Standing Committee on 10 March or which do not require ratification.
An addendum to this report will be issued after the Bureau meeting of 24 April, which will also include decisions to be ratified the same day. Another addendum will be issued after the Bureau meeting of 28 April. It will include only the decisions to be ratified by the Assembly 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 28 April, then on 29 May in Prague. The next meeting of the Standing Committee will also be held in Prague, on 30 May.
On 27 January, the Bureau took note of a declaration adopted by the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs as well as of letters from several national delegations as well as from the EPP/CD and the SOC groups. Following an exchange of views, the Bureau decided to ask the Secretary General of the Assembly to prepare a memorandum on the draft terms of reference (legal basis, composition, duration, tasks, competences) of an independent external investigation body as proposed by the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs, to be submitted to the Bureau at its meeting in Madrid on 9 March 2017.
On 9 March, the Bureau took note of the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly and decided to invite the leaders of the five political groups to prepare a revised proposal for adoption at the next Bureau meeting.
On 27 January, the Bureau approved the following proposals made by the Secretary General of the Assembly:
The Bureau decided to seize the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for report.
“11. Finally, the Assembly decides to develop relations with the Lebanese Parliament, first by inviting Lebanese parliamentarians to follow its work and then by encouraging the Lebanese Parliament to consider applying for partnership for democracy status with the Assembly.”
The Bureau decided to systematically invite the Lebanese Parliament to send its representation to the Assembly part-sessions.
On 27 January and 10 March, the Bureau took note of the draft agenda.
On 10 March, the Bureau took note of a request tabled by Mr Volodymyr Ariev on behalf of the delegation of Ukraine for the Standing Committee to hold a current affairs debate on The escalation of the military conflict in the Donbass area. The Bureau decided to recommend that the Standing Committee hold such a debate and designated Mr Georgii Logvynskyi (Ukraine, EPP/CD) as the first speaker.
On 27 January and 10 March, the Bureau drew up the draft agenda.
On 10 March, the Bureau took note of a request tabled by Mr Talip Küçükcan on behalf of the delegation of Turkey for the Assembly to hold a current affairs debate on European values under threat: addressing rising populism, xenophobia, antisemitism and islamophobia in Europe.
On 10 March, the Bureau took note of a request tabled by the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for the Assembly to hold a debate under urgent procedure on Political consequences of the new Israeli Settlement Regulation Law.
On 10 March, the Bureau considered and approved the following references and transmissions to committees, which were subsequently ratified by the Standing Committee on the same day:
On 10 March, the Bureau considered and approved the following modification of references, which were subsequently ratified by the Standing Committee on the same day:
On 27 January, the Bureau considered and approved the following extensions of references:
On 10 March, the Bureau took note of the report of the meeting.
On 27 January, the Bureau took note of the letter by Mr Stefan Schennach, Chairperson of the ad hoc committee which observed these elections, and decided not to organise a post-electoral mission.
On 27 January, the Bureau took note of the invitation to observe these elections. It approved the list of members of the ad hoc committee (subject to receiving their declarations on conflict of interest) and appointed Ms Marie-Christine Dalloz (France, EPP/CD) as its Chairperson. On 10 March, it approved the revised list of members of the ad hoc committee (Appendix 1).
On 27 January, the Bureau approved the list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe this election (subject to receiving their declarations on conflict of interest) and appointed Ms Ingebjørg Godskesen (Norway, EC) as its Chairperson (Appendix 2).
On 27 January, the Bureau approved the list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections (subject to receiving their declarations on conflict of interest) and appointed Ms Liliane Maury Pasquier (Switzerland, SOC) as its Chairperson. On 10 March, the Bureau took note of the statement of the pre-electoral mission as well as of the letter by Ms Naghdalyan, Chairperson of the delegation of Armenia, and approved the revised list of members of the ad hoc committee (Appendix 3).
On 10 March, the Bureau took note of the invitation to observe the referendum. It approved the list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe this referendum and appointed Mr Cezar Florin Preda (Romania, EPP/CD) as its Chairperson (Appendix 4).
On 10 March, the Bureau decided, subject to receiving an invitation, to observe these elections and constituted an ad hoc committee for this purpose composed of 30 members (EPP/CD: 11; SOC: 10, EC: 4, ALDE: 4, UEL: 1 – in accordance with the D’Hondt system) as well as of the co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee and authorised a pre-electoral mission.
On 10 March, the Bureau took note of the elections calendar for 2017.
On 27 January, the Bureau took note of the letter by the Chairperson of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons. It decided to hold such a debate during the 2017 June part-session and to ask the committees concerned to make contributions.
On 27 January, the Bureau took note of the press release of the launch of the 2017 edition of the Prize as well as of the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly. It re-appointed Ms Nuala Mole and Mr Christos Pourgourides as members of the Selection Panel, for a third and last term of two years starting from 1 June 2017. The Bureau invited its members to propose candidatures for the vacant seat in the Selection Panel and to submit them to the Secretary General of the Assembly by 15 April 2017, in view of the Bureau taking a decision on the appointment at its meeting in Prague on 29 May 2017.
On 27 January, the Bureau took note of the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly and approved the modalities of the organisation of the Assembly’s part-sessions at the European Parliament.
On 27 January, the Bureau authorised Ms Elena Centemero (Italy, EPP/CD), Chairperson of the Committee and Rapporteur on Women’s empowerment in the economy, to participate, from 13 to 15 March 2017, in the 61st session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women on Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work, which will be held in New York, United States.
On 27 January, the Bureau authorised:
On 10 March, the Bureau authorised:
On 27 January, the Bureau authorised Ms Liliane Maury Pasquier (Switzerland, SOC), Rapporteur on Detention of Palestinian minors in Israeli prisons, to carry out a fact-finding visit to Israel in the framework of the preparation of her report.
On 27 January, the Bureau drew up the lists of candidates for the CPT in respect of Austria, Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine, which it forwarded to the Committee of Ministers.
During the reference period, the Bureau authorised the following meetings:
On 27 January, the Bureau approved the appointments as set out in Appendix 5.
On 9 March, on the basis of a proposal by the SOC Group, the Bureau nominated Ms Rosie Winterton (United Kingdom) to replace Lord John Prescott (United Kingdom). This decision was ratified by the Standing Committee the following day.
On 9 March, on the basis of a proposal by the EC Group, the Bureau nominated Ms Serap Yaşar (Turkey). This decision was ratified by the Standing Committee the following day.
The Standing Committee heard a welcome address by Mr Pío García-Escudero, Speaker of the Senate of Spain.
It ratified the credentials of new members of the Assembly submitted by the delegations of Finland, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, the Slovak Republic and Spain; and it approved changes in the composition of Assembly committees.
The Standing Committee took note of the draft agenda of the second part-session of the Assembly (24-28 April 2017). It ratified the references approved by the Bureau which are contained in chapter 2.5.
The Standing Committee held an exchange of views with Mr Christian Ahlund, Chairperson of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). It also held an exchange of views with representative of the Russian Parliament (Mr Leonid Kalashnikov, Mr Konstantin Kosachev, Mr Vladimir Lukin, Mr Leonid Slutsky and Mr Pyotr Tolstoy) on modalities of co-operation between the Parliamentary Assembly and the Russian Parliament in 2017.
It held a current affairs debate on The escalation of the military conflict in the Donbass area.
Finally, the Standing Committee adopted the following texts on behalf of the Assembly:
Chairperson: Marie-Christine DALLOZ, France (EPP/CD)
Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD)
Socialist Group (SOC)
Substitute
European Conservatives Group (EC)
Substitute
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
Group of the Unified European Left (UEL)
Venice Commission
Secretariat
Chairperson: Ingebjørg GODSKESEN (Norway, EC)*
Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD)
Substitutes
Socialist Group (SOC)
Substitutes
European Conservatives Group (EC)
Substitute
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
Substitutes
Group of the Unified European Left (UEL)
Co-rapporteurs on post-monitoring dialogue (ex officio)
Secretariat
* members of the pre-election delegation
Chairperson: Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland (SOC)*
Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD)
Substitutes
Socialist Group (SOC)
Substitutes
European Conservatives Group (EC)
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
Substitutes
Group of the Unified European Left (UEL)
Substitute
Co-rapporteur of the Monitoring Committee (ex officio)
Venice Commission
Secretariat
* members of the pre-election delegation
Chairperson: Cezar Florin PREDA (Romania, EPP/CD)
Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD)
Socialist Group (SOC)
European Conservatives Group (EC)
Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE)
Substitute
Group of the Unified European Left (UEL)
Substitute
Co-rapporteurs of the Monitoring Committee (ex officio)
Secretariat
|
Body |
Who represents the Assembly |
Reference |
2017 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 (Res CM (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 Cozmanziuc – EPP/CD (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 (Res CM (2011) 6) |
Members: Ms Günay – EC (AS/Soc) Mr Leite Ramos – EPP/CD (AS/Cult) Substitutes: Mr Schennach – SOC (AS/Soc) Mr Corsini – SOC (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 (Res CM (2002) 8) |
Members: Mr Corlăţean – SOC (AS/Pol) Mr Thiéry – ALDE (AS/Ega) Mr Önal – EC (AS/Cult) Substitutes: Mr Korodi – EPP/CD (AS/Pol) Mr Cilevičs – SOC (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) |
|
CE 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) … (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: Mr van de Ven – ALDE (AS/Jur) |
|
II. Other |
|||
|
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 |