Relations between the Consultative Assembly and National Parliaments
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly Debate on 26th September 1966 (9th Sitting) (see Doc. 2121, report of the Permanent Working Party on Parliamentary and Public Relations). Text adopted by the Assembly on 26th September 1966 (9th Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Considering that it is appropriate to associate national Parliaments as closely as possible with the work of the Council of Europe ;
2. . Believing that all members of national Parliaments should be kept informed by their colleagues sitting in the Consultative Assembly of the activities exercised in that Assembly ;
3. Recognising the right of national Parliaments to receive details on the employment of funds voted by them for financing the operation of the Council of Europe ;
4. Considering that not only the Consultative Assembly's debates but also the manifold activities and decisions of the Committee of Ministers should be brought to the knowledge of national Parliaments ;
5. Believing that, with this information, members of national Parliaments would be better able to judge of the endeavours made by all organs of the Council of Europe ;
6. Recalling its Resolutions 61 (1954) and 70 (1955) on relations between the Consultative Assembly and national Parliaments, and its Resolutions 104 (1956), 135 (1957) and 250 (1963) concerning the setting up, membership and terms of reference of the Permanent Working Party on Parliamentary and Public Relations,
7. Invites :
a the national delegations :
if they have not hitherto done so, to present to their Parliaments, annually or after each part-Session, a report on their activities at the Consultative Assembly ;
to meet before the opening of each part-Session of the Consultative Assembly at Strasbourg, and also subsequently in their own countries, to decide what action should be taken in their Parliaments on the Recommendations and Resolutions selected for the purpose by the Working Party ;
to organise in connection with each part-Session a radio and/or television discussion between the
Minister for Foreign Affairs and members of the parliamentary delegation to the Consultative
Assembly on Council of Europe activities ;
b Governments :
to present to their Parliaments at least once a year a report on the activities of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe ;
to include in the reports accompanying the budget a chapter on the Council of Europe ;
to have the Minister for Foreign Affairs mention the Council of Europe's activities when the foreign affairs budget or estimate is presented ;
c the Presidents of the national Parliaments or the competent bodies to consider the possibility of :
holding, at least once a year, a debate on the Council of Europe, which might take place in connection with the reports presented by the national delegations and Governments (see (a) and (b) (i) above) ;
forwarding to the Council of Europe regular lists of matters referred to parliamentary committees (draft laws, motions, questions to Ministers etc.).
d its Committees and its Permanent Working Party on Parliamentary and Public Relations to hold Press conferences whenever they hold meetings in member countries
