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Activities of the Assembly’s Bureau and Standing Committee (28 April-19 June 2022)

Progress report | Doc. 15550 | 16 June 2022

Committee
Bureau of the Assembly
Rapporteur :
Mr Aleksander POCIEJ, Poland, EPP/CD

1 Introduction

At its meeting on 28 April 2022, the Bureau appointed me as rapporteur for this report, which covers its activities over the period from the last Bureau meeting of the second part-session of 2022 (Thursday 28 April) to the pre-session Bureau meeting of the third part-session of 2022 (Monday 20 June).

Chapter 2 presents a list of decisions taken by the Bureau over the reported period which do not require ratification.

Chapter 3 presents a list of decisions taken by the Bureau over the reported period which have been already ratified by the Standing Committee.

An addendum to this report will be issued after the Bureau meeting of 20 June, which will include decisions to be ratified by the Assembly on the same day at the opening of the 2022 third part-session. Another addendum will be issued after the Bureau meeting of 24 June. It will include only the decisions to be ratified by the Assembly on the same day, notably the references and transmissions to committees which will have been approved by the Bureau.

The Bureau will hold its following meeting on Monday 12 September 2022, 9.00 am in Paris. The next meeting of the Standing Committee will be held in Reykjavik, Iceland, on 25 November 2022.

2 Activities of the Bureau since the last part-session and decisions not requiring ratification by the Assembly

2.1 Follow-up to the second part-session of 2022 (Strasbourg, 25-28 April)

On 28 April, the Bureau approved the follow-up proposal to the second part-session, made by the Secretary General of the Assembly, as follows:

  • Resolution 2433 (2022)Consequences of the Russian Federation’s continued aggression against Ukraine: role and response of the Council of Europe: decided to seize the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for report on the issue of “Political consequences of Russian Federation’s aggression against Ukraine”.

2.2 Standing Committee (Dublin, 31 May 2022)

On 28 April, the Bureau took note of the draft agenda. On 30 May, it took note of the updated draft agenda.

2.2.1 Request for a current affairs debate

On 30 May, the Bureau took note of the request to hold a current affairs debate on Towards a fourth summit for a renewed, improved and reinforced Council of Europe: the way forward, tabled by the leaders of all political groups, and decided to recommend to the Standing Committee to hold this debate, and to appoint Mr Jacques Maire (France, ALDE) as first speaker in the debate.

2.3 Third part-session of 2022 (Strasbourg, 20-24 June)

On 28 April, the Bureau drew up the preliminary draft agenda. On 30 May, it drew up the draft agenda.

2.4 Communications

On 30 May, the Bureau took note of the communications by the President of the Assembly, by the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe and held an exchange of views with the Secretary General.

2.5 References to committees

2.5.1 Request for an extension of reference

On 30 May, the Bureau approved the following extension of a reference:

  • Doc. 14921, The situation in KosovoNote (Reference 4462 of 30 September 2019 – extended on 7 May 2020 and on 1 February 2021): extension until 30 September 2023.

2.6 European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) – Lists of candidates in respect of Monaco and Georgia

On 28 April, the Bureau approved the lists of candidates in respect of Monaco and Georgia to be forwarded to the Committee of Ministers.

2.7 Issues raised by committees

2.7.1 Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination

On 28 April, the Bureau took note of the terms of reference of the Parliamentary Platform for the rights of LGBTI people in Europe which is chaired by the General rapporteur on the rights of LGBTI people.

2.7.2 Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development

On 28 April, the Bureau took note of the terms of reference of the Network of Contact Parliamentarians for a healthy environment and of the election of its Chairperson and Vice Chairperson.

2.8 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize

On 28 April, the Bureau took note of the extension, until 30 June 2022, of the deadline to submit candidatures to the 2022 edition of the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

2.9 Meetings elsewhere than Strasbourg or Paris

On 28 April, the Bureau authorised the Sub-Committee on the Europe Prize (Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development) to meet in Amilly (France), on 1-2 July 2022, and in Izmir (Türkiye), on 22-23 September 2022.

On 30 May, the Bureau authorised the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to meet in Bern/Neuchâtel (Switzerland), on 5-6 September 2022, and authorised the ad-hoc Sub-Committee on gathering information on possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war of aggression launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights to hold a meeting in Ukraine, at a date to be defined in consultation with the Ukrainian parliamentary delegation.

2.10 Institutional representation of the Parliamentary Assembly in 2022

On 28 April, the Bureau updated the appointments, as set out in the table in Appendix.

2.11 Assembly procedures and working methods during meetings in physical presence of members: “lessons learnt from functioning in hybrid manner”:

On 30 May, the Bureau considered and approved the proposals in the memorandum prepared by the Secretary General of the Assembly as follows:

As of the June 2022 part-session,

  • the speaking time allocated to rapporteurs during sittings will be 7 minutes to present their report and 5 minutes to reply to speakers' statements (with one exception made for the co-rapporteurs on monitoring);
  • registration for notification of participation of substitutes will be closed three days before the opening of a part-session for Tuesday morning and Wednesday morning sittings (when elections are held by electronic secret ballot) and 24 hours before the beginning of the other sittings;
  • the Assembly will hold elections of judges to the European Court of Human Rights [or leading officials of the Council of Europe] by electronic voting, during the June and October 2022 part-sessions.

The Bureau decided to seize the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to examine amendments to the Rules of Procedure that could be made on the basis of these proposals, and decided to declassify the memorandum.

2.12 2022 World Forum for Democracy (Strasbourg, 7-9 November)

On 30 May, the Bureau took note of the concept paper and decided to set up an ad hoc committee of the Bureau to participate in the Forum.

3 Decisions taken by the Bureau at its meeting on 30 May 2022, and subsequently ratified by the Standing Committee

3.1 References to committees

On 30 May, the Bureau approved the following reference.

  • Doc. 15533, Motion for a recommendation, A fourth Summit for a renewed, improved and reinforced Council of Europe: reference to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for report.

3.2 Composition of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States (Monitoring Committee)

3.2.1 Monitoring Committee

On 30 May, the Bureau, on the basis of a proposal by the SOC Group, appointed Ms Blerina Gjylameti (Albania) as a member.

4 Activities of the Standing Committee (Dublin, 31 May 2022)

The Standing Committee:

  • heard welcome addresses by Mr Seán Ó Fearghaíl, T.D. An Ceann Comhairle, Speaker of Dáil Éireann, and by Senator Mark Daly, Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann;
  • held an exchange of views with Mr Simon Coveney, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence of Ireland;
  • ratified the credentials of new members of the Assembly submitted by the delegations of Estonia, Finland, Malta, Spain;
  • approved changes in the composition of Assembly committees;
  • took note of the draft agenda of the third part-session of the Assembly (20-24 June 2022);
  • held a current affairs debate on “Towards a fourth Summit for a renewed, improved and reinforced Council of Europe: the way forward”;
  • ratified the reference proposed by the Bureau;
  • adopted the following texts on behalf of the Assembly:

Resolution 2439 (2022)

Access to abortion in Europe: stopping anti-choice harassment

Resolution 2440 (2022)

Gender mainstreaming of migration policies

Resolution 2441 (2022)

Addiction to prescribed medicines

Recommendation 2233 (2022)

Addiction to prescribed medicines

Resolution 2442 (2022)

Eradicating extreme child poverty in Europe: an international obligation and a moral duty

Recommendation 2234 (2022)

Eradicating extreme child poverty in Europe: an international obligation and a moral duty

  • decided to hold its next meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, on 25 November 2022.

Appendix – Institutional representation of the Parliamentary Assembly in 2022

Body / Organe

who represents the Assembly /

qui représente l'Assemblée

reference

2022

I. Council of Europe bodies / Organes du Conseil de l'Europe

European Commission for Democracy through Law -Venice Commission

Commission européenne pour la démocratie par le droit – Commission de Venise

Representatives of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau to attend the sessions of the Commission

Représentants de l'Assemblée désignés par le Bureau pour assister aux sessions de la Commission

Article 2.4 of the Venice Commission Statute (Res CM (2002) 3)

Article 2.4 du statut de la Commission de Venise (Rés CM (2002) 3)

Members:

Mr Rik Daems (Belgium, ALDE)

Appointment by the President

Ms Alexandra Louis (France, ALDE) (AS/Jur)

Substitute:

Mr Constantinos Efstathiou (Cyprus, SOC) (AS/Jur)

Council for Democratic Elections of the Venice Commission

Conseil des élections démocratiques de la Commission de Venise

Representatives of AS/Pol, AS/Jur and AS/Mon approved by the Bureau of the Assembly

Représentants de l’AS/Pol, l’AS/Jur et l’AS/Mon approuvés par le Bureau de l’Assemblée

Bureau decision of 10 March 2003

Décision du Bureau du 10 mars 2003

Members:

Mr Michael Georg Link (Germany, ALDE) (AS/Pol)

Mr Davor Ivo Stier (Croatia, EPP/CD) (AS/Jur)

Mr Aleksander Pociej (Poland, EPP/CD) (AS/Mon)

Substitutes:

Ms María Valentina Martínez Ferro (Spain, EPP/CD) (AS/Pol)

Mr Givi Mikanadze (Georgia, SOC) (AS/Jur)

Ms Laura Castel (Spain, UEL) (AS/Mon)

European Centre for Global Interdependence and Solidarity North-South Centre

Centre européen pour l’interdépendance et la solidarité mondiales – Centre Nord-Sud

Two members of the Executive Council – appointed by the Bureau of the Assembly

Deux membres du Conseil exécutif – désignés par le Bureau de l’Assemblée

Article 4.2 (b) of the North-South Centre revised Statute (Res CM (2011) 6)

Article 4.2 (b) du statut révisé du Centre Nord-Sud (Rés CM (2011) 6)

Members:

Ms Marijana Balić (Croatia, EPP/CD) (AS/Cult)

Mr Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) (AS/Soc)

Substitutes:

Ms Maria-Gabriela Horga (Romania, EPP/CD) (AS/Cult)

Ms Carmen Leyte (Spain, EPP/CD) (AS/Soc)

European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance – ECRI

Commission européenne contre le racisme et l’intolérance – ECRI

Representatives of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau (representatives of the following three committees: AS/Pol, AS/Ega and AS/Cult)

Représentants de l’Assemblée désignés par le Bureau (représentants des trois commissions suivantes: AS/Pol, AS/Ega et AS/Cult)

Article 5 of the ECRI Statute (Res CM (2002) 8)

Article 5 du statut de l’ECRI (Rés CM (2002) 8)

Members:

Mr Ahmet YILDIZ (Turkey, NR) (AS/Pol)

Ms Ann-Britt Åsebol (Sweden, PPE/DC) (AS/Cult)

Ms Petra Bayr (Austria, SOC) (AS/Ega)

Substitutes:

Ms Krista BAUMANE (Latvia, ALDE) (AS/Pol)

Mr Asim Mollazada (Azerbaijan, EC/DA) (AS/Cult)

Mr Momodou Malcolm Jallow (Sweden, UEL) (AS/Ega)

Group of States against Corruption – GRECO

Groupe d'états contre la corruption – GRECO

A representative of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau

Un représentant de l'Assemblée désigné par le Bureau

CM decision of 717th meeting in 2000 in accordance with Article 7.2 of the Statute of the GRECO

Décision du CM lors de la 717ème réunion en 2000 selon l'Article 7.2. du Statut du GRECO

Member:

Mr Titus Corlatean (Romania, SOC) (AS/Jur)

Substitute:

Mr Kamal Jafarov (Azerbaijan, CE/DA) (AS/Jur)

Committee for Works of Art

Comité des œuvres d'art

Two members appointed by the Bureau of the Assembly (at present AS/Cult Committee member and Museum Prize rapporteur)

Deux membres désignés par le Bureau de l’Assemblée (actuellement un membre de l'AS/Cult et le rapporteur du Prix du musée)

CM decision of 482nd meeting in 1992

Décision du CM lors de la 482ème réunion en 1992

Member:

Mr Roberto Rampi (Italy, SOC) (AS/Cult)

Substitute:

Ms Yuliia Ovchynnykova (Ukraine, ALDE) (AS/Cult)

MONEYVAL

A representative of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau

Un représentant de l’Assemblée désigné par le Bureau

Article 4.1 of Resolution CM/Res (2010) 12

Article 4.1 de la Résolution CM/Res (2010) 12

Member:

Ms Sunna Aevarsdottir (Iceland/SOC) (AS/Jur)

Substitute:

Ms Maria-Gabriela Horga (Romania, EPP/CD) (AS/Jur)

Council of Europe Convention on Offences relating to Cultural Property

Convention du Conseil de l’Europe sur les infractions visant des biens culturels

A representative of the Assembly appointed by the Bureau

Un représentant de l’Assemblée désigné par le Bureau

STCE n° 221

CM(2017)32, Chapter V, Article 23.1

Mr Stefan Schennach (Austria, SOC) (AS/Cult)

II. Other

EUROPA NOSTRA Pan-European Federation for Heritage

EUROPA NOSTRA – Fédération paneuropéenne du patrimoine

One member (and substitute) to be nominated by the Assembly – to attend the Federation Council meetings as observer

Un membre (et son/sa suppléant/e) qui seront désignés par l'Assemblée pour assister aux réunions du Conseil de la Fédération en tant qu'observateurs

Article 21.4 of the Statute of Europa Nostra

Member:

Ms Foteini Pipili (Greece, EPP/CD) (AS/Cult)

Substitute:

Mr Andries Gryffroy (Belgium, NR) (AS/Cult)