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Mr Rik DAEMS

Photo member

Representative
Senator
Open VLD

Sénat
BE - 1009 - Brussels
Belgium

Working language: English

Declarations of interests:
2021 , 2020 , 2019 , 2018

More information

Latest news

08/10/2021 - President Ending a working visit to Poland, PACE President calls for a co-ordinated, rights-based response to the situation on Poland’s border with Belarus 30/09/2021 - President Anchoring the right to a healthy environment: #EnvironmentRightNow 30/09/2021 - Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons A warm welcome at the Council of Europe for Little Amal, and a pledge of support for other refugee children like her 30/09/2021 - President PACE President to make working visit to Poland 27/09/2021 - Prizes 2021 Václav Havel Prize awarded to Belarusian human rights activist Maria Kalesnikava

Mandates

In the political groups

  • Member: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe since 27/01/2020
  • Chairperson: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020
  • Vice-Chairperson: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe from 25/01/2015 to 09/10/2017
  • Member: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe from 18/11/2014 to 24/01/2015

In the Assembly

  • since 30/09/2019 Representative - Belgium
  • from 18/11/2014 to 29/09/2019 Substitute - Belgium
  • from 23/11/2007 to 12/11/2010 Representative - Belgium

In the committee(s) and sub-committee(s)

  • President of the Assembly: Presidential Committee (since 27/01/2020)
  • President of the Assembly: Bureau of the Assembly (since 27/01/2020)
  • President of the Assembly: Standing Committee (since 27/01/2020)
  • Vice-President of the Assembly: Bureau of the Assembly (from 21/01/2019 to 26/01/2020)
  • Vice-President of the Assembly: Standing Committee (from 21/01/2019 to 26/01/2020)
  • Ex officio (Rule 19.5 of the Rules of Procedure - Chairpersons of Political Groups): Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs (from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020)
  • Ex officio (Rule 19.5 of the Rules of Procedure - Chairpersons of Political Groups): Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy (from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020)
  • Chairperson of Political Group: Presidential Committee (from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020)
  • Chairperson of Political Group: Bureau of the Assembly (from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020)
  • Chairperson of Political Group: Standing Committee (from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020)
  • Ex officio (Rule 19.5 of the Rules of Procedure - Chairpersons of Political Groups): Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights (from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020)
  • Ex officio (Rule 19.5 of the Rules of Procedure - Chairpersons of Political Groups): Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) (from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020)
  • Member: Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs (from 27/01/2017 to 09/10/2017)
  • Second Vice-Chairperson: Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy (from 23/01/2017 to 16/10/2017)
  • Full Member: Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy (from 18/11/2014 to 29/09/2019)
  • Chairperson of national delegation: Standing Committee (since 18/11/2014)
  • Ex officio (Rule 14.3 of the Rules of Procedure): Bureau of the Assembly (from 18/11/2014 to 09/11/2015)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on External Relations (from 24/01/2019 to 27/01/2020)
  • Chairperson of Political Group: Sub-Committee on Conflicts between Council of Europe Member States (from 09/10/2017 to 26/01/2020)
  • Full Member: Sub-Committee on relations with the OECD and the EBRD (from 08/12/2014 to 22/01/2019)
  • Alternate of Ms Kristien Van VAERENBERGH (Full Member): Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy (from 30/09/2019 to 27/01/2020)

Interventions

Last speeches

30/09/2021 | 11:04:32 Good day, dear colleagues. Some of us will be heading out of the Committees, Mister Minister. The next item of business this morning is the address by Mr Nikola DIMITROV, Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs of North Macedonia. This will be followed by a Q&A. Of course any question can be put to you, Mister Minister, but you, of course, own your answers. Politicians sometimes answer something that you have to say, but we know that. Anyway, I wish to welcome you warm-heartedly. I think... 29/09/2021 | 16:22:28 Thank you, Ms Anuna DE WEVER VAN DER HEYDEN for that message. It is shaking us, a little bit, to our feet - which is needed, and I think that we share that kind of a 'combat' if we may say. The last sentence was, as far as I'm concerned, was also extremely important and of course the other ones before; you really understand what we try to do from the Assembly side with resolutions; but specifically with recommendations which have been accepted unanimously. You support that question, that... 29/09/2021 | 15:54:47 Thank you, my dear friend and colleague, Mr Roberto FICO I mean, when we listened to you; I come also to the question of the president of Hungary; you are acting, but we need to act more. And you justly mentioned that you will introduce the environment, apparently, in the constitution of Italy. Well, that is a very promising element, because probably that allows people, your citizens, to go to your constitutional court, if that doesn't satisfy, and if the Committee of Ministers, dear... 29/09/2021 | 15:46:48 Thank you Mr President for your inspiring words, and I know that all of your questions we will address them, not necessarily today but we do have to address them, specifically the last one that you put: aside from water, because water is the basis of our life, by the way, is "when are we indeed going to realise that, basically, to prevent is cheaper than to repair damage?" I think that's a very fundamental question. Thank you for your inspiring words. Dear colleagues, let us now go to our... 29/09/2021 | 15:26:56 Thank you very much, Madam Secretary General. I heard you well, because you mentioned at least three times "binding rules". We love that because that's exactly what we are trying to propose to the Committee of Ministers to take on, heading into, if possible, a feasibility study and looking into how we can connect really environmental and human rights. A while ago I had the enormous honour to be in Rome and to have a conversation, if I may say so, with the Holy Father, on environment. At that...

Activities

Reports and committee opinions

08/01/2020 | Doc. 15027 | Report Setting minimum standards for electoral systems in order to offer the basis for free and fair elections 11/02/2019 | Doc. 14827 | Report Promoting democracy by developing market economy: does the EBRD model work? 04/06/2010 | Doc. 12278 | Report Extra-institutional actors in the democratic system 11/01/2010 | Doc. 12107 | Report Thresholds and other features of electoral systems which have an impact on representativity of parliaments in Council of Europe member states

Motions, Written Declarations, Questions

15/10/2019 | Doc. 14918 | Written declaration Investigating and preventing corruption at the Council of Europe 04/10/2019 | Doc. 14992 | Motion for a resolution The Parliamentary Assembly must contribute to restoring peace in Ukraine 04/07/2019 | Doc. 14944 | Motion for a resolution Acting for the health of all through healthy and sustainable food and agriculture 27/06/2019 | Doc. 14929 | Motion for a resolution Ensuring accountability for the downing of flight MH 17 24/06/2019 | Doc. 14918 | Written declaration Investigating and preventing corruption at the Council of Europe

Votes on adopted texts

03/10/2019 | Doc. 14971, vote on the draft text for resolution Saving lives in the Mediterranean Sea: the need for an urgent response 27/06/2019 | Doc. 14902, vote on the draft text for resolution Shedding light on the murder of Boris Nemtsov 26/06/2019 | Doc. 14922, vote on the draft text for resolution Challenge, on substantive grounds, of the still unratified credentials of the parliamentary delegation of the Russian Federation 25/06/2019 | Doc. 14908, vote on the draft text for resolution The Istanbul Convention on violence against women: achievements and challenges 25/06/2019 | Doc. 14907, vote on the draft text for resolution Towards an ambitious Council of Europe agenda for gender equality