Committees
Rule 48Meetings
of committees
48.1. A
committee shall meet when convened by its chairperson on his or
her own initiative, at the request of one third of the committee
members or at the request of the President of the Assembly.
Except
during part-sessions, the convocation to the meeting shall be sent
to members at least seven days before the meeting.
48.2. Any
two or more committees may hold a joint meeting for the examination
of subjects coming within their competence, but may not reach a
joint decision, except if it is unanimous or on procedural matters.
The Chair shall be taken in turns by the chairpersons of each of
the participating committees, starting with the longest-serving
chairperson or, in the case of equal length of service, the elder.
48.3. Unless
a committee decides otherwise, committee meetings shall be held
in private.
The
Monitoring Committee and the Committee on the Election of Judges
to the European Court of Human Rights meet in camera. The Committee
on Rules, Ethics and Immunities considers individual cases in camera.
48.4. Members
of the Assembly may attend meetings of committees of which they
are not members without the right to vote. They can speak if called
by the chairperson of the committee. However, only members of the
Monitoring Committee and members of the Committee on the Election
of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights may attend meetings
of their respective committees.
48.5. Subject
to paragraph 6 below, members of special
guest, observer and partner for democracy delegations
may participate in the meetings of one of the first six committees
listed in Rule 44.1 and speak if called by the committee chairperson;
they shall not have the right to vote. However, a committee may
decide in advance that members of such delegations may not attend a
meeting or part of a meeting.
48.6. Meetings
of the Joint Committee, the Monitoring Committee, the Committee
on Rules, Ethics and Immunities and the Committee on the Election
of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights shall not be open
to members of special guest, observer and partner for democracy delegations.
48.7. The
conditions on which any person who is not covered by sub-paragraphs
4 to 6 above may be heard by a committee shall be decided by that
committee.
48.8. Secretaries
of political groups may attend the meetings of committees of the
Assembly, except for those of the Committee on the Election of Judges
to the European Court of Human Rights. Secretaries of national delegations
may attend the meetings of committees of the Assembly, except for
those of the Committee on the Election of Judges to the European
Court of Human Rights and of the Monitoring Committee.
48.9. The
draft minutes of each committee meeting shall be distributed to
all the members of the committee, under the conditions stipulated
in Rule 47.6.
, and shall
be presented for the committee’s approval at the opening of the
next meeting.
