Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (December 2025)

52.1. At the request of the Committee of Ministers, of the committee concerned, of one or more political groups, or of twenty or more representatives or substitutes, a debate may be held on an item which has not been placed on the draft agenda as approved by the Bureau. A motion to initiate a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations cannot be the subject of a request for urgent procedure. The urgent procedure should not be used for a statutory opinion unless there are exceptional circumstances justifying its use.

52.2. A request for urgent procedure shall be addressed to the President of the Assembly in time for the last Bureau meeting before the opening of the part-session. The President shall submit it to the Bureau which shall make a proposal to the Assembly.

52.3. Only the following may speak on a request for urgent procedure: one speaker for the request, one speaker against, the chairperson of the committee concerned and a representative of the Bureau speaking in its name.

52.4. The adoption of urgent procedure shall require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast. If urgent procedure is adopted, the Assembly shall decide the date for the debate and refer the item to a committee of the Assembly for report and, if appropriate, to one or several committees for opinion.

53.1. At the request of the Committee of Ministers, of a committee of the Assembly, or of ten or more representatives or substitutes, a debate may be held on an item which has not been placed on the agenda of the Standing Committee.

53.2. A request for urgent procedure shall be addressed to the President of the Assembly, not later than one week before the meeting of the Standing Committee.

53.3. The request shall be considered by the Bureau in the light of the other items already on the draft agenda of the Standing Committee.

53.4. If the Bureau approves the request, it shall, subject to confirmation by the Standing Committee:

- refer the item to a committee of the Assembly for report;

- place the item on the draft agenda of the Standing Committee.

53.5. The Standing Committee shall decide upon urgent procedure as the first order of the day. Only the following may speak: one speaker in favour, one speaker against, the chairperson of the committee concerned and a representative of the Bureau speaking in its name.

53.6. Confirmation of urgent procedure shall require a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

54.1. The Assembly may hold one or two current affairs debates on a subject matter which is not on the draft agenda of the part-session as approved by the Bureau and for which the Assembly has not decided on urgent procedure.

54.2. A request for a current affairs debate shall be addressed to the President of the Assembly by at least twenty representatives or substitutes, by one political group, by one national delegation or by one committee. It shall be submitted in writing in time for the last meeting of the Bureau before the opening of the part-session.

54.3. The Bureau of the Assembly may decide to accept only one request, to accept two requests or to reject all requests. This decision shall be endorsed by the Assembly.

54.4. A current affairs debate may not exceed one and a half hours. It shall be opened by a member chosen by the Bureau, who shall have a total of ten minutes, of which, indicatively, seven minutes for the introduction of the debate and three minutes for the reply at the end of the debate.

54.5. At the end of a current affairs debate, the Assembly shall not vote but the Bureau may subsequently propose that the subject be referred to the appropriate committee for report.

54.6. Rules 54.1. to 54.5. shall apply mutatis mutandis to a current affairs debate which may be requested to be held at the Standing Committee.

55.1. The Assembly may terminate the functions of the President of the Parliamentary Assembly or a Vice-President of the Assembly on the ground that he or she no longer enjoys the confidence of the Assembly, be it that he or she no longer fulfils the conditions required for the exercise of that office, or if he or she fails to honour one or more undertaking in the Code of conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly, including if he or she failed to declare any relevant interests or made an untruthful declaration, or if he or she is guilty of serious misconduct by seriously or repeatedly violating the provisions of the Code of conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly.

A motion for dismissal concerning the same person and based on the same grounds may be tabled only once in the course of an ordinary session of the Assembly.

55.2. A motion for dismissal shall be presented in both official languages and signed by at least one tenth of the component members (representatives and substitutes) of the Assembly belonging to at least three political groups and ten national delegations.

The motion for dismissal shall be published as an official document within twenty-four working hours, forwarded to the member concerned and referred to the Committee on Rules, Ethics and Immunities, which shall give an opinion on its admissibility. The committee hears the member concerned; the absence of the duly invited member at the meeting is not a valid ground for postponing the committee’s decision. The committee’s opinion shall be approved within twenty-four hours following the reference, if it is decided in the course of a part-session of the Assembly, or otherwise at the meeting which immediately follows the reference. The motion for dismissal shall be put to the vote of the Assembly within twenty-four hours after the approval of the committee’s opinion if it is issued in the course of a part-session of the Assembly, or otherwise at the opening of the part-session which immediately follows the approval of the committee’s opinion.

55.3. A motion for dismissal, presented in both official languages, may also be signed by at least one fifth of the component members (representatives and substitutes) of the Assembly belonging to a least three political groups and fifteen national delegations.

The motion for dismissal shall be published as an official document within twenty-four working hours and forwarded to the member concerned. It shall be put to the vote of the Assembly within twenty-four hours after its publication, if it is issued in the course of a part-session of the Assembly, or otherwise at the opening of the part-session which immediately follows its publication.

55.4. After the publication of the motion for dismissal and until the final decision on the motion is taken, the President or Vice-President ceases to chair the meetings of the Assembly.

55.5. The provisions of Rules 27.5. (alteration of the agenda), 33 (discussion and consideration of texts), 34 (amendments and sub-amendments) and 37 (procedural motions) shall not apply.

55.6. Only the first signatory of the motion, the chairperson of the Committee on Rules, Ethics and Immunities or a representative appointed by the committee, the chairperson of each political group or a representative appointed by the group, and the member to whom the procedure relates may be heard in the debate.

55.7. The Assembly shall decide by using the electronic voting system, in accordance with the quorum conditions laid down in Rule 42.3. and by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast.

55.8. The voluntary resignation of the member concerned from his or her office shall terminate the procedure.

55.9. The dismissal of the President or Vice-President of the Assembly shall take effect immediately after the announcement that the motion has been carried.

55.10. A President of the Parliamentary Assembly who has been dismissed may not rely on the provisions of Rule 20.3.. He or she shall not be eligible for re-election to the office of President or for election to the offices of Vice-President of the Assembly, or of chairperson or vice-chairperson of a committee. He or she shall not be granted the title of Honorary President of the Parliamentary Assembly. A President or Vice-President of the Assembly who has been dismissed from office may not be granted the title of honorary associate of the Parliamentary Assembly.

56.1. A committee may terminate the office of its chairperson or a vice-chairperson at the request of one third of the full members of the committee belonging to at least three political groups and five national delegations on the ground that he or she no longer enjoys the confidence of the committee, be it that he or she no longer fulfils the conditions required for the exercise of that office, or if he or she fails to honour one or more undertaking in the Code of conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly, including if he or she failed to declare any relevant interests or made an untruthful declaration, or if he or she is guilty of serious misconduct by seriously or repeatedly violating the provisions of the Code of conduct for members of the Parliamentary Assembly.

A motion for dismissal concerning the same person and based on the same grounds may be presented only once in the course of an ordinary session of the Assembly.

56.2. The motion for dismissal shall be sent to the members of the committee at least one week before the date of the meeting for which its signatories have requested it be placed on the agenda.

56.3. After the motion for dismissal has been released and until the final decision on the motion is taken, the chairperson or vice-chairperson ceases to chair the meetings of the committee.

56.4. The dismissal shall be pronounced by the committee under the quorum conditions laid down in Rule 47.3., and by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast. It shall have immediate effect. Rule 47.2. on secret ballot shall not apply.

56.5. The voluntary resignation of the chairperson or vice-chairperson concerned from his or her office shall terminate the procedure.

56.6. A committee chairperson or vice-chairperson who has been dismissed shall not be eligible for election or re-election to the position of chairperson of vice-chairperson of a committee. He or she may not be granted the title of honorary associate of the Parliamentary Assembly.

56.7. References, in this paragraph, to committee include sub-committee, network, platform and alliance.