Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and of the Standing Committee (30 April-21 June 2010)
Progress report
| Doc. 12292 Part I
| 17 June 2010
- Author(s):
- Bureau of the Assembly
- Rapporteur :
- Mr Tiny KOX,
Netherlands, UEL
- Thesaurus
1 Introduction
1. The Bureau met on 30 April in Strasbourg and on 20
May in Skopje. The Standing Committee met on 21 May in Skopje.
2 Functioning of the Assembly
2.1 Progress Report of the Bureau of the Assembly
and of the Standing Committee (30 April-21 June 2010)
2. On 30 April, the Bureau appointed Mr Kox (Netherlands,
UEL) as rapporteur.
2.2 Follow-up to texts adopted at the Standing Committee
meeting (Paris, 12 March 2010) and during the 2010 2nd ordinary
part-Session of the Assembly (Strasbourg, 26 – 30 April 2010)
3. On 30 April, the Bureau approved the proposals made
by the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly.
2.3 Standing Committee (Skopje, 21 May 2010)
i. Draft agenda
4. On 30 April, the Bureau took note of the draft agenda.
5. On 20 May, the Bureau took note of the up-dated draft agenda.
ii. Meeting of the Standing Committee
6. On 21 May, the Standing Committee:
a heard a welcome address by Mr Trajko
Veljanoski, President of the National Assembly;
b held an exchange of views with Mr Antonio Milošoski, Minister
for Foreign Affairs of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”,
Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;
c ratified the credentials of new members of the Assembly
submitted by the delegations of Greece and Hungary;
d ratified the changes in the composition of Assembly committees
in respect of the delegations of Greece, Hungary and Italy;
e took note of the draft agenda of the third part-session
of the Assembly (21-25 June 2010);
f postponed consideration of the report on Noise and light
pollution (
Doc. 12179)
to the next Standing Committee;
2.4 Adopted texts
7. On 21 May, the Standing Committee adopted, on behalf
of the Assembly, the following texts:
Draft third Additional Protocol to the European Convention
on Extradition
Reinforcing the effectiveness of Council of Europe treaty
law
Gender budgeting as a tool for safeguarding women’s health
Reinforcing the effectiveness of Council of Europe treaty
law
Reinforcing measures against sex offenders
Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the 2011 financial
year
The European civil aviation industry confronted with the global
financial and economic crisis
Code of good practice in the field of political parties
Geothermal energy: a local answer to a hot topic?
2.5 2010 Third ordinary part-Session of the Assembly
(21-25 June 2010)
8. On 30 April, the Bureau drew up a preliminary draft
agenda;
9. On 20 May, the Bureau up-dated the draft agenda.
2.6 References and transmissions to committees
10. On 30 April, the Bureau approved the following references
and modifications of references, which were ratified the same day
by the Assembly:
i. References to committees
a. Request from the Parliament of Morocco for partner for
democracy status within the Parliamentary Assembly
Bureau decision, to the Political Affairs Committee for report and to the Committee
on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Committee on Equal Opportunities
for Women and Men for opinion
b. Harmonisation of regulatory and para-regulatory provisions
of monitoring and post-monitoring dialogue procedures
Bureau decision, to the Committee on Rules of Procedure,
Immunities and Institutional Affairs for
report
c. Fair representation of political parties or groups in their
respective parliaments in national delegations to the Parliamentary
Assembly
Bureau decision, Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities
and Institutional Affairs for report
ii. No further action taken
a. An obligatory criterion for the selection procedure of
Parliamentary Assembly’s presidential candidates
Motion for a resolution presented by Ms Postanjyan and others,
Doc. 12095
iii. Extension of references
a. The demographic future of Europe and migration
Motion for a resolution presented by Ms Hajibayli and others, Doc. 11604, validity
extended to 31 December 2010
b. Unaccompanied minors in Europe: issues of arrival, stay
and return
Motion for a recommendation presented by Ms Jonker and others, Doc. 11605, validity
extended to 31 December 2010
iv. Transmission for consultation
a. Input for development
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Galati and others, Doc. 12184, to the
Committee on Economic Affairs and Development for
consultation on the follow-up to be given
11. On 21 May, the Standing Committee approved the following
references and modifications to references:
i. References to committees
a. Mediation by the Council of Europe in cases of hostage-taking
of Council of Europe member states citizens
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Müri and others,
Doc. 12225,
to the Political Affairs Committee for
report
b. Armenia's determination to become a monoethnic State and
implement a policy against its national minorities
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr R. Huseynov and others, Doc. 12227, to the
Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member
States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee) to be taken into account in the preparation
of the report on Honouring of obligations and commitments by Armenia
c. European cultural and educational policies through national
parliaments
Motion for a resolution presented by Mrs Brasseur and others, Doc. 12228, to the
Committee on Culture, Science and Education for
report
d. Securing the fundamental right to equality between women
and men in the European Convention on Human Rights
Motion for a recommendation presented by Mrs Err and others, Doc. 12229, to the
Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men for report and to the Committee
on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for opinion
e. Right of member states to cultivate or not to cultivate
genetically modified crops
Motion for a recommendation presented by Mr Toshev and others, Doc. 12233, to the
Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional
Affairs to be taken into account in the preparation of the report
on “Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): a solution for the future?”
(Ref. 3532)
f. Health hazards of heavy metals
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Huss and others, Doc. 12234, to the
Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee for report
ii. Transmission for information
a. Nuclear energy projects in Belarus and the Kaliningrad
Region of the Russian Federation
Motion for a resolution presented by Mrs Vėsaitė and others, Doc. 12226, to the
Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional
Affairs for information
iii. Extensions of references
a. Promoting parliamentary diplomacy
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Mota Amaral and others, Doc. 11593, Ref.
3455 of 23 June 2008 – validity: 23 June 2010, extension until 31 December 2010
b. The looming crisis facing the European Court of Human Rights:
urgent action needed
Decision of the Bureau, Ref. 3380 of 5 October 2007 – validity:
30 June 2010, extension until
31 December 2011
c. The need for a global consideration of Human rights implications
of Biometrics
Motion for a recommendation presented by Mr Wodarg and others, Doc. 11066, Ref.
3288 of 22 January 2007 – validity: 30 June 2010, extension until 31 October 2010
d. Inhumane treatment of people and illicit trafficking in
human organs in Kosovo
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Kosachev and others, Doc. 11574, Ref.
3446 of 29 May 2008 – validity: 29 May 2010, extension until
31 December 2010
e. Strengthening measures to protect and revive highly endangered
languages
Motion for a recommendation presented by Mrs Hurskainen and
others, Doc. 11517,
Ref. 3427 of 14 April 2008 – validity: 30 June 2010, extension until 31 January 2011
2.7 Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and
Institutional Affairs
12. On 30 April, the Bureau instructed the Committee
on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to draw
up a report on the subject “Fair representation of political parties
or groups in their respective parliaments in national delegations
to the Parliamentary Assembly”.
2.8 Composition of the Monitoring Committee
13. On 30 April, the Bureau approved a modification to
the list of members.
2.9 Appointments of Assembly Representatives for official
activities
14. On 30 April, the Bureau appointed the following Assembly
representatives:
a Mr Lindblad (Sweden,
EPP/CD): Trans-Asian parliamentary Forum organised by the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly, Almaty (Kazakhstan), 14-16 May 2010;
b Mr de Puig (Spain, SOC): Ceremony of the 20th anniversary
of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, Lisbon (Portugal),
18 May 2010;
c Mr MacShane (United Kingdom, SOC): Spring session of the
NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Riga (Latvia), 28 May-1 June 2010 (no
cost for the Assembly);
d Mr Kaikkonnen (Finland, ALDE) and Mr Korkeaoja (Finland,
ALDE): 74th Rose Roth seminar, Helsinki (Finland),
17-19 June 2010 (no cost for the Assembly).
15. On 20 May, the Bureau appointed the following Assembly representatives:
a Mr Dorić, (Croatia, ALDE), seminar
on “local government and territorial dynamics”, Rabat (Morocco),
7 June 2010;
b Mr Lipinski, (Poland, EPP/CD), Community of Democracies
Parliamentary Forum, Krakow (Poland), 3 July 2010;
c Mr Lotman (Estonia, UEL), 15th Session
of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Spatial/Regional
Planning of the Council of Europe (CEMAT), Moscow (Russian Federation),
8-9 July 2010.
2.10 Meetings elsewhere than in Strasbourg and Paris
16. On 30 April, the Bureau authorised the following
meetings:
a Ad Hoc Sub-Committee
of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men: Baku (Azerbaijan),
24-25 May 2010;
b Committee on Economic Affairs and Development and Sub-Committee
on Tourism and Development: Valetta (Malta), 28-29 May 2010;
c Sub-Committee on Migration of the Committee on Migration,
Refugees and Population: Lisbon (Portugal), 31 May-1 June 2010.
17. On 20 May, the Bureau authorised the following meetings:
a Committee on Legal Affairs and
Human Rights, Batumi (Georgia), 16-17 September 2010;
b Committee on Migrations, Refugees and Population, Ohrid
(“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”), 16-17 September 2010
(tbc).
2.11 Visits by rapporteurs
18. On 20 May, the Bureau authorised Mr Mogens Jensen
(Denmark, SOC), Rapporteur of the Committee on Culture, Science
and Education for “Islam, Islamism and Islamophobia”, to participate
in the 2010 Forum of the UN Alliance of Civilisations to be held
in Rio de Janeiro from 27 to 29 May 2010.
3 Conferences
3.1 European Conference of Presidents of Parliament,
Limassol (Cyprus), 10-12 June 2010
19. On 30 April, the Bureau took note of a revised draft
programme.
3.2 Forum for the Future of Democracy (Yerevan, Armenia,
19-20 October 2010)
20. On 30 April, the Bureau agreed that each Committee
of the Assembly be given the possibility of appointing up to five
members to the Ad hoc Committee which would participate in the Forum.
4 Elections
4.1 Bosnia and Herzegovina: parliamentary elections
(3 October 2010)
21. On 20 May, the Bureau decided:
a to constitute an Ad hoc Committee to observe these elections
composed of 30 members, in accordance with the D’Hondt system (11
EPP/CD, 9 SOC, 5 ALDE, 4 EDG, 1 UEL);
b to authorise a pre-electoral mission composed of five
members – one from each political group also members of the Ad hoc
Committee – to be carried out approximately one month before the
elections.
5 Relations with other bodies of the Council of
Europe
5.1 Committee of Ministers
i. Meeting of the Assemby’s Presidential Committee with
the Bureau of the Committee of Ministers, Strasbourg, 26 April 2010
22. On 30 April, the Bureau took note of information
provided by the President.
ii. 120th Session of the Committee
of Ministers of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 11 May 2010)
23. On 20 May, the Bureau heard an account of the outcome
of the Session from the President.
iii. Draft agenda of the Joint Committee (Thursday, 24
June 2010 at 6.30 pm)
24. On 20 May, the Bureau agreed to propose to the Committee
of Ministers the following items for inclusion on the agenda:
a Statutory consultation on the candidates
for the post of Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly;
b Enhancing dialogue and co-operation between the Parliamentary
Assembly and the Committee of Ministers;
c Future priorities of the Council of Europe and budgetary
prospects for 2011.
6 Relations with non-member states
6.1 Belarus
25. On 30 April, the Bureau:
a agreed that the reference to “high-level contacts” in
Resolution 1727 (2010) should
be understood to mean members of the Bureau;
b decided to return to this matter at its next meeting.
26. On 20 May, the Bureau held an exchange of views on the situation
in Belarus and authorised Mrs Hurskainen (Finland, SOC) to carry
out a fact-finding visit to the country in her capacity as Rapporteur
of the Political Affairs Committee for “the Situation in Belarus”.
6.2 Request by the Moroccan Parliament for the status
of Partner of Democracy with the Assembly
27. On 30 April, in accordance with Rule 60.7 of the
Assembly’s Rules of Procedure, the Bureau referred this request
to the Political Affairs Committee for report and to the Committee
on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Committee on Equal Opportunities
for Women and Men for opinion.
7 Other business
7.1 Rights of temporary staff of the Council of Europe
28. On 30 April, the Bureau held an exchange of views
on this subject and decided to prepare a statement to be addressed
to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
29. On 20 May, the Bureau adopted a statement appearing (see on
the Assembly website) and decided to forward it to the Secretary
General of the Council of Europe.
7.2 Communications
30. On 20 May, the Bureau took note of the communication
by the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly.
