Amendment to Article 25 of the Statute of the Council of Europe

Recommendation 600 (1970)

Author(s):

Parliamentary Assembly

Origin

Assembly debate on 18 April 1970 (2nd Sitting) (see Doc. 2745, report of the Political Affairs Committee). Text adopted by the Assembly on 18 April 1970 (2nd Sitting).

The Assembly,

1. Having regard to the first sub-paragraph (a), of the Statute of the Council of Europe, which provides as follows : "The Consultative Assembly shall consist of Representatives of each Member elected by its parliament or appointed in such a manner as that parliament shall decide, subject, however, to the right of each member government to make any additional appointments necessary when the parliament is not in session and has not laid down the procedure to be followed in that case. Each Representative must be a national of the Member whom he represents, but shall not at the same time be a member of the Committee of Ministers" ;

2. Considering that its authority and its representative character are founded on its members' belonging to the parliamentary assemblies of the member states of the Council of Europe ;

3. Wishing to safeguard and strengthen that authority and that representative character ;

4. Considering that when necessary a reasonable delay should be granted to member states in the appointment of a new parliamentary delegation following elections, but that this delay should not exceed six months ;

5. Noting that Article 138, paragraph 1, of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community stipulates : "The Assembly shall be composed of delegates whom the parliaments shall be called upon to appoint from among their members in accordance with the procedure laid down by each member state", whilst paragraph 3 of the same article provides for the possibility of election of the members of the European Parliament by direct universal suffrage,

6. Recommends to the Committee of Ministers that the first sub-paragraph of Article 25, paragraph (a), of the Statute of the Council of Europe be amended to read as follows : "The Consultative Assembly shall consist of Representatives of each member state, elected by its parliament from among its members or appointed from among the members of parliament in such a manner as that parliament shall decide... (the remainder unchanged)."