Competence of the Standing Committee, the establishment of its agenda and the procedure for its meetings
- Author(s):
- Parliamentary Assembly
- Origin
- Assembly debate on 10 May 1971 (1st Sitting) (see Doc. 2925, report of the Committee on Rules of Procedure). Text adopted by the Assembly on 10 May 1971 (1st Sitting).
The Assembly,
1. Considering the need to improve the organisation of its proceedings in view of the accepted length of its sessions and the number of questions referred to committees ;
2. Believing it possible to use to this end simplified procedures for examining committee reports on non-controversial subjects ;
3. Anxious, however, to reserve the right of its members to speak on all committee reports ;
4. Having regard to the report of the Committee on Rules of Procedure (
Doc. 2925),
5. Resolves to make the following amendments to its Rules of Procedure :
6. (a) Rule 29 (Tacit adoption procedure) :
7. To delete paragraph 1 and insert the following :
8. "1. When preparing the agenda for a part-session of the Assembly the Standing Committee may, on the proposal of a committee, include in it reports presented by that committee under the tacit adoption procedure, consisting of approving a text by the Assembly without its oral presentation or general debate."
9. (b) Rule 42 (Standing Committee) :
10. To amend the beginning of paragraph 2 to read as follows :
11. "2. The Standing Committee shall consist of the President of the Assembly, who shall be Chairman of the committee, the ten Vice-Presidents, who shall be Vice-Chairmen, and the Chairmen of the general committees listed in Rule 43 (1) below, who shall be members ex officio, ..."(remainder unchanged) ;
12. (ii) To add the following sentence at the end of paragraph 4 :
13. "It shall examine on behalf of the Assembly committee reports placed on the agenda in accordance with Rule 46 (4) or with Rule 47 (urgent procedure).
14. (iii) To add a new paragraph 6 reading as follows :
15. "6. Subject to any provision to the contrary in this Rule, or in Rule 36 (majorities required) or 46 (reports of committees), procedure in the Standing Committee shall be governed by Rule 45 (procedure in committee), in particular with regard to the quorum, methods of voting, the tabling of amendments and procedural motions."
16. (c) Rule 46 (Reports of committees) ;
17. (i) After paragraph 3, to insert a new paragraph 4 as follows (the present paragraph 4 becoming paragraph 5) :
18. "4. After adoption of a report by a committee, the committee shall decide if it is to be :
a either submitted to the Assembly for debate ;
b or submitted to the Assembly for tacit adoption in pursuance of Rule 29 ;
c or submitted to the Standing Committee as provided in paragraph 6 below.
19. For the procedures referred to in paragraphs (b) and (c) above, a unanimous decision of the members voting shall be required."
20. (ii) At the end of Rule 46 to add the following new paragraphs 6 and 7 :
21. "6. If a committee decides to have one of its reports examined by the Standing Committee, all members of the Assembly shall be so informed and placed in possession of that report not less than three weeks before the meeting of the Standing Committee. They may submit reasons for the report to be discussed in plenary Assembly and any such request shall be granted if submitted a clear week before the meeting of the Standing Committee by at least five members or by the Chairman of a political group on the group's behalf.
22. 7. When a committee report is under consideration in the Standing Committee, reference of the report to the plenary Assembly may be required at any time by the Chairman of the committee concerned, by the Rapporteur, who shall be fully entitled to take part in the discussion, though not in the voting, by the Chairman of any special committee by which the report has been submitted, by five members of the Standing Committee or by the Chairman of a political group on behalf of that group."
