Progress Report of the Assembly’s Bureau and Standing Committee (25 June – 4 October 2010)

Progress report | Doc. 12374 Part II | 04 October 2010

Committee: Bureau of the Assembly
Rapporteur :: Mr David WILSHIRE, United Kingdom, EDG
Origin: [Instantiation] 2010 - Fourth part-session
Thesaurus

1Introduction

2Important issues arising since the June 2010 Part-Session not requiring decisions by the Assembly

3Other issues requiring Assembly decisions

Appendix 1– Other Bureau Decisions since 25 June 2010

Appendix 2– Other Information

1 Introduction

1. The Bureau met on 4 October in Strasbourg.

2 Important issues arising since the June 2010 Part-Session not requiring decisions by the Assembly

2.1 Members’ rights to attend official meeting

2. See below under “Issues raised by the committees”.

2.2 Council of Europe reform: measures to enhance the Assembly

3. On 4 October, the Bureau :

a decided to establish an Ad hoc Committee on Assembly reform;

b approved the distribution of members according to Political Groups, its terms of reference, and the timetable foreseen;

c agreed to return to the nominal composition of the Ad hoc Committee at its next meeting, on Friday, 8 October, in the light of consultations during the week within the political groups.

3 Other issues requiring Assembly decisions

3.1 Progress Report of the Bureau of the Assembly and of the Standing Committee (25 June-4 October 2010)

4. On 4 October, the Bureau approved the Progress Report.

3.2 2010 Fourth part-Session of the Assembly (4 - 8 October 2010)

Draft agenda

5. On 4 October, the Bureau brought up to date the draft agenda.

3.3 References of motions to committees

i. References to committees

6. On 4 October, the Bureau approved the following references to committees, subject to ratification by the Assembly:

a Doc. 12324, Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Konečný and others, Broadening the Parliamentary Assembly activities: scrutinizing of Council of Europe’s activities, to the Political Affairs Committee to be taken into account in the preparation of the report on the follow-up to the reform of the Council of Europe

b Doc. 12325, Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Meikar and others, Democracy and human rights in the foreign policy of Council of Europe member states: search for a joint approach, to the Political Affairs Committee for report

c Doc. 12327, Motion for a resolution presented by Mrs Memecan and others, Muslim Women in Europe: for Equal Opportunities, to the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men for report

d Doc. 12329, Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Lindblad and others, Rule of law, human rights and fighting corruption in Ukraine, 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 Ukraine

e Doc. 12333, Motion for a resolution presented by Mrs Reps and others, Undocumented migrant children in an irregular situation: a real cause for concern, to the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population for report and to the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee for opinion

f Doc. 12336, Motion for a recommendation presented by Mr Rochebloine and others, Good governance and sport ethics, to the Committee on Culture, Science and Education for report

g Doc. 12338, Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Gross and others, How much and what kind of state is needed in a democratic and just society?, to the Political Affairs Committee for report to be submitted to the Parliamentary Assembly in the framework of the forthcoming debate on the state of democracy in Europe

h Bureau Decision, Modification of the Rules of Procedure (Rule 59) with regard to the composition of observer delegations, to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for report,

ii. Transmission to committees for information

7. On 4 October, the Bureau approved the following transmission for information, subject to ratification by the Assembly:

a Doc. 12330, Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Lipiński and others, Equalised access to education of minorities languages’ schools in Lithuania, to the Committee on Culture, Science and Education for information

b Doc. 12332, Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Rouquet and others, Energy networks and the environment, to the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs for information

c Doc. 12334, Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Omtzigt and others, The commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, to the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs for information

d Doc. 12351, Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Podlesov and others, Protection of national minorities: some deficiencies in complying with the civil rights of ethnic groups, transmission to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for information

The Assembly is invited to approve these recommendations.

3.4 Composition of the Monitoring Committee and of the Committee on Rules and Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs

8. On 4 October, the Bureau nominated Ms Virág Kaufer (Hungary, SOC), replacing Mr Miloš Melčák (Czech Republic, SOC).

Appendix 1 – Other Bureau Decisions since 25 June 2010

I. Issues raised by committees

Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights

a) Meeting of the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in Tbilisi (16-17 September 2010)

1. On 4 October, the Bureau decided to refer the matter to the Committee on Rules of Procedure and Institutional Affairs for an opinion regarding the scope of and interpretation to be given to the relevant provisions of the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities of the Council of Europe and its Protocol.

II. European Court of Human Rights: Election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights:

2. On 4 October, the Bureau:

took note of the recommendations contained in the document AS/Jur/CDH(2010)09 regarding Estonia and Greece and decided to transmit them to the Assembly;
agreed that the Portuguese authorities be invited to submit a new list, subject to ratification by the Assembly.

III. Appointments of Assembly Representatives for official activities

i. Reports by Assembly representatives on their participation in official activities

3. On 4 October, the Bureau took note of the report by Ms Karin S. Woldseth (Norway, EDG) on her participation in the 19th Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Oslo, on 6-10 July 2010.

Appendix 2 – Other Information

I. Observation of elections

1. On 4 October, the Bureau took note of the revised list of elections during 2010, contained in document AS/Bur (2010) 10 rev 2.

a. Constitutional referendum in Moldova (5 September 2010)

2. On 4 October, the Bureau

i) Constitutional referendum (5 September 2010)

Approved the report from the observation mission.

ii) Early general elections (28 November 2010)

a) decided to observe the early general elections – subject to the receipt of an invitation from the Parliament of Moldova;

b) constituted 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; 5 EDG; 1 UEL);

c) authorised a pre-electoral mission composed of five members – one from each political group, who are also members of the Ad hoc Committee – to be carried out approximately one month before the elections.

b. General elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (3 October 2010)

1. On 4 October, the Bureau took note of the report of the pre-electoral mission resulting from the Ad hoc Committee’s visit.

II. Communications

1. On 8 September and 4 October, the Bureau took note of the communications by the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe; and the Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly.

III. Date and place of the next meetings

1. On 4 October, the Bureau decided to hold forthcoming meetings as follows:

Strasbourg, Friday 8 October 2010, at 8.30 am;
Antalya, Thursday 11 November 2010 at 3.00 pm;
Paris, Monday 13 December 2010 at 9.30 am.