Activities of the Assembly’s Bureau and Standing Committee (24 June 2019)

Progress report | Doc. 14911 Add. 1 | 24 June 2019

Author(s):: Bureau of the Assembly
Rapporteur :: Ms Petra De SUTTER, Belgium, SOC

1 Decisions of the Bureau of 24 June 2019 requiring ratification by the Assembly

1.1 References and transmissions to committees

The Bureau considered and approved the following references and transmissions:

Doc. 14878, Motion for a resolution, Addressing the issue of Daesh foreign fighters and their families returning from Syria and other countries to the member States of the Council of Europe: reference to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for report;
Doc. 14879, Motion for a resolution, Alleged violations of LGBTI+ rights in the Caucasus region: reference to the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination for report;
Doc. 14880, Motion for a resolution, Reviewing effective marginal tax rates for low-income working families: transmission to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for information;
Doc. 14881, Motion for a resolution, Promoting and regulating the use of blockchain technology by and for refugees: transmission to the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Displaced Persons for information;
Doc. 14890, Motion for a resolution, Vaccine hesitancy: a major public health issue: reference to the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development for report;
Doc. 14891, Motion for a resolution, Election observation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the monitoring procedure: no further action.

1.2 Composition of the Monitoring Committee and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, immunities and institutional Affairs

1.2.1 Monitoring Committee

The Bureau,

on the basis of a proposal by the SOC Group, appointed Mr Indrek Saar (Estonia), Mr Christophe Lacroix (Belgium) and Mr Domagoj Hajduković (Croatia);
on the basis of a proposal by the EC Group, appointed Mr Krasimir Bogdanov (Bulgaria), Mr Mikayel Melkumyan (Armenia) and Mr John Howell (United Kingdom);
on the basis of a proposal by the ALDE Group, appointed Mr Petri Honkonen (Finland);
on the basis of a proposal by the UEL Group, appointed Ms Violeta Tomić (Slovenia);
on the basis of a proposal by the FDG Group, appointed Ms Ulviyye Aghayeva (Azerbaijan).

1.2.2 Committee on Rules of Procedure, immunities and institutional Affairs

The Bureau,

on the basis of a proposal by the EPP/CD Group, appointed Mr Luís Leite Ramos (Portugal);
on the basis of a proposal by the SOC Group, appointed Ms Petra Bayr (Austria) and Mr Indrek Saar (Estonia);
on the basis of a proposal by the ALDE Group, appointed Mr Michael Aastrup Jensen (Denmark);
on the basis of a proposal by the UEL Group, appointed Ms Rósa Björk Brynjólfsdóttir (Iceland).

The Assembly is invited to ratify these Bureau decisions.

2 Other decisions by the Bureau

2.1 Third part-session of 2019 (Strasbourg, 24-28 June)

2.1.1 Requests for debates under urgent procedure and current affairs debate

The Bureau took note of the request tabled by the EC Group and decided to recommend to the Assembly not to hold a debate under urgent procedure on Putting an end to the Russian blackmail: request to the Committee of Ministers to hold the Russian Federation accountable for its non-payment of membership-fees.

The Bureau took note of the request tabled by the EPP/CD Group and decided to recommend to the Assembly not to hold a debate under urgent procedure on Obligation of all States to make sure that the people who downed flight MH17 on July 17 July 2014 are brought to justice.

2.1.2 Draft agenda

The Bureau updated the draft agenda.

2.1.3 Election of judges to the European Court of Human Rights

The Bureau took note of the report drawn up by the Committee on the election of judges following interviews with candidates for the posts of judges in respect of Estonia and Germany. This report had been already declassified by the Committee and submitted to the attention of all members of the Assembly (Doc. 14911 Add. 2).

2.1.4 Joint Committee (Strasbourg, 27 June 2019, 12.00 noon)

The Bureau prepared the meeting.

2.2 Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and of the Standing Committee (12 April – 23 June 2019) (Rapporteur: Ms Petra De Sutter (Belgium, SOC))

The Bureau approved the Progress report (Doc. 14911).

2.3 Elections observation

2.3.1 Ukraine: early parliamentary elections (21 July 2019)

The Bureau took note of the invitation letter, approved the list of members of the ad hoc committee to observe these elections (see appendix) and appointed Lord Russell (United Kingdom, EC) as its Chairperson.

2.4 Communications

The Bureau took note of the communications by the President of the Assembly, the Secretary General and the Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe and of the decision of the Secretary General to hand over to his successor on 18 September 2019. As a result, the term of office of the new Secretary General to be elected by the Assembly on 26 June 2019 will begin on 18 September 2019 for a period of 5 years, until 17 September 2024.

2.5 OECD Global Parliamentary Network (Paris, 10 0ctober 2019)

The Bureau decided to set up an ad hoc committee of the Bureau to participate in the OECD Global Parliamentary Network to be held in Paris on 10 October 2019.

2.6 Institutional representation of the Parliamentary Assembly in 2019

Following the resignation of Ms Stella Kyriakides, the Bureau appointed Ms Thorhildur Sunna Ævarsdóttir (Iceland), as representative of the Assembly to the Venice Commission.

2.7 Meetings elsewhere than Strasbourg and Paris

The Bureau authorised the following meetings:

the Sub-Committee on Culture, Diversity and Heritage and the Sub-Committee on Media and Information Society (of the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media) to meet in London on 10 and 11 July 2019;
the Sub-Committee of the Europe Prize (of the Committee on Social affairs, Health and Sustainable Development) to meet in Donostia / San Sebastián (Spain) on 19 September 2019.

Appendix – Ad hoc Committee for the observation of the early parliamentary elections in Ukraine – 21 July 2019

List of members / Liste des membres

Chairperson / Président:

Lord RUSSELL, United Kingdom / Royaume-Uni

Group of the European People’s Party (EPP/CD) / Groupe du Parti populaire européen (PPE/DC)

...

Socialists, Democrats and Greens Group / Groupe des socialistes, démocrates et verts (SOC)

Mr / M. Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria / Autriche

Mr / M. Pierre-Alain FRIDEZ, Switzerland / Suisse

Mr / M. Erwin BUSHATI, Albania / Albanie

Mr / M. Constantinos EFSTATHIOU, Cyprus / Chypre

Mr / M. Etienne GRECH, Malta / Malte

Mr / M. Predrag SEKULIĆ, Montenegro / Monténégro

Mr / M. Betian K ITEV, North Macedonia / Macédoine du Nord

Ms / Mme Petra BAYR, Austria / Autriche

Mr / M. Sabir HAJIYEV, Azerbaijan / Azerbaïdjan

…

European Conservatives Group (EC) / Groupe des conservateurs européens (CE)

Lord BLENCATHRA, United Kingdom / Royaume-Uni

Ms / Mme Naira ZOHRABYAN, Armenia / Arménie

Lord RUSSELL, United Kingdom / Royaume-Uni

Ms / Mme Nino GOGUADZE, Georgia / Géorgie

…

Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) / Alliance des démocrates et des libéraux pour l’Europe (ADLE)

Mr / M. Mart van de VEN, Netherlands / Pays-Bas*

Mr / M. Jacques LE NAY, France

Mr / M. Christoph HOFFMANN, Germany / Allemagne

Mr / M. Jokin BILDARRATZ, Spain / Espagne

Mr / M. František KOPŘIVA, Czech Republic / République Tchèque

…

Substitutes / suppléants

Mr / M. Bertand BOUYX, France

Mr / M. Hovhannes IGITYAN, Armenia / Arménie

Group of the Unified European Left (UEL) / Groupe pour la gauche unitaire européenne (GUE)

Mr / M. Andrej HUNKO, Germany / Allemagne*

Mr / M. Paul GAVAN, Ireland / Irlande

Substitutes / suppléants

Mr / M. George LOUCAIDES, Cyprus / Chypre

Mr / M. Marco NICOLINI, San Marino / Saint-Marin

Free Democrats Group (FDG) / Groupe des démocrates libres (GDL)

Mr / M. Nagif HAMZAYEV, Azerbaijan / Azerbaïdjan*

Substitutes / suppléants

Mr Elshad HASANOV, Azerbaijan / Azerbaïdjan

Co-rapporteurs AS/MON (ex officio)

Mr / M. Alfred HEER, Switzerland / Suisse

Venice Commission / Commission de Venise

Michael JANSSEN, Administrator / Administrateur

Secretariat / Secrétariat

……………………………

Accompanying person:

Lady Tara BLENCATHRA, accompanying Lord David BLENCATHRA

* Member of the pre-electoral mission / membre de la mission pré-électorale