Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (January 2023)

(Resolution 1202 (1999) adopted on 4 November 1999) with subsequent modifications of the Rules of Procedure* * Resolutions 1220 (2000), 1234 (2000), 1235 (2000), 1266 (2001), 1275 (2002), 1284 (2002), 1296 (2002), 1325 (2003), 1343 (2003), 1348 (2003), 1356 (2003), 1368 (2004), 1369 (2004), 1379 (2004), 1395 (2004), 1431 (2005), 1432 (2005), 1445 (2005), 1447 (2005), 1448 (2005), 1490 (2006), 1491 (2006), 1503 (2006), 1504 (2006), 1515 (2006), 1529 (2006), 1554 (2007), 1583 (2007), 1584 (2007), 1585 (2007), 1658 (2009), 1698 (2009), 1699 (2009), 1712 (2010), 1780 (2010), 1799 (2011), 1841 (2011), 1842 (2011), 1854 (2011), 1903 (2012), 1911 (2012), 1937 (2013), 1965 (2013), 2002 (2014), 2058 (2015), 2102 (2016), 2169 (2017), 2182 (2017), 2208 (2018), 2278 (2019), 2287 (2019), 2349 (2020), 2350 (2020), 2360 (2021), 2392 (2021), 2405 (2021)<br><br>Wherever used herein, the masculine form refers to both women and men, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The words "President", "Vice-President", "Secretary General", "Representative", "Substitute", "chairperson", etc. refer to persons of both sexes.

Rules of Procedure of the Assembly

Parts: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII.

Complementary texts

Parts: I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII.

Index

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Print

    Additional provisions relating to Assembly debates Retour au sommaire Atteindre l'élement suivant Atteindre l'élement précédent

    (adopted by the Bureau of the Assembly on 25 March 2002 Approved by the Standing Committee on 26 March 2002. and 17 December 2007 See Doc. 11490 Part 1.) The additional provisions relating to Assembly debates shall apply in accordance with the provisions set out in Rule when the Assembly meets in a hybrid manner or remotely.

      vi. - Guidelines for questions to guest speakers See Resolution 1658 (2009).

      A. Questions to the Chairperson-in-office of the Committee of Ministers (Rule 61.2. of the Rules of Procedure)
      I. Oral questions
      1. In order to enable members of the Assembly to put their questions to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers and to hear the replies, the presentation of the report on the activities of the Committee of Ministers may not exceed one-third of the total time allotted for the communication from the Committee of Ministers.
      2. Representatives or substitutes wishing to put an oral question to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers must enter their names on the appropriate register within the prescribed time (see “Additional provisions relating to Assembly debates” - ii. List of speakers, paragraph 5). When they enter their names on the register, they will be asked to state the subject of their question.
      3. If there is sufficient time, the President of the Assembly may authorise the author of a question to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers to ask a supplementary question following the latter’s answer.
      4. Each political group may appoint a spokesperson to put a question to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers.
      II. Written questions
      5. Representatives or substitutes wishing to put a written question to the Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers must enter their names on the appropriate register and submit the text of the question at least one week before the opening of the part-session.
      6. Written questions on the same subject or related subjects may receive a joint answer.
      B. Questions to other guest speakers
      7. Representatives and substitutes may put written questions to the Secretary General of the Council of Europe for oral answer. They must enter their names on the appropriate register and submit the text of the question at least one week before the opening of the part-session. Written questions on the same subject or related subjects may receive a joint answer. This exercise requires the consent of the Secretary General.
      8. Representatives or substitutes may put spontaneous questions to guest speakers when this is provided for in the agenda of the part-session or authorised by the President of the Assembly during a sitting. Questions may be restricted to political groups’ spokespersons. No supplementary question may be asked.
      C. Criteria applicable to questions
      9. The time allowed for the presentation of all questions or supplementary questions by their author shall be limited to thirty seconds.
      10. The President of the Assembly shall decide whether questions are in order and determine the order in which questions are called. See also the guidelines approved by the Bureau on 20 June 2011 on the order of speakers for questions to guest speakers (document AS/Bur (2011) 46. The President could decide that, following the representatives of the five political groups, the first half of a list of speakers for questions to a guest speaker would be taken in the chronological order of their registration, subject to there being only one speaker per national delegation.
      11. To assess whether a question is in order, the following considerations shall be taken into account:
      — the question must be of general interest and not relate to strictly personal matters;
      — the question shall be formulated clearly and concisely and be restricted to the elements which are absolutely essential for an understanding of the question;
      — the question shall be interrogatory in form and contain only one request;
      — the question shall not contain any personal accusation against third parties mentioned by name, or any insulting or defamatory remarks;
      — a question to the Chairperson-in-office of the Committee of Ministers must fall within the competence of the Organisation and the sphere of responsibility of the Committee of Ministers.
      12. Oral answers shall be published in the report of the sitting. Written answers shall be published as an official Assembly document distributed before the opening of the sitting at which the communication from the Committee of Ministers is to be presented.