Progress report | Doc. 12292 Part I | 17 June 2010
Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and of the Standing Committee (30 April-21 June 2010)
1. Introduction
2. Functioning of the Assembly
2.1. Progress Report of the Bureau of the Assembly and of the Standing Committee (30 April-21 June 2010)
2.2. Follow-up to texts adopted at the Standing Committee meeting (Paris, 12 March 2010) and during the 2010 2nd ordinary part-Session of the Assembly (Strasbourg, 26 – 30 April 2010)
2.3. Standing Committee (Skopje, 21 May 2010)
i. Draft agenda
ii. Meeting of the Standing Committee
a. heard a welcome address by Mr Trajko Veljanoski, President of the National Assembly;
b. held an exchange of views with Mr Antonio Milošoski, Minister for Foreign Affairs of “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, Chairperson of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe;
c. ratified the credentials of new members of the Assembly submitted by the delegations of Greece and Hungary;
d. ratified the changes in the composition of Assembly committees in respect of the delegations of Greece, Hungary and Italy;
e. took note of the draft agenda of the third part-session of the Assembly (21-25 June 2010);
f. postponed consideration of the report on Noise and light pollution (Doc. 12179) to the next Standing Committee;
2.4. Adopted texts
Draft third Additional Protocol to the European Convention on Extradition
Reinforcing the effectiveness of Council of Europe treaty law
Gender budgeting as a tool for safeguarding women’s health
Reinforcing the effectiveness of Council of Europe treaty law
Reinforcing measures against sex offenders
Expenditure of the Parliamentary Assembly for the 2011 financial year
The European civil aviation industry confronted with the global financial and economic crisis
Code of good practice in the field of political parties
Geothermal energy: a local answer to a hot topic?
2.5. 2010 Third ordinary part-Session of the Assembly (21-25 June 2010)
2.6. References and transmissions to committees
i. References to committees
a. Request from the Parliament of Morocco for partner for democracy status within the Parliamentary Assembly
Bureau decision, to the Political Affairs Committee for report and to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights and the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men for opinion
b. Harmonisation of regulatory and para-regulatory provisions of monitoring and post-monitoring dialogue procedures
Bureau decision, to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for report
c. Fair representation of political parties or groups in their respective parliaments in national delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly
Bureau decision, Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for report
ii. No further action taken
a. An obligatory criterion for the selection procedure of Parliamentary Assembly’s presidential candidates
Motion for a resolution presented by Ms Postanjyan and others, Doc. 12095
iii. Extension of references
a. The demographic future of Europe and migration
Motion for a resolution presented by Ms Hajibayli and others, Doc. 11604, validity extended to 31 December 2010
b. Unaccompanied minors in Europe: issues of arrival, stay and return
Motion for a recommendation presented by Ms Jonker and others, Doc. 11605, validity extended to 31 December 2010
iv. Transmission for consultation
a. Input for development
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Galati and others, Doc. 12184, to the Committee on Economic Affairs and Development for consultation on the follow-up to be given
i. References to committees
a. Mediation by the Council of Europe in cases of hostage-taking of Council of Europe member states citizens
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Müri and others, Doc. 12225, to the Political Affairs Committee for report
b. Armenia's determination to become a monoethnic State and implement a policy against its national minorities
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr R. Huseynov and others, Doc. 12227, 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 Armenia
c. European cultural and educational policies through national parliaments
Motion for a resolution presented by Mrs Brasseur and others, Doc. 12228, to the Committee on Culture, Science and Education for report
d. Securing the fundamental right to equality between women and men in the European Convention on Human Rights
Motion for a recommendation presented by Mrs Err and others, Doc. 12229, to the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men for report and to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights for opinion
e. Right of member states to cultivate or not to cultivate genetically modified crops
Motion for a recommendation presented by Mr Toshev and others, Doc. 12233, to the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs to be taken into account in the preparation of the report on “Genetically modified organisms (GMOs): a solution for the future?” (Ref. 3532)
f. Health hazards of heavy metals
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Huss and others, Doc. 12234, to the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee for report
ii. Transmission for information
a. Nuclear energy projects in Belarus and the Kaliningrad Region of the Russian Federation
Motion for a resolution presented by Mrs Vėsaitė and others, Doc. 12226, to the Committee on the Environment, Agriculture and Local and Regional Affairs for information
iii. Extensions of references
a. Promoting parliamentary diplomacy
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Mota Amaral and others, Doc. 11593, Ref. 3455 of 23 June 2008 – validity: 23 June 2010, extension until 31 December 2010
b. The looming crisis facing the European Court of Human Rights: urgent action needed
Decision of the Bureau, Ref. 3380 of 5 October 2007 – validity: 30 June 2010, extension until 31 December 2011
c. The need for a global consideration of Human rights implications of Biometrics
Motion for a recommendation presented by Mr Wodarg and others, Doc. 11066, Ref. 3288 of 22 January 2007 – validity: 30 June 2010, extension until 31 October 2010
d. Inhumane treatment of people and illicit trafficking in human organs in Kosovo
Motion for a resolution presented by Mr Kosachev and others, Doc. 11574, Ref. 3446 of 29 May 2008 – validity: 29 May 2010, extension until 31 December 2010
e. Strengthening measures to protect and revive highly endangered languages
Motion for a recommendation presented by Mrs Hurskainen and others, Doc. 11517, Ref. 3427 of 14 April 2008 – validity: 30 June 2010, extension until 31 January 2011
2.7. Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs
2.8. Composition of the Monitoring Committee
2.9. Appointments of Assembly Representatives for official activities
a. Mr Lindblad (Sweden, EPP/CD): Trans-Asian parliamentary Forum organised by the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, Almaty (Kazakhstan), 14-16 May 2010;
b. Mr de Puig (Spain, SOC): Ceremony of the 20th anniversary of the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe, Lisbon (Portugal), 18 May 2010;
c. Mr MacShane (United Kingdom, SOC): Spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, Riga (Latvia), 28 May-1 June 2010 (no cost for the Assembly);
d. Mr Kaikkonnen (Finland, ALDE) and Mr Korkeaoja (Finland, ALDE): 74th Rose Roth seminar, Helsinki (Finland), 17-19 June 2010 (no cost for the Assembly).
a. Mr Dorić, (Croatia, ALDE), seminar on “local government and territorial dynamics”, Rabat (Morocco), 7 June 2010;
b. Mr Lipinski, (Poland, EPP/CD), Community of Democracies Parliamentary Forum, Krakow (Poland), 3 July 2010;
c. Mr Lotman (Estonia, UEL), 15th Session of the European Conference of Ministers responsible for Spatial/Regional Planning of the Council of Europe (CEMAT), Moscow (Russian Federation), 8-9 July 2010.
2.10. Meetings elsewhere than in Strasbourg and Paris
a. Ad Hoc Sub-Committee of the Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men: Baku (Azerbaijan), 24-25 May 2010;
b. Committee on Economic Affairs and Development and Sub-Committee on Tourism and Development: Valetta (Malta), 28-29 May 2010;
c. Sub-Committee on Migration of the Committee on Migration, Refugees and Population: Lisbon (Portugal), 31 May-1 June 2010.
a. Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights, Batumi (Georgia), 16-17 September 2010;
b. Committee on Migrations, Refugees and Population, Ohrid (“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”), 16-17 September 2010 (tbc).
2.11. Visits by rapporteurs
3. Conferences
3.1. European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, Limassol (Cyprus), 10-12 June 2010
3.2. Forum for the Future of Democracy (Yerevan, Armenia, 19-20 October 2010)
4. Elections
4.1. Bosnia and Herzegovina: parliamentary elections (3 October 2010)
a. to constitute 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, 4 EDG, 1 UEL);
b. to authorise a pre-electoral mission composed of five members – one from each political group also members of the Ad hoc Committee – to be carried out approximately one month before the elections.
5. Relations with other bodies of the Council of Europe
5.1. Committee of Ministers
i. Meeting of the Assemby’s Presidential Committee with the Bureau of the Committee of Ministers, Strasbourg, 26 April 2010
ii. 120th Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 11 May 2010)
iii. Draft agenda of the Joint Committee (Thursday, 24 June 2010 at 6.30 pm)
a. Statutory consultation on the candidates for the post of Secretary General of the Parliamentary Assembly;
b. Enhancing dialogue and co-operation between the Parliamentary Assembly and the Committee of Ministers;
c. Future priorities of the Council of Europe and budgetary prospects for 2011.
6. Relations with non-member states
6.1. Belarus
a. agreed that the reference to “high-level contacts” in Resolution 1727 (2010) should be understood to mean members of the Bureau;
b. decided to return to this matter at its next meeting.