Motion for a resolution | Doc. 12669 | 23 June 2011

Code of conduct of members of the Assembly: good practice or a core duty?

Signatories: Mr Jean-Claude MIGNON, France, EPP/CD ; Mr Denis BADRÉ, France, ALDE ; Ms Marie-Louise BEMELMANS-VIDEC, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Laurent BÉTEILLE, France, EPP/CD ; Ms Anne BRASSEUR, Luxembourg, ALDE ; Mr André BUGNON, Switzerland, ALDE ; Ms Daphné DUMERY, Belgium, NR ; Ms Lydie ERR, Luxembourg, SOC ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Ana GUŢU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Norbert HAUPERT, Luxembourg, EPP/CD ; Mr Oliver HEALD, United Kingdom, EDG ; Ms Olha HERASYM'YUK, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Kastriot ISLAMI, Albania, SOC ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Dick MARTY, Switzerland, ALDE ; Mr Armen RUSTAMYAN, Armenia, SOC ; Mr Giacomo SANTINI, Italy, EPP/CD ; Lord John E. TOMLINSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Unlike certain national parliaments, the Parliamentary Assembly has no rules of conduct applicable its members. At the same time, during their terms of office members may be called upon to represent the Assembly and are asked to perform a number of duties, such as participating in observer missions for national elections, monitoring or contributing to the work of various parliamentary, intergovernmental or other bodies or electing the judges of the European Court of Human Rights, the Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary General of the Organisation.

It is therefore important to ensure that the exercise of these duties is not marred by actions that could jeopardise the confidence of the public or of other institutions in the action of the Assembly or of Assembly members themselves in the manner their fellow members acquit themselves of their tasks.

The recent adoption of Resolution 1799 (2011), introducing provisions governing the conduct of rapporteurs into the Assembly's Rules of Procedure, constituted a first step towards the adoption of rules of ethics within the Assembly. The rules now include a non-exhaustive list of principles to be followed by Assembly rapporteurs and a penalty that may be imposed for breaches thereof. These principles include neutrality, impartiality, objectivity and availability.

The Assembly could accordingly consider the need to introduce rules of good conduct applicable to its members.