Progress report | Doc. 14409 Add. 1 | 09 October 2017
Activities of the Assembly’s Bureau and Standing Committee (9 October 2017)
1. Decisions of the Bureau of 9 October 2017 requiring ratification by the Assembly
1.1. References and transmissions to committees
1.1.1. References to committees
The Bureau considered and approved the following reference:
- Bureau decision, Amending Rule 19 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure on political groups: reference to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs for report;
1.2. Election of Judges to the European Court of Human Rights in respect of Georgia and Turkey
The Bureau took note of the report drawn up by the Committee on the Election of Judges which had assessed the qualifications of the candidates to the posts of judge to the Court in respect of Georgia and Turkey. This report had been already declassified by the Committee and submitted to the attention of all members of the Assembly (Doc. 14409 Addendum 2). The Committee recommended that the list of candidates in respect of Turkey be rejected.
1.3. Composition of the Monitoring Committee and the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs
1.3.1. Monitoring Committee
On the basis of a proposal by the SOC Group, the Bureau appointed Ms Maryvonne Blondin (France), subject to ratification by the Assembly.
On the basis of a proposal by the ALDE Group, the Bureau appointed Ms Anne Brasseur (Luxembourg), subject to ratification by the Assembly.
On the basis of a proposal by the UEL Group, the Bureau appointed Mr Pablo Bustinduy (Spain), subject to ratification by the Assembly.
1.3.2. Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs
On the basis of Rule 44.3.b of the Rules of Procedure, the Bureau appointed Ms Daphné Dumery (Belgium, NR) and Mr Jordi Xuclà (Spain, ALDE), subject to ratification by the Assembly.
The Assembly is invited to ratify these Bureau decisions.
2. Other decisions by the Bureau
2.1. Fourth part-session of 2017 (Strasbourg, 9-13 October)
2.1.1. Requests for debates under urgent procedure:
The Bureau took note of the following requests:
- request tabled by Mr Talip Küçukcan (Turkey, EC) and 24 members of the Assembly for the Assembly to hold a debate under urgent procedure on The extremely worrying humanitarian situation of the Rohingya: decided not to recommend that the Assembly hold such a debate;
- request tabled by Mr Titus Corlățean (Romania, SOC) and 39 members of the Assembly for the Assembly to hold a debate under urgent procedure on The new Ukrainian law on education: a major impediment of the teaching of national minorities’ mother tongues: decided to recommend that the Assembly hold such a debate and to refer the matter to the Committee on Culture, Science, Education and Media for report;
2.1.2. Request for a current affairs debate
The Bureau took note of the following request:
- request tabled by Mr Tiny Kox (Netherlands, Chairperson of the UEL Group), on behalf of his group, for the Assembly to hold a current affairs debate on The need for a political solution to the crisis in Catalonia: decided to recommend that the Assembly hold such a debate and designated Mr Andrej Hunko (Germany, UEL) as the first speaker.
2.1.3. Draft agenda
The Bureau updated the draft agenda.
2.2. Joint Committee (Strasbourg, 12 October 2017, from 3 to 4.30 pm)
The Bureau prepared the meeting.
2.3. Acknowledgement of a new political group (Free Democrats Group), effective date
The Bureau:
- took note of the letter by the Chairperson of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs as well as of the Committee’s decision on the interpretation of Rule 19 of the Rules of Procedure of the Parliamentary Assembly confirming 4 September 2017 as the date of the acknowledgement of the formation of the group;
- decided to ask the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs to prepare a report on Amending Rule 19 of the Assembly’s Rules of Procedure on political groups;
- and asked the incoming President of the Assembly and the Secretary General of the Assembly to verify the authenticity of the signatures and the validity of the consent of the members of the FDG group who have resigned from the EC Group.
2.4. Progress report of the Bureau of the Assembly and the Standing Committee (30 June – 8 October 2017)
The Bureau approved the Progress report.
2.5. Communications
The Bureau took note of the communication by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe.
2.6. Meetings elsewhere than Strasbourg and Paris
The Bureau authorised the sub-Committee on Children of the Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development to meet in London on 6-7 November 2017.