Rules of Procedure of the Assembly (January 2023)
(Resolution 1202 (1999) adopted on 4 November 1999) with subsequent modifications of the Rules of Procedure*
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Bureau, Presidential Committee and Standing Committee Retour au sommaire Atteindre l'élement suivant Atteindre l'élement précédent
- Bureau, Presidential Committee and Standing
Committee
Rule 14 - Bureau of the Assembly and Presidential Committee
14.1. The
Bureau is responsible for the co-ordination of the activities of
the Assembly and of its committees. It assists the President in
his or her functions and guides the external relations of
the Assembly.
14.2. The Bureau shall
take decisions on the organisation of part-sessions and plenary
sittings. It shall carry out other duties assigned to it under the
Rules of Procedure, by the complementary texts to the Rules or according
to decisions taken by the Assembly.
14.3. The Bureau
shall consist of the President, of twenty Vice-Presidents of the
Assembly elected according to the system of apportionment of Bureau
seats and
the chairpersons (or their representatives) of the political groups
and of the Assembly’s general committees. Chairpersons of the national
delegations of the member states holding the current, the previous
and the next two chairmanships of the Committee of Ministers shall
be ex officio members of the Bureau entitled to vote.
They may not be the Bureau's rapporteurs for its reports. They cannot
be replaced. The President does not participate in a vote except
in the case of a tie.
14.4. The Presidential
Committee shall consist of the President of the Assembly, the chairpersons
of the political groups (or their representatives) and the Secretary
General of the Assembly. The Presidential Committee is a consultative
body for the Bureau and the President of the Assembly. It shall
prepare meetings of the Bureau and may be entrusted by it with liaison tasks.
Rule 15 - Election of the President
15.1. The
President of the Assembly shall be elected after the credentials
of the representatives and substitutes have been examined under
Rule 6. No representative may stand as a candidate for the office
of President unless nominated in writing by ten or more representatives
or substitutes at least forty-eight hours before the opening of
the session or part-session.
15.2. If only
one candidature is proposed to the Assembly, the candidate shall
be declared elected without a ballot. When there are several candidates,
the President shall be elected by secret ballot in accordance with
Rules 40.11. and 41.1.c. .
15.3. As soon as the President has
been elected, the provisional President shall leave the Chair.
15.4. The
President shall remain in office until the opening of the next ordinary
session. Should the office of President fall vacant, or if the President
is unable to discharge his/her duties, the most senior Vice-President
shall act until the election of a new President at the following
part-session. The
President so elected shall remain in office until the opening of
the next ordinary session. The President may be re-elected once
for a further term, consecutive or not. However, a President elected
in the course of a session for an incomplete term may be re-elected for
two further terms.
15.5. The
President, if appointed a member of a government ,
shall immediately lose his or her office of President.
Rule 16 - Election of Vice-Presidents
16.1. After the election of the
President, the election of the twenty Vice-Presidents shall, where
appropriate, take place.
16.2. One
Vice-President shall be elected in respect of each national delegation
entitled to a seat under the system of apportionment of Bureau seats
referred to in Rule 14.3. .
Where no candidature is proposed by a national delegation entitled
to a seat, that seat shall remain vacant until such a candidature
is proposed.
16.3. No
representative or substitute may be elected Vice-President unless
proposed in writing by the chairperson of the national delegation
concerned, on behalf of that delegation while taking into account
the principle of gender equality. A delegation may propose a man
as Vice-President only if it includes at least 40% women.
16.4. The
candidates proposed by the national delegations shall be declared
elected without a ballot. However, a vote shall be held by secret
ballot in respect of one or several candidates in accordance with
Rules 40.11 and 41.b, if so requested in the Chamber, at the moment
when the candidatures are presented, by at least twenty representatives
or substitutes. Where a candidate is not elected after the second
ballot, that seat shall remain vacant until a candidate presented
by the national delegation in accordance with Rule 16.3. obtains the requisite
majority.
16.5. The Vice-Presidents
shall take precedence by age.
16.6. Vice-Presidents
shall remain in office until the opening of the next ordinary session.
A Vice-President shall be replaced in the course of the session
when he or she is no longer a member of the Assembly, in the event
of death, resignation or dismissal pursuant to Rule 54 , or when the delegation
to which they belong is renewed. A new Vice-President shall be elected,
in accordance with the above provisions, at the opening of a part-session.
In the order of precedence, he or she shall come after the Vice-Presidents
previously elected.
Rule 17 - Standing Committee
17.1. The
Standing Committee shall:
17.1.b. prepare
the work of the Assembly, ensure its continuity of action and, when
the occasion arises, act on its behalf , in particular by:
- considering and adopting, on behalf of the Assembly, texts contained in committee reports placed on its agenda, in accordance with paragraph 4 below or with Rule 52 on urgent procedure; and- considering questions relating to credentials in accordance with the provisions of Rules 6 to 9.
17.2. Before the close of
the first part of an ordinary session, the Assembly shall constitute its
Standing Committee.
17.3. The
membership of the Standing Committee shall be as follows:
17.3.a. President of the
Assembly (who shall be Chairperson of the Standing Committee);
17.3.b. Vice-Presidents
of the Assembly (who shall be the Vice-Chairpersons of the Standing Committee);
17.3.c. The chairpersons
of the political groups or, in their absence, a member representing
the group concerned;
17.3.d. The chairpersons
of national delegations or, in their absence, a member of the delegation
duly designated;
17.4. The Standing
Committee shall be convened by the President of the Assembly whenever
he or she deems it necessary and at least twice a year. It may not
meet when the Assembly is in session. The draft agenda for its meetings
shall be submitted to the Bureau.
17.5. Subject
to any provision to the contrary in this rule or in Rule 41 (Majorities
required) or Rule 52 (Urgent procedure in the Standing Committee),
procedure in the Standing Committee shall be governed by Rule 47 (Procedure
in committee) and Rule 48 (Meetings of committees).
17.6. A
report placed on the draft agenda of a meeting of the Standing Committee
shall be distributed to all members of the Assembly at least two
weeks beforehand.
17.7. During the
adoption of the agenda by the Standing Committee, a report may be
withdrawn and referred to the plenary Assembly if such a request
is made by the chairperson of the committee concerned or by at least
ten members of the Standing Committee and adopted by a two-thirds
majority of the votes cast. This provision shall neither apply to
reports placed on the agenda of the Standing Committee in accordance
with the urgent procedure (Rule 52 ), nor to reports submitted to the Standing
Committee by decision of the Assembly.
17.8. All members
of the Standing Committee have the right to vote.