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

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    Organisation of Assembly business Retour au sommaire Atteindre l'élement suivant Atteindre l'élement précédent

      Organisation of Assembly business

      Rule 24 - Official documents

      24.1. The official documents of the Assembly shall be published and marked “Parliamentary Assembly”.
      24.2. The official documents of the Assembly are the following:
      24.2.a. Index The agenda for a part-session and the official report of debates;
      24.2.b. Questions addressed to the Committee of Ministers by representatives or substitutes, and the answers of the Committee of Ministers;
      24.2.c. Motions tabled by representatives or substitutes; Including motions tabled pursuant to Rule 54 and motions for a recommendation to initiate a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations.
      24.2.d. Reports of committees and amendments and sub-amendments to the draft texts examined within the framework of these reports;
      24.2.e. Recommendations and opinions addressed to the Committee of Ministers;
      24.2.f. Resolutions; By Resolution 1368 (2004), the Assembly decided to eliminate the possibility of draft orders and motions for orders.
      24.2.g. Written declarations tabled by representatives or substitutes;
      24.2.h. Any documents deemed to be official documents by the President of the Assembly.

      Rule 25 - Tabling of motions for recommendations and resolutions

      25.1.a. A recommendation is a proposal by the Assembly addressed to the Committee of Ministers, the implementation of which is beyond the competence of the Assembly, but within that of governments.
      25.1.b. A resolution embodies a decision by the Assembly on a question of substance which it is empowered to put into effect, or an expression of view for which it alone is responsible. In addition, a resolution may deal with a question of form, transmission, execution or procedure. The Committee on Rules of Procedure and Immunities considered (Doc. 10073) that motions for resolutions or draft resolutions or any other type of Assembly document which may be used to replace motions for orders and draft orders (which were eliminated in 2004) should not interfere with the competences of the Bureau (e.g. with respect to external relations). Furthermore, such documents or texts should not give instructions of an indefinite duration to a committee to prepare reports on a given subject as this comes under the province of the Bureau.
      25.2. A motion for a recommendation or resolution not exceeding 300 words shall be signed by at least twenty representatives or substitutes belonging to at least five national delegations or be adopted with the requisite quorum by a committee, as defined in Rule 47.3. , provided that the motion comes within the committee's specific terms of reference. As regards motions for resolutions to amend the Rules of Procedure see Rule 74.1. . See also Rules 62.8. , 63.4. and 64.6. . Once tabled, a motion cannot be withdrawn by its authors and no signature may be withdrawn or added to it. This provision shall apply to a motion for dismissal (Rule 54 ) and to a motion to initiate a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations (Rule 25.3. ). Motions shall not contain propaganda for commercial purposes or on behalf of persons or associations whose ideas or activities are incompatible with the Council of Europe’s principles. They shall also not contain racist, xenophobic or intolerant language or words and expressions whose meaning bears an affront to human dignity.
      25.3. A motion for recommendation to initiate a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations shall be presented in both official languages and signed by at least one fifth of the component members (representatives and substitutes) of the Assembly, belonging to at least three political groups and fifteen national delegations. A motion for dismissal (Rules 54.2. and 54.3. ) or a motion to initiate a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations (Rule 25.3. ) shall be published within twenty-four working hours.
      25.4. The President shall decide whether such a motion is in order. He or she may consult the committee concerned and possibly the Bureau. A motion which is in order shall be printed and distributed as soon as possible.

      Rule 26 - Reference to committee On 23 May 2019, the Bureau of the Assembly approved Guidelines for consideration of motions for resolutions and recommendations (see {P: BHBHBCAF} ). The provisions of Rules 26.1. and 26.3. shall not apply to a motion for dismissal (Rules 54.2. and 54.3. ) – which shall be automatically referred to the Committee on Rules of Procedure, Immunities and Institutional Affairs – nor to a motion to initiate a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations (Rule 25.3. ), which shall be automatically referred to the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy for report.

      26.1. The Bureau shall reach a decision on all documents mentioned in Rule 24.2.c. . and, if appropriate, h., if necessary after consulting one or more committees, and may decide that the documents shall be referred to one or more committees, forwarded to one or more committees for information, or that no further action be taken. A document forwarded for information may not give rise to a committee report to the Assembly.
      26.2. The Bureau may refer a specific matter to a committee for a report to the Assembly, particularly as part of the action to be taken on an adopted text, provided that the matter has not already been referred to it.
      26.3. The Bureau shall submit these decisions for ratification as soon as possible, either by the Assembly or the Standing Committee. These decisions shall become available to members through the Progress Report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee or in a separate document. Rule 33.5. , second and third sentences, shall apply mutatis mutandis. A document may be referred to only one committee for report, though it may be referred to any other committee for an opinion.
      26.4. A reference to committee shall lapse in two years or, at the request of the committee concerned, by a decision of the Assembly.

      Rule 27 - Agenda See Article 28.c.iii. of the Statute of the Council of Europe.

      27.1. Any matter within the competence of the Assembly may be placed on the agenda. The Progress Report of the Bureau and the Standing Committee shall be placed on the agenda. The report of the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy on the initiation of a complementary joint procedure between the Committee of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly in response to a serious violation by a member State of its statutory obligations shall also be placed on the agenda.
      27.2. A part-session may include a debate on general policy.
      27.3. On the basis of a list of reports already approved by committees but not yet debated and of reports to be approved in time for the part-session, the Bureau shall draw up a draft agenda for each part-session showing at which sittings the items are to be considered. The draft agenda shall be communicated to all members of the Assembly at least two weeks before the opening of a part-session.
      27.4. The draft agenda may be brought up to date by the Bureau and, where possible, shall also be submitted to the Standing Committee. It shall be submitted to the Assembly for approval at the first sitting of a part-session. If the Bureau gives a favourable opinion on a request for a debate under urgent procedure or for a current affairs debate, it shall propose to the Assembly the necessary re-organisation of the draft agenda, principally where necessary by the withdrawal of one or more items of equivalent length.
      27.5. Adoption of a motion to alter the draft agenda shall require a majority of the votes cast. Only affirmative and negative votes shall count in calculating the number of votes cast (Rule 40.4. .). Adoption of any subsequent motions to alter the agenda shall require a two-thirds majority.
      27.6. On any motion covered by paragraph 5 above, only the following shall be heard: the mover, one speaker against and a spokesperson of the committee concerned.