Parliamentary Assembly Assemblée parlementaire

Doc. 10830
1 February 2006

Conflict of Interests

Motion for a resolution
presented by Mr. Eörsi and others

This is a formal motion by the signatories to the Assembly to modify its Rules of Procedure of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.

Most, if not all of the rules of procedure of our national parliaments provide rules for transparency for business interests of members and rules on conflicts of interest.

We propose that our Rules of Procedure be modified with similar provisions. Therefore we propose to establish unconditional criteria for a member to become an eligible candidate for rapporteur, when the subject of the report concerns one or more specific member states.

In case of a members candidate rapporteurship, we propose the candidate-member to sign a document in which the candidate-member for rapporteurship undersigns an explicit declaration that he or she has no business interest in the concerned country/countries, or would disclose the business interests he or she has.

A candidate-member rapporteur should not be an eligible member in case of refusal or not signing the above proposed document.

The new rules should also stipulate that in case a signed declaration on business interests of a member-rapporteur proves to be untrue, the member should be deprived from rapporteurship.

We also propose that provisions will be established for those who become rapporteurs before these new provisions are validated. The above stipulated declaration and sanction on business interests should apply to them as well.

Signed ¹:

EÖRSI, Mátyás, Hungary, ALDE
AÇIKGÖZ, Ruhi, Turkey, EDG
CEBECI, Erol Aslan, Turkey, EPP/CD
de PUIG, Lluís Maria, Spain, SOC
DUPRAZ, John, Switzerland, ALDE
GARDETTO, Jean-Charles, Monaco, EPP/CD
GLAVAN, Stefan, Romania, NR
HANCOCK, Michael, United Kingdom, ALDE
HÖGMARK, Anders G., Sweden, EPP/CD
MARQUET, Bernard, Monaco, ALDE
MARTY, Dick, Switzerland, ALDE
MIUTESCU, Gheorghe Adrian, Romania, ALDE
PREDA, Cezar Florin, Romania, EPP/CD
SCHMIED, Walter, Switzerland, ALDE
SEVERINSEN, Hanne, Denmark, ALDE
SPINDELEGGER, Michael, Austria, EPP/CD
TEKELIOGLU, Mehmet, Turkey, EPP/CD
TKÁC, Vojtech, Slovakia, SOC
Van den BRANDE, Luc, Belgium, EPP/CD
WILLE, Paul, Belgium, ALDE

¹        SOC: Socialist Group
       EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party
      ALDE: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
      EDG: European Democratic Group
      UEL: Group of the Unified European Left
      NR: not registered in a group