Doc. 11013
2 August 2006

Visa requirements for members of the Assembly attending Assembly committee meetings

Written question No. 501 to the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers
presented by Lord Russell-Johnston

      Recalling that all delegate representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly are issued with a “Laissez-Passer” by the Secretary General of the Assembly which states, inter alia, that: “NO administrative or other restrictions shall be imposed on the free movement to and from the place of meeting of representatives to the Assembly and their Substitutes” and further that this “shall apply when they are attending or travelling to and from meetings of Committees and Sub-Committees of the Assembly”.

      To ask the Chairman of the Committee of Ministers:

1.       Why therefore Turkey has requested that Visa applications be made in order to attend the Political Committee of the Assembly in Gaziantep from 11 to 12 September?

2.       If he will list the other member states of the Council of Europe which make similar visa requirements a condition of attending an Assembly Committee?

3.       What action he intends to take to terminate this practice which is in clear breach of the General Agreement on Privileges and Immunities and its protocol?

Signed ¹:

Lord RUSSELL-JOHNSTON, United Kingdom, 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