12 October 1993

Doc. 6956

1403-7/10/93-3-E

REPORT

on joint meetings of Assembly committees or sub-committees

(Rule 45 (2) of the Rules of Procedure)

(Rapporteur: Lord FINSBERG,

United Kingdom, European Democratic Group)

I. Draft resolution

1.       The Assembly considers that the work of committees and sub-committees would be facilitated if, during joint meetings with other committees or sub-committees, they are entitled to take a joint decision providing it is unanimous.

2.       It recalls that, apart from the specific provisions in Rule 46, the procedure in committee (Rule 45) applies to sub-committees.

3.       Consequently the Assembly decides to amend the first sentence of Rule 45 (2) of the Rules of Procedure as follows:

      "Any two or more committees may hold a joint meeting for the examination of subjects coming within their competence, but may not reach a joint decision, except if it is unanimous or on procedural matters".

II. Explanatory memorandum

by Lord FINSBERG

A.       The problem

1.       In connection with the implementation of Order No. 488 (1993), the proposal was made that the Political Affairs Committee and the Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights could set up ad hoc sub-committees to monitor honouring of commitments entered into by states whose parliaments formerly had special guest status in the Parliamentary Assembly, upon their accession to the Council of Europe.

2.       To allow these (sub-) committees to reach a joint decision, the Assembly's Bureau, at my request, instructed the Committee on Rules of Procedure to propose appropriate amendments to the Rules of Procedure.

3.       Under Rule 45 (2) of the Assembly's Rules of Procedure "Any two or more committees may hold a joint meeting for the examination of subjects coming within their competence but may not reach a joint decision, except on procedural matters". This provision also applies to sub-committees (see Rule 46 (8)).

B.       Solution

4.       To facilitate the holding of joint committee and sub-committee meetings, it would therefore be necessary to amend Rule 45 (2) as follows:

      "Any two or more committees may hold a joint meeting for the examination of subjects coming within their competence but may not reach a joint decision, except if it is unanimous or on procedural matters".

5.       It is understood that any decisions reached at a joint meeting of sub-committees would of course under Rule 46 (7) have to be submitted to the committees which appointed them.

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6.       The Committee on Rules of Procedure agreed that the amendment should enter into force immediately after the adoption of the draft resolution which will be presented to the Standing Committee on 4 November 1993.

      Reporting committee: Committee on Rules of Procedure.

      Budgetary implications for the Assembly: none.

      Reference to committee: decision of the Assembly's Bureau 3 September 1993.

      Draft resolution adopted by the committee on 30 September 1993.

      Members of the committee: Sir Anthony Durant (Chairman), MM. Dimmer, Kozlowski (Vice-Chairmen), Mrs Aguiar, MM. Alloncle, Gudmundur Bjarnason, Borg, Cummings, (Alternate: Sir Russell Johnston), Lord Finsberg, MM. Franck, Galanos, Gjellerod, Gregory, Gül, Gundersen, Junghanns, Karcsay, Laakso, Leccese, Loukota, Marten, Masson, Mignon (Alternate: Daniel), Neumann (Alternate: Mrs Blunck), de Paoli, Pukl, Rokofyllos, Schieder, Schiesser, Solé Tura, Mrs Soutendijk-van Appeldoorn, MM. Stoilov, Thissen, Vinci.

      N.B. The names of those members who took part in the vote are printed in italics.

      Secretary to the committee: Mr Heinrich.