Doc. 8020
12 February 1998

A more effective process of replies to Parliamentary Assembly recommendations

Motion for a recommendation

presented by Mr Terry Davis and others

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only the members who have signed it

      Recommendations to the Committee of Ministers represent the very essence of the task entrusted to the Assembly, in the framework of the Council of Europe. Therefore, it is essential for the Assembly's efficiency and authority that its recommendations receive substantial and prompt replies. Establishing a genuine and frank dialogue between the Assembly and the Committee of Ministers is a condition sine qua non for keeping the Council of Europe in touch with the pulse of European public opinion, its feelings and its needs.

      Regretting the current situation, under which recommendations are often treated in bureaucratic terms and left for years without reply, we urge the Committee of Ministers:

1.       to adopt a new process of elaborating replies within a reasonable time limit, not exceeding in any case the six months;

2.       to give priority and reply to the issues of political substance contained in the Assembly's recommendations;

3.       to include technical expertise – whenever needed – to their replies in a separate and well defined manner;

4.       to make use of all possible procedural methods to allow consensus to emerge on their resolutions regarding replies to Assembly recommendations.

Signed (see overleaf)

Signed : ¹

Davis, United Kingdom, SOC

Adamczyk, Poland, EPP/CD

Antretter, Germany, SOC

Anusz, Poland, EPP/CD

Bársony, Hungary, SOC

Brunhart, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

Carvalho, Portugal, UEL

Christodoulides, Cyprus, UEL

Chyzh, Ukraine, UEL

Cox, United Kingdom, SOC

Cunliffe, United Kingdom, SOC

De Puig, Spain, SOC

Demetriou, Cyprus, EPP/CD

Diana, Italy, EPP/CD

Gabrielescu, Romania, EPP/CD

Glotov, Russia, UEL

Grenfell, United Kingdom, SOC

Ivanov, Bulgaria, EPP/CD

Janowski, Poland, EPP/CD

Jurgens, Netherlands, SOC

Katseli, Greece, SOC

Kelam, Estonia, EPP/CD

Kieres, Poland, EPP/CD

Kittis, Cyprus, LDR

Korakas, Greece, UEL

Krzyzanowska, Poland, EPP/CD

Kukk, Estonia, EPP/CD

Kuznetsov, Russia, EPP/CD

Leers, Netherlands, EPP/CD

Lopez Henares, Spain, EPP/CD

Loulé, Greece, UEL

Lupu, Romania, EPP/CD

Marmazov, Ukraine, UEL

Martinez, Spain, SOC

Meier, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

Micheloyiannis, Greece, SOC

Mota Amaral, Portugal, EPP/CD

Mozetic, Slovenia, EPP/CD

Mozgan, Slovenia, EPP/CD

O'Hara, United Kingdom, SOC

Oliynik, Ukraine, UEL

Penz, Austria, EPP/CD

Poças Santos, Portugal, EPP/CD

Pulgar, Spain, EPP/CD

Rakhansky, Ukraine, UEL

Raskinis, Lithuania, EPP/CD

Robles Fraga, Spain, EPP/CD

Schloten, Germany, SOC

Sole Tura, Spain, SOC

Taylor J.D., United Kingdom, EPP/CD

Urbain, Belgium, SOC

Van der Maelen, Belgium, SOC

Vrettos, Greece, SOC

Weyts, Belgium, EPP/CD

Wohlwend, Liechtenstein, EPP/CD

Wojcik, Poland, EPP/CD

Woltjer, Netherlands, SOC

       SOC: Socialist Group

      EPP/CD: Group of the European People’s Party

      EDG: European Democratic Group

      LDR : Liberal, Democratic and Reformers’ Group

      UEL : Group of the Unified European Left

      NR : Not registered in a group